The Polish Museum in Rapperswil was established in 1871 by Polish exiles who had been given use of the castle for their collection. It was the first institution dedicated to preserving Polish national culture anywhere in the world — a function it fulfilled during the long period when Poland did not exist as an independent state, from the partitions of the 18th century to the restoration of independence in 1918.
The collection is broad: documents, artworks, weapons, manuscripts, photographs, and objects representing both Polish history and the experience of exile. The Kościuszko archive is the most famous item, but the rooms tracing the 19th-century uprisings and their aftermath are equally compelling. The museum was transferred to Poland after 1989 but maintains a permanent collection and exhibition at Rapperswil.