The ruling conservative and
Eurosceptic Law and Justice party has been pushing to nationalise important
businesses and cultural artefacts, as part of a focus on national pride.
Minister of Culture Piotr
Glinski said the sale "ensures the right of the Polish nation to the
collection".
The Polish government has
bought a world-famous art collection, including a rare Leonardo da Vinci
painting, for a fraction of its market value.
The Czartoryski collection
was sold for €100m ($105m; £85m) despite being estimated at about €2bn.
It includes Rembrandt and
Renoir works, and Leonardo's Lady with an Ermine.
The head of the Czartoryski
family, which owned the collection, said it was a "donation", but the
board of its foundation resigned in protest.
The Czartoryski
Foundation's management board said it was not consulted about the sale, which
was negotiated between Poland's culture ministry and Adam Karol Czartoryski, a
descendent of Princess Izabela Czartoryska, who founded the collection in 1802.
Mr Czartoryski, the
foundation's head, said he was following his ancestors who "always worked
for the Polish nation".
"I felt like making a
donation and that's my choice," he said.
The collection is made up
of about 86,000 artefacts, as well as 250,000 manuscripts and books. Most of
the artworks are housed in the National Museum in the southern city of Krakow.
All are now the property of
the Polish state.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-38462474
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