▁Central ▁Europe ▁following ▁World ▁War ▁II . ▁After ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁Eastern ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Polish ▁Republic ▁by ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union , ▁main ▁parts ▁of ▁Poland ' s ▁art ▁collections ▁were ▁transferred ▁from ▁the ▁cities ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁the ▁USS R ▁like ▁L viv . ▁Col lections ▁not ▁returned ▁included ▁the ▁O ss oline um ▁hold ings ▁which ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁L viv ▁National ▁Museum . ▁The ▁cultural ▁her itage ▁sh ipped ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁included ▁Polish ▁and ▁European ▁paint ings ▁from ▁ 1 7 th ▁to ▁ 1 9 th ▁centuries . ▁ ▁Con clusion ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁Most ▁historic ▁buildings ▁in ▁W roc ław ▁were ▁destroyed ▁or ▁heavily ▁dam aged ▁in ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁( see : ▁the ▁Sie ge ▁of ▁Bres lau ). ▁The ▁new ▁Polish ▁Department ▁of ▁Museum s ▁and ▁Heritage ▁Prote ction ▁( Re fer at ▁Mu ze ów ▁i ▁O chron y ▁Z ab yt ków , ▁R MO Z ) ▁was ▁entr usted ▁with ▁the ▁task ▁of ▁selecting ▁a ▁suitable ▁pla cement ▁for ▁the ▁newly ▁arriv ing ▁cultural ▁artifact s . ▁The ▁relatively ▁und am aged ▁location ▁was ▁chosen ▁on ▁ ▁among ▁the ▁ru ins ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁city ▁center , ▁at ▁the ▁former ▁S iles ian ▁reg ency ▁office ▁built ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 3 – 1 8 8 6 . ▁▁ ▁Although ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁National ▁Museum ▁and ▁its ▁collections ▁were ▁new ▁in ▁W roc ław , ▁the ▁actual ▁tradition ▁of ▁art ▁museum s ▁in