POLIN Muzeum Historii Zydow Polskich
About
The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews stands in the historic Muranów quarter of Warsaw on the former site of the Warsaw Ghetto. Opened in 2013, the 13,000‑square‑metre building, designed by Finnish architects Rainer Mahlamäki and Ilmari Lahdelma, features a cavernous entrance hall that symbolizes the fractured history of Poland’s Jewish community. Its core exhibition, occupying over 4,000 m², chronicles a 1,000‑year narrative through eight immersive galleries that take visitors from the earliest settlers in the Middle Ages to the Holocaust, the post‑war era, and contemporary life. Interactive multimedia, reconstructed roofs such as the 17th‑century Gwoździec synagogue, and a replica of the Gwoździec synagogue roof bring the past to vivid life. The museum also hosts the Virtual Shtetl portal, providing an extensive digital archive of Jewish life across Poland, and regularly offers educational programmes, guided tours, and workshops that engage scholars, students, families, and educators. In 2016 it was awarded the European Museum of the Year, underscoring its excellence in curation, design, and public outreach.
Highlights
- Cavernous Entrance Hall & Architectural Landmark
- Eight Thematic Galleries Spanning 1,000 Years
- Interactive Multimedia Narrative
- Reconstruction of Gwoździec Synagogue Roof
- Virtual Shtetl Portal Access
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At a glance
- Typical visit: about 2 hours