Museums in Gdansk you should visit
There’s a lot more to do during your vacation in Gdansk than just swimming in the sea and sunbathing on the beach. This seaside city can also offer interesting museums. No matter if you’re interested in history, or some rather unusual topics, in Gdansk it is possible to find a museum for pretty much anyone. In this article, you will be able to read about several of the most interesting museums in Gdansk.
The World War II Museum
The World War II Museum was established on September 1st 2008. It was originally known as the Westerplatte Museum in Gdansk.
On November 26th 2008, Bogdan Zdrojewski, who was the minister of culture and national heritage at that time, renamed the institution to the World War II Museum in Gdansk.
Since early February of 2009, the headquarters of the World War II Museum was located in a series of stonehouses at 81/83 Dluga street in Gdansk.
In the museum, visitors can explore the main exhibit and several time-limited exhibits, including „Westerplatte in 7 versions”, „Lost legacy” and „Fight and suffering. Polish citizens during World War II”
The Polish Post Museum
The Polish Post Museum is a museum in Gdansk dedicated to the Polish Post in the Free City of Gdansk.
The building of the museum is located in the historical area of the Old Town in Gdansk.
In the past, this was the location of a settlement of Polish governors, and later a settlement of princes from the Sobieslawice dynasty.
In 1920, the Management of the Pomeranian Post and Telegraphs was established in Gdansk, and in 1920 it was replaced with the Management of the Post and Telegraphs of the Polish Republic.
On September 1st 1939, around 4:45 in the morning, when the attacks at Westerplatte began, the divisions of the Order Police organized their first attack at a facility of the Polish Post, which was defended by Polish postal workers.
The National Maritime Museum in Gdansk
The National Maritime Museum in Gdansk is a national cultural institution with the mission of protecting the nautological heritage by gathering and securing artefacts associated with sailing, shipbuilding and fishing as well as disseminating knowledge about these artefacts and the maritime history of Poland.
In 1958, the Association of Museum Friends was established. From its initiative an exhibit known as „Od wiosla do napedu atomowego” was organized in the Artus Court. Przemyslaw Smolarek, who was the initiator of the exhibit, wanted to create a Maritime Museum, and his attempts were successful.
The first headquarters of the museum was the Gdansk Crane, but it wan’t long before the museum began to expand.
The European Solidarity Center
The European Solidarity Center is an institution in Gdansk established on November 8th 2007.
The purpose of the activity of the European Solidarity Center is to disseminate the legacy of the „Solidarnosc” campaign in Poland and other countries.
The headquarters of this center with the surface of 25.349,75 square meters was created in Gdansk, in the Mlyniska district, in the area of the so-called „Young Town”, not far from the Monument of the Fallen Shipyard Workers..
Inside the new building a permanent exhibit was created, which presents the modern history of Poland, the establishment of the Solidarity movement and its legacy in six rooms.
The Amber Museum in Gdansk
The Amber Museum in Gdansk was established in February of 2000 as a division of the
Historical Museum of Gdansk. At that time, all the floors of the Prison Tower were adapted for the needs of the museum. In June of 2006, the Amber Museum inaugurated its activity with 439 square meters of exhibition area.
The exhibit was created in a certain way, so that various floors would show amber in various aspects. Here, visitors can get familiar with the history of amber and the history of amber crafts, as well as amber trading routes and medicine traditions associated with amber. Apart from traditional exhibits, there are also multimedia presentations.