EXHIBITIONS
The Core Exhibition
The attendance in 2015 amounted to nearly 320 000 people. We offered a number of ways of visiting the exhibition, dedicated to different audiences and a variety of tools to assist in the visit, including:
▪ curator tours,
▪ individual visit along a thematic track,
▪ audio guides in 10 languages,
▪ printed guides in mini and micro version,
▪ educational workshops combined with a tour.
We are constantly working on the modification and enrichment of the offer.
Top temporary exhibitions
“Roman Vishniac: Photography, 1920–1975”, 8.05–31.08.2015
An exhibition of the works by one of the most important photographers showing the lost world of the Polish Jews.
“Wojciech Wilczyk: (in)visible”, 23.10.2015–4.01.2016
Photographs showing the preserved synagogues and their functions today.
“Frank Stella and Synagogues of Historic Poland”, 19.02 – 20.06.2016
A presentation of the work of a prominent American abstractionist inspired by the architecture of synagogues in former Poland.
Travelling exhibitions
“They Risked their Lives. Poles who saved Jews during the Holocaust”
Travelling exhibition shown for the first time at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, December 3, 2013. Its purpose was to present the phenomenon of the Polish Righteous Among the Nations and the historical context of their choices, including circumstances and scale of help given to the Jews. The exhibition is based on a unique collection of testimonies from the Righteous as well as Holocaust survivors. It was prepared by the POLIN Museum in collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a view to present it at the Polish diplomatic and cultural institutions. It was presented in 10 countries, 43 places in seven language versions, including English, German and Spanish.
"Museum on Wheels"
The Museum on Wheels is a mobile educational exhibition presenting the history and culture of Polish Jews, which will travel around Poland from June 2014 until April 2016. We will visit nearly 50 small towns (up to 50 thousand inhabitants) across the country, as well as a number of festivals. The exhibition will be accompanied by different educational activities animated by the Museum’s educators and local leaders – including workshops, discussions, film screenings, and activities in urban space. The aim of the project is to teach audiences about the age-long coexistence of Polish and Jewish culture, and to support local leaders involved in Polish-Jewish dialogue and the protection of Jewish heritage.
ONLINE PUBLICATIONS
Virtual Shtetl www.sztetl.org.pl
An internet platform devoted to documenting local Jewish history across Poland – from small towns to large cities, launched in 2009. The website features archival and contemporary material such as documents, maps, mementos, photographs and recordings. The project fosters a web-based community of local contributors who are passionate about Polish Jewish heritage. Thanks to the knowledge gathered, young people, students, individuals – even from the smallest towns, as well as descendants of Polish Jews scattered around the world can discover and research hitherto unknown history. The website is available in English, German and Hebrew, and can supplement traditional forms of education, allowing visitors to become involved in the creation of a virtual research database.
Polish Righteous – Recalling Forgotten History http://www.sprawiedliwi.org.pl
A project dedicated to Polish Righteous Among the Nations - people who helped Jews during the Holocaust, risking their own lives and the lives of their families. Stories of rescue are documented and presented on the portal. The research covers both Poland and Israel. Interviews with witnesses of history – rescuers, rescued and wit-nesses of rescue – are conducted by trained researchers. These meetings are preceded by meticulous preliminary research. We use accounts collected after the War, stored in archives.
Central Judaica Database http://judaica.polin.pl
The Central Judaica Database is an internet database featuring artifacts and documents related to Jewish culture, scattered throughout Poland and around the world. The Database contains descriptions and photographs of over (5200) objects from 11 Polish institutions. Most items in the collection come from private donors. They include, above all, family mementos, photographs, documents, items of daily use, letters and memoirs.
CONFERENCES
“Jewish Cultural Heritage. Projects, Methods, Inspirations”, 8-10.06.2016
The conference explored issues related to Jewish cultural heritage in contemporary Europe – preservation, animation, engagement, and impact. The project was supported by the EEA 2009-2014 Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism 2009 – 2014 as part of the bilateral cooperation.
“In the circle of Peretz”, 07-10.09.2015
An international conference devoted to Isaac Leib Peretz, the father of Yiddish literature, organized on the 100th anniversary of Peretz’s death.
GLOBAL EDUCATION OUTREACH PROGRAM (GEOP)
GEOP was established in May 2015 as a project of the Museum of POLIN funded Taube Foundation for Jewish Life and Culture, The William K. Bowes, Jr. Foundation and the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute in Poland. The aim of GEOP is to promote the study of the history and culture of Polish Jews in the international environment by supporting research and scientific exchange. It consists of scholarships doctoral and post-doctoral, doctoral nationwide seminars, scientific workshops and guest lectures visiting researchers, and academic conferences and seminars. The program is aimed at researchers in different stages of careers and different disciplines, including history, political science, literature, history of art, musicology, theater studies, philosophy, religion, sociology, anthropology, cultural studies and law, whose research interests include issues related to the history and culture of Jews in Poland.
JEWISH CULTURAL HERITAGE PROJECT 2013-2016
The main aim of the Jewish Cultural Heritage project is to enable the public to draw inspiration from the thousand-year historic experience of Polish Jews. Our goal is to promote tolerance and to educate young people on how to live in today’s multicultural society in which different groups, customs, practices and religions function side by side.
Activities organized within the framework of the project are largely addressed to children and young people from Poland and other countries, as well as teachers and educators. Persons with limited access to culture, including those with disabilities, are also an especially important target group.
The project will involve various types of educational formulas: free programs for schools and teachers, photography, theatrical and music workshops, meetings, panel discussions, city initiatives, exhibitions, artistic residencies, publications and applications for mobile devices. Internet projects such as a virtual tour of the Museum and contemporary Jewish Warsaw or an interactive educational game for children are a special part of the project.
The project is supported from the Norway and EEA Grants by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway.