Permanent Exhibition Catalog

The heart of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk is the main exhibition, covering over 6,000 square meters, making it one of the largest narrative exhibitions in the world. Located 14 meters underground, it tells the story of the tragic experience of World War II, its origins and consequences, its victims and perpetrators, its heroes and ordinary people. The narrative in this unique spatial composition is centered around 3,000 exhibits and 260 multimedia stations.

Before the first visitors even crossed the threshold of the new museum, a catalog of the exhibition had been prepared. The richly illustrated publication was authored by Rafał Wnuk, Paweł Machcewicz, Oliwia Gałka–Olejko, and Łukasz Jasiński in collaboration with Jan Daniluk. It reflects the content and message of this unique museum, both nationally and globally.

In April 2017, after the authors of the exhibition were dismissed, the publication was withdrawn from sale. For many years, it was locked away in the museum's storage, becoming a ‘shelf warmer’. In 2020, nearly 8,000 copies of the catalog disappeared without a trace. In this situation, we were forced to notify the prosecutor's office of the possibility of a crime. We hope that this matter will be thoroughly investigated and clarified, and that those responsible will be held accountable.

Returning to good museum practices, after many years we are in the process of preparing a refreshed version of the main exhibition catalog. This will soon be available to the many guests of the MSWW. We want all visitors to be able to familiarize themselves with the vision and message of the exhibition. Starting in August, MSWW guests will be able to leave the museum not only with favourable impressions from the exhibition but also with a publication that until now has been unavailable for seven years.

See you soon, within the welcoming walls of the MSWW!