Westerplatte Museum

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Object of the forced union: The Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk

The Museum of the Westerplatte and the War of 1939 (Polish: Muzeum Westerplatte i Wojny 1939 ) is a future museum in the Polish city ​​of Gdansk . It is after the declared will of the current government , the heroic defense of Westerplatte and the victimization of Polish soldiers in the Second World War represent. An international orientation and remembrance of pogroms like the Jedwabne massacre is not desired.

The museum was founded on December 22nd, 2015 as an alternative to the Muzeum II Wojny Światowej ( Museum of the Second World War ) under construction by the previous government. After several legal proceedings, the union of the two museums was announced by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage on April 6, 2017, and the historian Karol Nawrocki was appointed director of the Museum of World War II. The museum is slated to open in September 2019 [obsolete] .

History and controversy

Paweł Machcewicz (2017)

The bombardment of the Polish munitions depot on the Westerplatte on 1  September 1939 is seen by many as the beginning of the Second World War . It was not until September 7 that the defenders surrendered to the overwhelming attacks. The last fighting on the European theater of war took place in May 1945 between Danzig Spit and the Vistula near Steegen .

On September 1, 2008, the Tusk government established the Museum of World War II in Gdansk . The historian and consultant Tusks Paweł Machcewicz , who also developed the idea for this museum, became the founding director . The foundation stone was laid on September 1, 2012. Around 100 million euros were invested in the completion of the museum by 2017.

The Westerplatte Museum was founded on December 22nd, 2015 by the successor government. It was given the task of renewing the exhibition on Gdańsk's Westerplatte by 2019.

controversy

The new World War Museum should cover the history of the entire World War, including the scenes in the Far East. For this concept, experts and lenders could be won worldwide. However, this international orientation did not correspond to the intentions of the right-wing conservative government after the change of government in November 2015.

In April 2016, Piotr Gliński , Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Culture and National Heritage, announced the intention to subordinate the museum to the Westerplatte Museum, which was only founded on December 22, 2015. Machcewicz only found out about these plans through the Internet. He was criticized by his opponents in the ruling PiS party for his "unpolish representation" ( niepolska narracja ) of historical events.

The first lawsuit against this subordination was successful before the Regional Administrative Court in Warsaw on November 16, 2016. However, this decision was referred back to the first instance for hearing on January 24, 2017 by the Supreme Administrative Court. On the same day the director received his notice of termination. The day before, he was able to present his concept of the 80 percent complete permanent exhibition at an unofficial opening that was noticed throughout Europe . The population of Gdańsk had access to the museum for two more days, and according to the museum, 3500 visitors accepted the offer.

As of February 1, 2017, the compulsory merger of the World War and Westerplatte Museum was unsuccessful. The founding director of the World War Museum had already accepted his release on January 31, 2017, but was still able to remain in office. The museum was closed on January 30th and officially opened on March 23rd, 2017.

On April 5, 2017, the Supreme Administrative Court upheld a lawsuit by the Ministry of Culture against Muzeum II Wojny Światowej in the last instance. According to Minister of Culture Gliński, the two museums should be merged “as soon as possible”. The ministry announced the union of the two museums a day later. According to his own information, Machcewicz had his last working day on April 6th.

Museum management

  • Piotr Semków, professor at the Navy Academy in Gdynia , director until March 2016
  • Mariusz Wojtowicz-Podhorski, acting head, since March 2016
  • Karol Nawrocki , interim director of the compulsory museums since April 7, 2017.

The Museum of World War II, object of a forced union

The museum under construction (July 2016)

The Museum of World War II opened on March 23, 2017. In the current permanent exhibition, the defense of the Westerplatte is only a minor marginal event. The concept should reflect the past, present and future: the underground exhibition areas are the past, the open spaces around the museum symbolize the present, the imposing 40 m high tower with a café symbolizes the future.

The museum is located on a headland between Radaunekanal and Motlawa . The museum is located in the Brabank ( Stara Stocznia in correspondence and translation: old shipyard) in the city center district . A new district is being created here on industrial wastelands and the former shipyard site . The European Solidarność Center (ECS) is only 1 km away, the Polish Post Office , which was contested in 1939, only 200 m.

Exhibitions

The World War Museum has set up a permanent exhibition on the Westerplatte: a seaside resort, a bastion, a symbol and new display boards. Since 2011 various special exhibitions and a. in the ECS and in the Johanniskirche and museum days at the Westerplatte memorial .

Web links

Commons : Construction of the Museum of World War II  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files
 Wikinews: Grave lights for the World War II Museum in Gdansk  - message

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Ministry of Culture and National Heritage: Muzeum II Wojny Światowej i Muzeum Westerplatte i Wojny 1939 połączone (April 6, 2017, Polish)
  2. ↑ Muzeum Westerplatte i Wojny 1939. Otwarcie 1 września 2019 roku. Retrieved June 21, 2019 (Polish).
  3. ↑ April 16, 2016 Museum Director Professor Paweł Machcewicz's announcement ( Memento of the original from May 14, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. muzeum1939.pl (English, accessed April 2016) @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.muzeum1939.pl
  4. ↑ Martin Sander: The Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk - An undesirable historical image ( Deutschlandfunk , January 24, 2017)
  5. ^ Gerhard Gnauck : Not national enough , in: faz.net from January 26, 2017
  6. ↑ Postanowienie NSA w sprawie wstrzymania wykonania zarządzenia Ministra Kultury dotyczącego połączenia Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku i Muzeum Westerplatte i Wojny 1939
  7. ↑ Der Tagesspiegel : Dispute over the Polish World War Museum - Victory of the Patriots (April 5, 2017)
  8. ↑ Minister Kultury chce połączyć dwa gdańskie muzea between z II wojną światową wyborcza.pl from April 17, 2016 (Polish)
  9. ↑ Architecture as a symbol ( Memento of the original from July 27, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.muzeum1939.pl

Coordinates: 54 ° 21 ′ 21 ″  N , 18 ° 39 ′ 38 ″  E