The POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews, located in Warsaw, Poland, is a renowned cultural institution dedicated to preserving and presenting the 1,000-year history of Jewish presence in Poland and to promote tolerance, understanding, and mutual respect. It serves as a space for learning, reflection, and dialogue, exploring the rich cultural and religious […]

The Jewish Historical Institute’s mission is to promote awareness of the thousand-year Jewish presence in Poland. They achieve this through exhibitions, artistic events, conferences, education programs, and publishing. The Institute serves as a repository of Jewish heritage, preserving collections like the Underground Archive of the Warsaw Ghetto. They also maintain Jewish cultural monuments, are developing […]

One of the best things to do when living or studying abroad, is to visit museums and historical institutes to try and learn about that particular place. For me, visiting museums is a no-brainer since I work in museums. I enjoy them. I find it fascinating to see how each museum operates, how they present […]

Many of our students are profoundly moved by how vividly the Warsaw Uprising is remembered in Poland. Those who fought are revered with the respect of founding fathers. Thier symbols and history are preserved and highlighted across the city in museums, monuments, and graffitti. The narrative is popular in modern film (such as the recent […]

One of the last things I did before wrapping up my semester in Warsaw, Poland was pay a visit to the Copernicus Science Center. In this article I will share some background on the center, talk about my visit and what I learned, and finally share some photos from this sweet place! Background The science […]

In Warsaw, large, elegant, and beautiful willow trees grace many of the parks within the city. These are the same willow trees that inspired many of the outstanding musical pieces of prodigy composer and native Pole, Frédéric Chopin. Signs of Chopin’s legacy, like the willows that inspired him, can also be seen across the city. […]

Neon signs first began to populate Warsaw’s streets in the inter-war years when The Second Polish Republic was, briefly, an independent state. WWII destroyed most of Warsaw and nearly all of its then-popular neon signs. The Communists maintained control of the country and officially frowned on the decorative advertisings. Although old town was rebuilt nearly […]

Muzeum Wojska Polskiego (Polish Army Museum) Aleje Jerozolimskie 3 Ticket Prices: Normal- 15 PLN Reduced- 8 PLN Saturdays- Free Admission Website Warsaw is especially associated with its place in the Second World War, and coming to Poland, I was already aware of that specific era in Poland history. However, I was curious about the other […]

As a historian of World War II with a focus on Holocaust studies, visiting Poland was a must since the atrocities of Hitler’s Final Solution predominately occurred in Poland. Today, there are countless commemorations to the Holocaust on almost every street in Poland, it seems. Museums tell the stories, plaques mark the walls of buildings, […]