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In his welcome address to the assembled guests, a gathering of nearly two hundred individuals that included former Majdanek prisoners, representatives of cultural institutions and research centres from across the nation, and local officials, the Director of the State Museum at Majdanek, Tomasz Kranz, proudly highlighted the museum's unique status as the world's first institution dedicated to commemorating the victims of the Second World War. “This factor alone highlights our institution's unique documentary importance and societal obligation”. During his speech, he also emphasised the role of his predecessors and the dedication of the entire museum staff.
In a congratulatory letter, Hanna Wróblewska, the Minister of Culture and National Heritage, stated: “Every visitor that crosses the threshold of the Museum at Majdanek is confronted with
a difficult yet necessary history that must not be forgotten. The Museum at Majdanek symbolises the fight for truth. Your work - staff members, historians, educators, and guides - is not only to preserve the testimonies of the past but also to ensure that the memory of the victims and the lessons of history remain alive and present in the collective consciousness of societies worldwide.” The letter was read aloud by Piotr Szpanowski, the Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Heritage within the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
During the anniversary gala, the speeches from representatives of organisations related to the Second World War and those uniting museums and cultural institutions were crucial to our event.
The anniversary celebrations concluded with
a thought-provoking scientific conference titled "The Past in Museums – Museums in the Future," which took place the following day. We were honoured to have distinguished researchers in museology and the culture of remembrance in attendance, who enriched the event with their knowledge and expertise.
The conference featured the following presentations:
• “The Past in History Museums. An Introduction” – Tomasz Kranz, State Museum at Majdanek
• “A Decade of Museums. Can we take on new challenges?” – Robert Traba, Institute of Political Studies, Polish Academy of Sciences
• “The historical museum as a committed institution” – Anna Ziębińska-Witek, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
• “The Indispensability of Objects in the Museum's 'Immovable Theatre” – Jan Święch, Jagiellonian University
• “The Nature of Memory – Evolution of the Museum” – Dorota Folga-Januszewska, King John III Palace Museum Wilanów
The second part of the meeting featured
a debate entitled, “History museums, meaning what...”. The functions and role of contemporary historical museums, along with the expectations of their audiences, were the subject of discussion by:
• Paulina Florjanowicz, National Institute of Museums
• Marcin Gapski, Museum of the Eastern Borderlands of the Former Republic of Poland
• Michał Niezabitowski, Museum of Cracow
• Rafał Wnuk, Museum of the Second World War
• Moderator: Agnieszka Kowalczyk, State Museum at Majdanek
The 80th-anniversary celebrations wouldn't be complete without commemorative publications, which can be purchased in our bookshop.
The first is the anthology, “Zeszyty Majdanka,” well-known to readers. Out of more than 200 articles published in 26 volumes since the 1960s, we selected 15 of the most important pieces, focusing on the history of the Lublin concentration camp. The authors, all historians associated with the Museum, significantly advanced our understanding of Majdanek. The book is a testament to their efforts and
a condensed overview of the museum's scientific output.
The second jubilee publication, focusing on museums, is a collaborative work featuring experts and authors from diverse cultural institutions across Poland. The volume titled “The Past in History Museums. Representations and Narratives" reflects the multifaceted nature of contemporary museological reflection by focusing in successive chapters on various areas of museum activity.