Work is progressing on the new headquarters of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum. The investment, entitled ‘Renovation and extension of the historic buildings of the former Bersohn and Bauman Children’s Hospital at ul. Sienna 60/Śliska 51 in Warsaw together with their adaptation for exhibition and educational purposes and the realisation of the Mediatheque – part of the permanent exhibition of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum’, is reaching further milestones.
Advanced construction work
The general contractor for the project is Adamietz Warszawa, and Soletanche Polska is responsible for the foundation of the new building. The design was carried out by Autorska Pracownia Projektowa Jerzy Wowczak. Progress on the investment can be seen with the naked eye. The open shell of the technical building has already been completed. Demolition work is currently underway on the roof truss of the historic buildings and the installation of the steel structure of the new attic, which will soon be covered with copper. In the eastern part, where the new museum segment is being built, the structures of the new building already reach the level of the first underground storey. The completion of this phase of work will be crowned by the construction of the reinforced concrete ceiling.
One of the more spectacular events during construction was the placement of the first element of the future exhibition – a freight wagon. It was transported and inserted on level -2 using a crane, which required precise planning and coordination. Prior to installation, the wagon underwent maintenance and the first stage of styling, which made it resemble vehicles used during World War II. Once completed, the structure will be further adapted for exhibition purposes.
Permanent exhibition – nine galleries on seven floors
The permanent exhibition of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum will include nine galleries spread over seven floors of the renovated Bersohn and Bauman Hospital. A freight car will be in the gallery dedicated to the deportation action “Groβaktion Warschau 1942”, which will present the history of the deportation of Jews from the Warsaw Ghetto to death camps. The creators of the exhibition seek to give a voice to the victims and especially to those groups whose experiences have been marginalised or forgotten for years: women, children, refugees, displaced persons, religious people. The Museum wants their stories to finally be heard.
Discoveries during the construction of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum
During the earthworks, a number of wartime finds were encountered. In the basement under the main entrance, 20 Polish hand grenades and around 500 pieces of shooting ammunition were found. The unexploded bombs were secured and neutralised with the help of a sapper patrol. In autumn 2024, archaeologists also discovered relics of a wooden well from the 19th century, which had been built during the construction of the hospital. The find was six metres below ground, at the level of the current floor -2.
A symbolic place with a rich history
The new Museum headquarters is being built in the historic complex of the former Bersohn and Bauman Children’s Hospital. The building was constructed between 1876 and 1878 to a design by Artur Goebel, on the initiative of the Jewish families of Bersohn and Bauman, who aimed to create an institution providing free help to children regardless of their origin. During the Second World War, the hospital was integrated into the health care system of Warsaw and then closed. The complex was severely damaged during the war effort. After reconstruction, the building housed, among others, the Children of Warsaw Regional Hospital for Infectious Diseases, which finally left the building in 2014 due to its poor technical condition.
Warsaw Ghetto Museum – momentum ofinvestment
The new Warsaw Ghetto Museum will have a floor space of around 11,500 sq m, of which around 3,400 sq m is dedicated to the permanent exhibition. The complex will also include an Education Centre (in the former ophthalmology building), a 150-seat auditorium, collection storage facilities and spaces for temporary exhibitions.
The investment is funded by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. The total cost of the project is more than PLN 323 million.
Source: Warsaw Ghetto Museum
Read also: Architecture | Renovation | Monument | History | Museum | Warsaw
