Despite possessing vast scientific collections and a strong tradition of palaeontology, Poland has yet to see a modern Natural History Museum. Now, the Polish Academy of Sciences has begun work aimed at establishing such an institution in Warsaw.
The lack of a Natural History Museum in Poland
In most major European countries, natural history museums have long been among the most important institutions for popularising science. Institutions in London, Paris and Vienna are visited by millions of people every year. Meanwhile, Poland has lacked a similar venue for years, despite the fact that the country’s scientific institutes possess collections of world-class significance. In view of this, the Presidium of the Polish Academy of Sciences adopted a resolution concerning the preparation of a concept for a new museum in Warsaw. The role of representative was entrusted to Prof. Jarosław Stolarski, Director of the Institute of Palaeobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences and a highly regarded palaeontologist. The scientist will be responsible for coordinating the work and liaising with domestic and international partners.
9 million exhibits hidden in storage
The scale of the collections held by the Polish Academy of Sciences is truly impressive. There are over 9 million natural history artefacts currently stored in various institutions, mostly out of reach of visitors. Among them are the world’s largest collections of amber and insects embedded in resin, valuable collections of Palaeozoic fish, and the remains of Pleistocene mammals. The meteorite collection housed at the PAN Museum of the Earth holds a particularly important place. Meanwhile, the Institute of Palaeobiology of the Polish Academy of Sciences holds over a million specimens documenting nearly half a billion years of life’s history. It is these resources that are to form the foundation of a future exhibition, which will allow the public to view objects hitherto known mainly to researchers.
Dinosaurs from the Gobi Desert and Polish scientists
The project is also increasingly linked to the legendary Polish-Mongolian palaeontological expeditions of the 1960s and 1970s. These expeditions to the Gobi Desert led to the discovery of dinosaur skeletons and ancient mammals, which caused a sensation in the international scientific community. Photographs of Polish researchers working amidst the Mongolian dunes and transporting enormous fossils across the desert have gone down in history. For many palaeontologists, those expeditions have become a symbol of the golden age of Polish science. Now, their achievements are to be more widely commemorated for visitors to the Warsaw museum.
The Museum of Natural History in Poland – a new centre for science and education
Work on the institution is being carried out alongside its promotion. The project’s website has already been launched, and the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) is organising an Honorary Committee bringing together representatives from the worlds of science, culture and public life. The museum’s launch is also accompanied by the exhibition ‘In the Footsteps of Dinosaurs. From the Gobi Desert to the Museum of Natural History’, on display in the courtyard of Warsaw’s Staszic Palace. The new facility aims to tell the story of the evolution of life, climate change and the history of our planet in a way that appeals to a wide audience. Scientists point out that interest in natural history is constantly growing, and Polish museums are visited tens of millions of times every year. Warsaw could therefore gain an institution that would attract enthusiasts of science and natural history from across Europe.
Where could the Natural History Museum be built?
The Polish Academy of Sciences has not yet identified a specific location for the future Natural History Museum. However, it is known that the institution is to be based in Warsaw. Among the possible locations, the area surrounding the current Museum of Evolution of the Polish Academy of Sciences in the Palace of Culture and Science is most frequently mentioned, where dinosaur skeletons and exhibits brought back from Polish-Mongolian expeditions to the Gobi Desert have been on display for years. Another option for the Palace of Culture and Science is the Mokotów district, associated with the activities of scientific institutes and the Geological Museum of the Polish Geological Institute. The Warsaw Citadel also features in discussions, having transformed in recent years into a major museum hub in the capital. For the time being, however, the Polish Academy of Sciences is not revealing any details regarding the site or the design of the future building.
Source: muzea.waw.pl, mhn.pan.pl
See also:Architecture in Poland | Museum | Education|History|Warsaw
