The Museum of the Second World War, Gdańsk, in Poland, are participants of the LREF’s project Preserving the Past, Securing the Future, which provides training and support for stakeholders within the cultural heritage and remembrance tourism sectors to learn about and develop sustainable practices at their sites. The museum was also the host for the project’s second workshop, ’Social Responsibility & Community Engagement in Remembrance’ and Study Visit that took place in April. We spoke to Mateusz Jasik, Deputy Director and Magdalena Jaszcza, Chief Specialist in Programs and Cooperation Department to hear about their experience of PPSF so far and the impact on their own museum.
What motivated the museum to participate in the PPSF project, and what are you hoping to get out of it?
Mateusz: The new management of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk, appointed two years ago, has been implementing its goals and strategic vision. The initial priorities included reorganizing the institutional structure, revitalizing main exhibitions, and strengthening cooperation with policymakers and partner institutions. For example, after many years, the museum rejoined the LRE Foundation network. We were also one of the few museums that did not belong to the local coalition of green cultural institutions.
We adopted a different approach to many issues compared to the 2017–2023 period. That is not to say there weren’t interesting initiatives in those years. These included establishing a flower meadow near the museum and implementing filtered drinking water solutions inside the building for employees and visitors. During this time, some of the lighting was also replaced with LEDs and an analysis for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels for the museum was carried out. Other solutions were introduced much earlier, even before the opening in 2017. We organised walking tours and collaborated closely with the local community, aiming to reach the audiences that are often excluded from cultural activities.
In this context, participating in the PPSF program is part of our broader development and analytical efforts, supporting the museum’s long-term strategic growth.
Magdalena: The possibility of hosting the PPSF participants at our museum motivated us to recognize and review sustainable actions taken so far. The result was really uplifting. I think at that stage the most fruitful outcome was that certain sustainable activities had already been self-evident for our teams and have been continued for years now. We exchanged good practices across departments, and our joint discussions were pretty eye-opening. So we made a big step forward in being self-aware and acknowledging where we are in the process of transferring from individual actions of employees or departments to preparing a coherent strategy. The PPSF program is a significant milestone in this journey, while additionally letting us exchange perspectives with foreign partners. What is more, being a host to the second PPSF visit is a strong message to our team that we indeed have much to tell about sustainability!
What have you enjoyed about the project so far?
Mateusz: The PPSF program has, above all, been an opportunity to meet inspiring people—from different countries, with diverse experiences and perspectives. Most importantly, our trainers and our peers already faced many of the challenges we are dealing with today five or ten years ago. This allows us to learn from solutions that have already been tested and implemented.
For example, our museum shop plays a significant role in balancing our budget. Inspired by colleagues from the Juno Beach Centre (Museum in Normandy and PPSF project partner), we would like to introduce a curated selection of souvenirs, slightly more expensive but of higher quality, sourced from local or at least European suppliers. Long-term strategy is one thing, but these smaller, short-term goals are equally important.
The program’s mentoring also lets us notice issues that previously escaped us. For instance, in 2024 the Museum of the Second World War used 475 reams of paper. In 2025, after introducing electronic invoice records, we reduced that number to 442. This is still a significant amount, but we aim to continue decreasing consumption year by year—even as our staff grows due to the development of a new branch on the Westerplatte Peninsula.
As the host of the next PPSF capacity building workshop, what are you most looking forward to in the project?
Mateusz: Above all, we want to continue exploring and being open to programs and initiatives that engage partners from many countries. Only a broad, international perspective can accelerate meaningful change. I am also very keen to ensure that the relationships built within our group are maintained even after the program comes to an end.
Sustainability can be often treated as a buzzword. What does it mean in the context of your museum, and how does it shape your day-to-day work?
Mateusz: One of the most inspiring statements I heard came during a presentation by PPSF project partner Paolo Corti (Fondazione Campus). When he previously tried to promote sustainability, he was often met with a response that there was no ‘time or money’. His response was that sustainability exists precisely to save both: ‘time and money’. This perspective strongly resonates with us, and we would like to start with ourselves—within our museum. We want to ask our colleagues about practices they could potentially give up or change. It is natural that if we have been doing something in the same way for five, ten, or fifteen years, it becomes difficult to abandon those habits. Change is challenging. However, it is much easier to adapt when benefits become visible quickly.
How do you actively involve local communities in Gdańsk in your programmes or exhibitions?
Mateusz: Many residents of Gdańsk and the surrounding region visit the main exhibition at the Museum of the Second World War once, and perhaps return only after several years. With this in mind, we engage them in a variety of ways. First and foremost, we offer temporary exhibitions accompanied by rich public programmes—from workshops and curator-led tours to such activities as the yoga session which took place during our exhibition ‘Fauna. Animals at War and Their Humans’. Yes, this title is intentional: not animals belonging to people, but people dependent on animals.
Although we are, by name, a war museum, our recent temporary exhibitions ‘Forest’ and ‘Fauna’ have been highly sensory, with spectacular scenography, making them ideal settings for concerts and other cultural events. Another important direction involves activities within the permanent exhibitions space. It is playing an increasingly important role as a venue for performances, film screenings (in addition to our dedicated museum cinema), and theatre productions—including collaborations with Miniatura City Theatre for children and young audiences.
These initiatives are aimed at our visitors, but much also happens in direct cooperation with the local community. For example, the museum leads its Museum Theatre Group—an absolute phenomenon. Young participants spend many months preparing a performance which then premieres on our museum stage.
Magdalena: Another possibility of involving the local residents and giving them an insight on how the museum works is the Volunteering Programme. Treating Volunteers as partners and our consultants is essential in this project. They not only support us during events or long-term projects but also can advise us on some of our activities, for example educational projects. Currently we are also developing a Young Museum project, dedicated towards youth and young adults. We are hoping that combining art, education and dialogue will engage young people even more and help to reflect on the significance of history nowadays.
PPSF brings together international partners from different types of WWII remembrance sites and organisations. Have any exchanges with other participants challenged your assumptions or changed your approach to sustainability at your museum?
Mateusz: As I mentioned earlier, sometimes these are very practical, tangible inspirations—for example, working with local suppliers like Juno Beach Centre or looking for allies within institutions, as promoted by Nicole Häusler and María T. Cruz Cortedano (PPSF trainers and project partner, Mascontour). What was most eye-opening for me was how comprehensive this approach is. Previously I treated sustainability as some kind of a green policy. A study visit to Helsinki last year, and ultimately participating in PPSF, allowed me to look at it from a broader perspective. What I like most about the PPSF programme is its positive approach. It is often the case that, for example, architectural accessibility auditors focus on what is wrong. In PPSF, we work in a completely different way—we first look at what is good. That is very motivating!
Magdalena: As Mateusz already mentioned, in Poland sustainability is often reduced to environmental actions. Being in in the process of creating an eco-friendly strategy at our museum, I believe that social sustainability has been at the core of our activities from the very beginning, even before the current building and permanent exhibition opened. Recognising this is very important for us. Moreover, seeing sustainability as a basis for our actions is very refreshing. The wide approach that characterises PPSF definitely broadens our perspective, and also helps us define ideas and values which we can put into action.
PPSF links remembrance with broader issues like climate change and social inequality. How important is this shift in framing for museums today?
Mateusz: In my view, simply telling the story of the past, without offering inspirations for the future, loses its meaning. It is only through reflection on what history can teach us that our work can gain significance. The relationship is quite straightforward. Climate change and social inequality are among the factors that can contribute to conflicts and wars.
The mission of our museum is to serve as a strong warning about the consequences of the Second World War. If we want to caution against war as a tool of politics, we must also address the conditions leading to it.
Magdalena: For Polish museums this might be a new approach, but it is present in our actions more and more often. It could be challenging for some institutions, because sometimes core questions need to be faced about our missions and values: why are we doing it and for whom? At the same time, this approach creates a great possibility for museums to partner in addressing at least some of the challenges of the modern world. Reflecting on the past gives us a chance of deeper understanding and shaping the present.
Do you think social responsibility is relevant or important for museums in the context of remembrance today? What does social responsibility mean for your museum?
Mateusz: Last year, our museum welcomed more than 620,000 visitors. Tens of thousands more attended our temporary exhibitions, participated in workshops, listened to concerts, or visited our cinema. Our team faces significant demands. Despite this, we also strive—within our capacity—to engage NGOs. For example, we work closely with scout groups and veteran organisations.
In the coming months, one of our priorities is to enhance accessibility and inclusivity for people with disabilities, including those with intellectual disabilities. For instance, we plan to introduce plain language in our audio guides. Another new initiative is to open up our activities to the veterans of Polish humanitarian and peacekeeping missions—a large community of individuals who risked their lives in different parts of the world.
What unique role can WWII museums play in strengthening democratic values and social cohesion?
Mateusz: First and foremost, we should draw attention to what led to the Second World War—collusion between totalitarian states: Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union—while also acknowledging the roles of fascist Italy and Japan. The causes include intolerance, hatred, and pervasive propaganda. Beyond warning about where war can lead, today our role should also be to actively combat disinformation, whether it comes from populists or from aggressor states, particularly the Russian Federation. Last year, we hosted the ‘Fake for Real’ exhibition of the House of European History in Brussels. Our education team created workshops for young people, focused on fact-checking. I believe that by running educational programmes for young people from different countries, we can also help prevent xenophobia. At the same time, we must firmly oppose falsehoods, both historical and contemporary. This applies equally to Holocaust deniers and to those who deny crimes such as the Katyń massacre, including representatives of the Russian Federation.
As Władysław Bartoszewski—Auschwitz prisoner, member of the Polish Council to Aid Jews, participant in the Warsaw Uprising, and the patron of the square next to our museum—once said: ‘Truth does not lie in the middle; truth lies where it lies’.
Magdalena: Because of their social influence, museums have the potential for strengthening and uniting communities. At the same time, this might be challenging due to the significant role history plays in shaping modern identity, for instance in Poland, and also the involvement of politics in this process. Regardless of this, stories present in our exhibition have a great educational potential: from their inspiring values and attitudes to the warning signs of tragedies that should never happen again. Hundreds of thousands of our visitors reflect on these stories, and we can create a stronger and engaged society. The key is an attractive, inclusive offer and a narrative for visitors with diverse beliefs and points of view.
What do you hope will be the lasting impact of PPSF on your institution and on the wider WWII remembrance sector?
Mateusz: The impact is already considerable! Joining the PPSF programme was a catalyst for our participation in the green cultural institutions coalition of the Tri-City area (metropolitan area of Gdańsk–Gdynia–Sopot). It is hard not to notice that many processes have accelerated as a result.
Sometimes these are small steps. A colleague from our Marketing and Sales Department purchased reusable bottles for the entire museum team as early as February. At other times, there are larger initiatives such as our redevelopment programme for the museum square. This is a challenging project, as most of our building is located underground, and the square is essentially the structure’s roof. Nevertheless, trees will be planted there. The most important development ahead of us, however, is a more comprehensive way of thinking about sustainability. So far our social policy, green initiatives, and sustainable tourism have often functioned as separate strands. Even one of our ideas—Slow Museum academy—still operates as an independent programme within the Exhibitions Department. There is still much work ahead, but thanks to PPSF we are able to approach many issues more effectively, learning from past mistakes as well as from the experiences of other institutions. Seventeen years ago, when the museum was first established, we had a very different awareness of matters such as visitor neurodiversity. Today, as we develop a new major site at Westerplatte, we already know much more. At the same time, PPSF reminds us to value small successes—for example, introducing walking aids for seniors and lightweight stools, which were previously missing from the museum. Ultimately, what matters most is awareness, progress, and a coherent policy, keeping in mind that this process can be continuously improved.
Janusz Korczak, a Polish and Jewish writer, pedagogue and doctor known for his sacrifice protecting his pupils in the orphanage in the Warsaw ghetto, once said: ‘If you want to change the world, start with yourself’.
