Nakatabinging tore standing at 40 meters. That represents the future. And much of it is empty. Not sure if that means we don’t know san tayo papunta or it symbolises na good luck na lang sa atin.

To understand where we are going, an exploration and understanding of the past is necessary. Lahat ng exhibitions underground = nakaraan. So to access much of the museum’s content, kailangan ng literal descent into the dark history.

What makes it different vs other museums dedicated to World War 2?

I’m not sure if all of these are unique, pero para sa akin, eto ang main standouts:

• Architecture – I think naka detail na ito sa intro. Pero the design and what is seen on the outside is a 40 meter slanted tower. However, lahat ng content nasa underground representing the past. Visitors need to descend into the darkness – a literal motion and figurative representation of what happened to humanity during the Second World War.

• Naka organise siya in a chronological order that dates back to the 1930s, detailing the events and conditions that led to the war up until consequences post the war. There are also more players than just the Germans. Most striking for me was the detailing of the Polish experience under the Soviets.

• Yung reconstruction of a pre-war street. At one point, I was thinking to myself, pwede na to pumasa as a movie set or a street in a sci-fi film. But the detailing and world building is nakakamangha.

Logistics during the visit

Getting there – it’s in the City Center/Old Town. Hence, wala masiyado hassle and can easily be walked to. Of course, ang assumption ay… diyan ka naka-base. If not, Google Maps is your friend!

Tickets – For the main exhibition, for adults, ang cost ay 29PLN, which is approximately 7 Euros. Hindi ako bumili ng ticket online. I could easily get it from the counter. If you want an audio guide, may extra cost. But there are enough descriptions in English and Polish to get through the exhibits.

Dates and times – Closed during Mondays. Open from 10am to 6pm on other days. I went around 1pm, Saturday. I would say given na ang laki ng space, the place wasn’t crowded. I spent 2-3 hours inside. I think that’s the average but could be shorter or longer depending on how you consume museums.

Official website – https://muzeum1939.pl/

Would I recommend you to make a visit?

For me, it’s a yes.

This is the city kung san nagsimula ang World War 2. Literal. So just the amount of knowledge, artefact and experience they have … no comparison to others.

Also, I can tell, the attempt to be inclusive of different country perspectives, time periods, and stakeholders, will give anyone something to empathise with. Maybe not all, but definitely at least one.