On September 1, 1939, all hell broke loose at Westerplatte, just a few kilometers outside Gdansk. It was precisely here that the first shots were fired and the world was plunged into a new world war. Considering the Second World War started just outside Gdansk, it’s quite fitting that the city is home to the Museum of the Second World War. It tells the story of the greatest conflict in the history of mankind.
Museum of the Second World War
The museum opened its doors on March 23, 2017 and can be described as unique, monumental, exciting – and not least – educational. The building is impressive, also architecturally. The building itself is made of concrete, painted in black and gray, which helps to create a gloomy and almost creepy atmosphere. This is a state-of-the-art museum, with various features that give visitors an opportunity to learn, feel and understand what happened in the years 1939 to 1945. Many visitors feel that the visit is both emotionally heavy and overwhelming. No wonder, because the stories uncovered deep underground are very, very powerful. 
The exhibitions
Six years of war are portrayed through the experiences of both soldiers and civilians, all of whom sacrificed far too much during the war. Over 2,000 exhibits and 250 multimedia stations take visitors on a journey through World War II. You will learn more about the events that led to war, the Polish Resistance, the war in East Asia, the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Holocaust. The main exhibition is among the largest in the world, covering 5,000 square meters. It is located in the basement of the museum, around 14 meters below ground. The exhibition is divided into three sections:
- The Road to the War
- The Horror of War
- The War’s Long Shadow
These, in turn, are divided into 18 sections, each dealing with an aspect of the war. The sections are arranged in chronological order. They start with the causes of World War II – with Nazi propaganda posters – and end with the Cold War – Communist propaganda posters. Every section and exhibition tells a powerful story. The museum has done a fantastic job of combining artifacts, information posters with vivid and almost authentic recreations of everyday life during the war. 
Walk down a street in Warsaw, see bombers, a Sherman tank and a train car that transported the Jews to their doom. A Holocaust monument, with Jewish faces, reaches seven meters to the ceiling. A courtyard in Warsaw has been bombed to pieces, with a Russian tank in the middle of the square. Room after room of uniforms, personal belongings, videos, maps, medals, weapons and photographs. Just about every item has an information poster in English next to it. The result is that you can easily spend a whole day in this museum. There is also a section covering the everyday life of the civilian population during World War II. The Time Travel exhibition is made for children. 
If walls could talk
Immediately after scanning your ticket, turn left. You enter what is supposed to be an apartment complex from an ordinary residential area in Poland. In one of the apartments, the children Andrzej and Halinka lived with their parents. The first room shows what the apartment looked like on September 1, 1939, at the beginning of the war. In the next room you can see how it changed during the German occupation. The last room shows what it was like after the war. You’ll hear about what happened to Andrzej and Halinka, their family and neighbors, and the story gives a good understanding of how the civilian population experienced the war. See the challenges they faced, the dangers that threatened and the price they paid as they fought for Poland’s freedom. 
Practical information
The Museum of the Second World War is centrally located in the center of Gdansk, right on the Motława River. Tickets to the museum can be purchased on arrival or pre-booked via the museum’s website. A limited number of tickets are available per day and it is recommended to book well in advance, especially in high season. Opening hours vary depending on the season, so check the museum’s website for exact opening hours. The museum is closed on Mondays. You can explore the museum on your own (for as long as you need). For those with a keen interest in history, the visit can easily take four to five hours. It is possible to hire an audio guide (several languages) that tells you about the different exhibitions and informs you where to go so that you explore the exhibitions in the right order. Another option is to hire a local guide to take you on a journey through the gruesome history. 
Something to think about
The Second World War is the most tragic conflict in human history. It was initiated by the totalitarian regimes of Germany and the Soviet Union, working together. They carried out acts so cruel that it is hard to imagine. Acts carried out under lawless ideologies, with total disregard for human life. Those who resisted paid the highest price. Everyday life was turned upside down and transformed into a struggle for survival, where dramatic decisions were made every day. From the first day of this war, September 1, 1939, Poland was in the eye of the storm. Hopefully, humanity can learn something from what happened in the years 1939 to 1945, where millions of lives were lost. 
