The restoration and expansion of the historic Bersohn and Bauman Children's Hospital buildings, which will serve as the new home for the Warsaw Ghetto Museum, will cost over PLN 323 million, with PLN 57 million funded by the European Regional Development Fund, officials announced Tuesday (November 12).
The renovation and expansion of the historic buildings of the former Bersohn and Bauman Children's Hospital in Warsaw aims to repurpose these historic structures into exhibition and educational spaces and create a multimedia library (Mediateka), which will be part of the museum’s permanent exhibition.
At a press conference on Tuesday, the museum presented the project’s scope and timeline at a press conference.
"The Warsaw Ghetto Museum is one of the three most significant institutions preserving Jewish heritage in Poland. Both as a ministry and on behalf of a broad segment of society, we’re thrilled to see this important project move forward," said Piotr Rypson from the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
Museum Director Albert Stankowski emphasized the global significance of preserving and revitalizing this historical site: "Thanks to this funding, we can save this space and give it a new life—not just for Poland but for the world. Securing these EU funds for infrastructure, climate, and environment for 2021-2027 will enable us to transform this site into a modern museum."
Joanna Dudelewicz, Deputy Director of Finance and Investment at the museum, outlined the project's main stages and goals, which include restoring two main historical structures: the former Children's Hospital and Laboratory.
European funding will enable these buildings to house the museum’s permanent exhibition and a dedicated Educational Center. The ongoing renovation will involve creating a total of 11,500 square meters of usable space, including 3,400 square meters for the permanent exhibition. The Mediateka will feature immersive, innovative cultural experiences, and will include accessibility options for visitors with disabilities.
Established by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in 2018, the Warsaw Ghetto Museum is dedicated to documenting the daily life, resilience, struggle, and destruction faced by Jewish communities in the Warsaw Ghetto and other ghettos across German-occupied Poland.
The final location for the museum will be within the Bersohn and Bauman Children's Hospital complex at 60 Sienna 60 Street / 51 Śliska Street—a unique historical landmark in Warsaw. During WWII, this hospital lay within the Warsaw Ghetto and remains one of the few structures from the ghetto that survived the occupation.
Źródło: TVN24 News in English, tvnwarszawa.pl, PAP
Źródło zdjęcia głównego: KB Projekty Konstrukcyjne/Muzeum Getta Warszawskiego