The foundation stone for the Westerplatte Museum was laid

On Saturday, the cornerstone was laid in Westerplatte for the construction of the Westerplatte Museum – a branch of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk. The investment, after changing the schedule, is to be completed in 2030.

Saturday's ceremony at Westerplatte included, among others: participation of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage Marta Cienkowska, the head of the Office for Veterans and Victims of Oppression Lech Parell, the authorities of the Museum of the Second World War and local government officials.

Minister Marta Cienkowska said that Westerplatte is a place that holds a special place in local, national and global memory and is an element of identity for many people.

– This is where the Second World War, the most tragic in history, symbolically began. Therefore, we are aware of our obligations. We fulfill our obligation to the defenders of Westerplatte to tell the story of their heroic defense against overwhelming German forces in a historically truthful manner, said Cienkowska.

She emphasized that in this way we fulfill our obligation to the inhabitants of Westerplatte who survived the war, but also to their families, subsequent generations of guides and historians who cared for the memory of Westerplatte.

After the speeches, the guests of the ceremony signed a letter to future generations and symbolically laid the foundation stone.

The original plan assumed the construction of the museum in the years 2023–2027, but – as reported – it was changed “after analyzing the activities carried out by the end of 2023”.

The investment was divided into two stages. The first one covers the restoration of the historical layout of the Military Transit Depot area, the second one – the construction of a new museum.

Museum spokeswoman Aleksandra Trawińska said that “by dividing the work into two stages, it was possible to start construction at the beginning of this year” and that thanks to this, they would avoid completely closing the area to visitors for many years.

The new museum will be built in place of the current inscription “War no more” and will have approx. sq m usable area.(PAP)

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