POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews

The idea to create a Museum of the History of Polish Jews emerged at the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute. This idea soon secured support both in Poland and abroad. Because of the generous help of individual and institutional donors from all over the world, the works on a project of the Museum commenced in 1995 and continued as a social initiative until 2005. It was then that the Museum of the History of Polish Jews was formally instituted under the auspices of the President of the Republic of Poland, Aleksander Kwaśniewski.

For the construction of the Museum to be a success, a broad international network of supporters was established. Thanks to the financial support received mainly from private donors as well as foundations from the United States, Germany, Great Britain, and Poland, the final project of the future Museum was completed, and a unique documentation on Polish Judaism, both locally and abroad, was collected. These relationships with both private donors and international foundations were crucial for obtaining the funds necessary to design and produce the core exhibition that we have today.