"I can honestly say that everything is going according to plan. We are planning the grand opening for August 2016. In the meantime, we will be collecting exhibits. That's why I would like to make a call to the residents of Wroclaw to share any post-war artefacts, photographs or interesting stories about deportations. The museum will celebrate our shared efforts and hard work," says Juliusz Woźny, spokesperson for the Remembrance and Future Institute ("Ośrodek Pamięć i Przyszłość") in Wroclaw.
The Institute, which is responsible for the scientific part of the project, has collected several hundred thousand exhibits, including several thousand photographs and nine hundred stories concerning deportations from Kresy (Eastern frontiers of inter-war Poland, now in Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania). The collection also includes everyday articles such as a soda fountain or an Atari computer.
"We are extremely keen to preserve these memories. This is the most evanescent thing of all. We have signals that the historical testimonies we have been collecting over the last several years are now accessed by families whose elders either died or suffer from memory loss," says Juliusz Woźny.
You can bring exhibits to the Remembrance and Future Institute in ul Teatralna 10-12. If they are too large, you can also call the Institute at 71 334 90 44. The ceremony to bury a time capsule has been scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. The glass container will be filled with a number of objects for posterity, including newspapers, texts and photographs to be discovered by future generations. A data carrier with www.wroclaw.pl materials will also be included.
The era of felt slippers comes to an end?
The Remembrance and Future Institute is planning to build an interactive centre. The new centre will provide both temporary and permanent exhibitions as well as educational services for young people.
"We are putting an end to felt slippers (shabby footwear you had to put on your shoes not to scratch the floors), which stand as a symbol of the traditional museum. We called our project the Zajezdnia Historical Centre, the "zajezdnia" meaning a bus depot, and we are going to make it a living one. We believe this historic location is potential and will attract visitors in the future," adds Juliusz Woźny.
A vintage Jelcz 043, also called "Ogórek" (a gherkin, due to its characteristic silhouette) is going to be the symbol of the centre. The vehicle is to undergo thorough renovation. The Zajezdnia Historical Centre is going to showcase the latest history of Wroclaw from 1945 until present. The museum will offer exhibitions on deportations from Kresy as well as more recent history, including Orange Alternative ("Pomarańczowa Alternatywa") and Wroclaw's Solidarity movement. The construction of the centre is estimated at 19 million PLN. The work is subsidised by a number of institutions, including Norwegian funds, and will be carried out by Inter-System. The "Maćków" Architect's Studio ("Pracownia Projetkowa Maćków") is responsible for the centre's design.