Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku

What Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku does

Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku (Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk) is a state cultural institution (instytucja kultury) operating under the Polish Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. Founded in 2012 with its main building opened in 2017 on the Motława River waterfront in Gdańsk, the museum employs 58 staff and presents a main exhibition of over 5,000–6,000 square meters located 14 meters underground, making it one of the largest historical WWII exhibitions globally. The building was designed by Daniel Libeskind and Kwadrat studio and is located approximately 200 meters from the historic Polish Post Office, the site of an early WWII battle.

The institution's core offering is the Main Exhibition presenting WWII history through the lens of ordinary people's experiences, supported by a Library and Multimedia Centre holding over 37,000 specialized items in more than 30 languages, a digital Oral History Portal (historiamowiona.muzeum1939.pl), an on-site Museum Cinema (Kino Muzeum), a Publishing House producing the scholarly journal "Wojna i Pamięć" (War and Remembrance), educational programs, a conference centre, a museum bistro, and an online shop. The museum also operates the Westerplatte branch on the peninsula where the first battle of WWII took place (September 1, 1939), with major construction of a new branch building underway since 2025.

The business model combines direct-to-consumer revenue (ticket sales, cinema tickets, education fees, museum shop, venue rental, and publications) with core recurring state budget funding from the Ministry of Culture. Ticketing is facilitated through both physical box offices (accepting PLN, VISA, MasterCard, BLIK) and a self-service online platform (bilety.muzeum1939.pl), with free admission on Tuesdays to broaden accessibility. Customer segments span general public visitors (primary), educational institutions (primary), researchers and scholars, and cinema/culture enthusiasts, served through a hybrid online-plus-physical distribution model with active presence on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, and email/newsletter channels.

Name

Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku

Legal name

Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku

Website

https://muzeum1939.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku is a Polish state cultural institution operating one of the world's largest WWII museum exhibitions in Gdańsk, serving general public visitors, school groups, researchers, and cinema patrons through ticket sales, education programs, publishing, and government funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Museum and Cultural Institution

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Libraries and Archives (51921)

akta.pro primary industry

History Museums (THAJADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Monuments, Statues & Memorials (THAJACAB)

Keywords

• Historical museum services
• Cultural heritage institution
• Educational programming
• Cinema and cultural events
• Scholarly publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Gdańsk

HQ country

Poland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Revenue from admission tickets to the Main Exhibition, temporary exhibitions, and special events. Free admission on Tuesdays with free tickets issued at box offices only.
2. Cinema Operations: Revenue from film screenings at the Museum Cinema, including standard screenings and special events with lectures.
3. Publishing: Sale of books, publications, and the scholarly journal 'Wojna i Pamięść' (War and Remembrance) published by the museum's publishing house.
4. Museum Shop: Retail sales of merchandise, books, and commemorative items through the online shop (sklep.muzeum1939.pl).
5. Educational Programs: Revenue from paid educational activities, workshops, and museum lessons for organized groups.
6. Venue Rental: Rental of conference facilities and apartments for events and accommodations.
7. Government Funding: State budget funding through the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The museum operates as a cultural and historical institution providing curated exhibitions on World War II, supported by a Library and Multimedia Centre, Museum Cinema, Westerplatte branch museum, Publishing House, educational programs, and cultural events. Its core is the Main Exhibition of over 5,000–6,000 square meters located 14 meters underground, presenting the WWII experience from political and personal perspectives.

Product overview

Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku is a cultural institution offering a portfolio of interconnected museum services. The core offering is the Main Exhibition (Wystawa główna), a 6,000+ sqm underground exhibition presenting World War II history. Supporting this are the Museum Cinema (Kino Muzeum) for film screenings and cultural events, the Library and Multimedia Centre with over 37,000 items, and the Westerplatte Museum branch at the historic WWII site. The institution also operates a Publishing House producing books and the scholarly journal 'Wojna i Pamięć' (War and Remembrance), a Conference Centre with event spaces, and an Oral History Portal for digital access to witness accounts. Additional amenities include a Reading Room, Museum Bistro, and educational programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wystawa Główna (Main Exhibition) The heart of the museum is the main exhibition, occupying over 6,000 square meters located 14 meters underground, presenting the tragic experience of World War II from the perspective of both major political events and ordinary people. It is targeted at general public visitors, school groups, and academics.
• Kino Muzeum (Museum Cinema) A boutique cinema connected to the tradition of art-house cinemas, presenting contemporary and classic films with high artistic and educational value, hosting film meetings with actors, directors, historians, and film scholars. Open to cinema and culture enthusiasts.
• Biblioteka i Mediateka (Library and Multimedia Centre) A public specialized library with over 37,000 items including books, magazines, audiovisual and electronic records, maps, and special collections in over 30 languages, supporting interdisciplinary research on World War II. Targeted at researchers, scholars, and the general public.
• Muzeum Westerplatte (Westerplatte Museum) Branch museum located on the Westerplatte peninsula, the symbolic site of the outbreak of World War II, featuring the historic power plant building exhibition 'Memory inscribed in the earth. Westerplatte archaeology' and visitor center. Open to general public visitors.
• Wydawnictwo (Publishing House) Publishing department producing scholarly and popular science books, albums, and the annual journal 'Wojna i Pamięć' (War and Remembrance) on World War II topics and museum activities. Targeted at researchers, scholars, and general readers.
• Centrum konferencyjne (Conference Centre) Conference facilities and apartments available for business events and meetings at the museum premises. Targeted at organizations and event planners.
• Portal historii mówionej (Oral History Portal) Digital platform for oral history collections, making witness accounts and personal histories accessible to researchers and the public. Targeted at researchers, scholars, and general public.
• Educational Programs (Museum Lessons, Workshops, Theater Classes) Paid educational activities, workshops, museum lessons, theater classes, and history competitions for organized groups, schools, and young people. Targeted at schools, educational institutions, and families.
• Muzeum Shop (Online Shop) Retail sales of merchandise, books, publications, and commemorative items through the online shop (sklep.muzeum1939.pl). Targeted at visitors and the general public.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 5,000 m² of main exhibition space - one of the largest WWII museum exhibitions globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Ministerstwo Kultury i Dziedzictwa Narodowego (Ministry of Culture and National Heritage)coreOthersThe Ministry of Culture and National Heritage is the governing authority overseeing the museum as a state cultural institution. The ministry provides funding, policy guidance, and institutional oversight for the museum's operations as a public cultural institution.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews: Warsaw-based museum of Polish Jewish history with a comparable scope as a state-supported cultural institution presenting a major national narrative through a large permanent exhibition, library, and educational programming — the closest thematic and institutional peer within Poland.
• Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum: Polish state-run WWII memorial museum and UNESCO site preserving and presenting WWII history with ticketed visitor access, educational programming, and research collections — a direct peer in mission, governance model, and visitor experience.
• The National WWII Museum: New Orleans-based museum dedicated exclusively to the American experience in WWII, with large immersive exhibitions, on-site cinema, educational programs, and conference facilities — directly comparable as a WWII-focused immersive museum operator.
• United States Holocaust Memorial Museum: Washington D.C. federal museum presenting Holocaust/WWII history through permanent exhibition, research archives, and educational programs — comparable in mission to preserve WWII memory and serve scholars, educators, and general visitors.
• Yad Vashem: Israel's official memorial to the Holocaust, combining museum exhibitions, research institutes, archives, and educational outreach — directly comparable as a national WWII/Holocaust memorial institution with library, publishing, and digital oral history assets.
• Mémorial de Caen: French WWII history museum and memorial in Normandy combining permanent exhibition, research archives, educational programs, and a cinema — directly comparable as a mid-sized European WWII memorial museum with diversified on-site programming.

Broad incumbents

• Imperial War Museums: UK network of museums covering conflicts from WWI onward, including a major London WWII gallery. Comparable as a larger established WWII/heritage museum operator with multi-site branches, research libraries, and ticketed exhibitions.
• Deutsches Historisches Museum: Berlin's national history museum covering German history broadly including major WWII exhibitions. Comparable as a state-supported large-scale history museum with permanent/temporary exhibitions and a research library.
• Canadian War Museum: National museum of military history in Ottawa presenting Canada's military experience including WWII galleries. Comparable as a state-supported war/military history museum with permanent exhibitions, library/archives, and educational programming.
• Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust: New York-based Holocaust memorial museum with permanent exhibitions, educational programs, and a collection of artifacts. Comparable as a WWII/Holocaust-focused memorial museum with educational and commemorative programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGfka1aNVHRePX8lXhYPzmA
• Facebookfacebook.com/Muzeum.II.Wojny.Swiatowej
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/muzeum-ii-wojny-swiatowej
• Instagraminstagram.com/muzeum1939

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Muzeum II Wojny Światowej w Gdańsku