Documentation and Exhibition Centre

of Germans in Poland

Our history

There has long been a need and desire among the German community in Poland to present their history and culture in museum form. This idea was formulated at the first plenary meeting of the German-Polish Round Table and written down in a joint declaration in 2011.

After many years of efforts and attempts, thanks to the willingness of the Opole Voivodship and the support of the Polish and German governments, it was possible to initiate the realization of this request and to create in Opole a Documentation and Exhibition Centre of Germans in Poland. In accordance with the Declaration of Intent of 2020 and the agreement signed in 2021 between the Opole Voivodship and the Association of German Socio-Cultural Societies in Poland, the Centre now operates as a branch of the E. Smolka Public Voivodship Library in Opole.

About the Centre

Our tasks as a cultural heritage institution of Germans in Poland go far beyond the transmission of history and culture. The Centre functions as:

a museum,
a cultural and historical centre of regional and supra-regional importance,
a place of extra-curricular education,
a meeting place.

Permanent exhibition

"Germans in Poland - history and present"

The exhibition seeks to present the history of the German community in the territory of today’s Poland, taking into account the changes in its borders in different historical periods. The exhibition shows a historical process full of varying phenomena, an unobvious history, which for the sake of simplicity we call „the history of Germans in Poland”.

The exhibition is a combination of scenography and multimedia. It contains authentic elements complemented by multimedia and graphics. Visitors can thus virtually travel through the different eras. Live scenography, audio and video projections allow the visitors to understand the historical background, affecting all the senses and offering an unforgettable encounter with the history and everyday life of the German community in Poland.

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday: 10:00-16:00
Saturday: 10:00-18:00

Regular admission:

adults: 14 PLN
children, students, seniors: 10 PLN
families with children (2+3): 35 PLN

Organized groups of 10 or more people:

adults: 12 PLN
children, students, seniors: 8 PLN

Children up to 3 years of age are admitted free of charge.

Audio guide, guided tours

By prior arrangement, it is possible to book a guided tour of the permanent exhibition. The price of the tour is:

150 PLN ̶ tour in Polish
250 PLN ̶ tour in English, German and Czech.

The permanent exhibition can be viewed with an audio guide, which is included in the price of the ticket. The audio guide is available in Polish, English, German and Czech. The estimated tour time of the permanent exhibition is 60-90 minutes.

Other areas of our activity

The main goal of the Centre was to create and implement a bilingual permanent exhibition „Germans in Poland ̶ history and present”, which depicts the history and current activities of the German community in Poland. The visitors can also find here temporary exhibitions on selected topics on the heritage and culture of Germans in Poland and Europe and other minorities.

Documentation:

The Centre documents the daily activities of the German minority by collecting minority press, articles, documents and photographs and by maintaining an archive of resources on the German minority available in other institutions.

Education and Culture:

With regard to the content of the permanent exhibition and the temporary exhibitions, an educational and cultural offer aimed at different target groups is being developed.

Contact us