Wednesday 10 June 2015

The Solidarnosc Museum, Gdansk



At the beginning of March (I know, I know, I am SO behind) Anneke, another volunteer living close by, and I went to the Solidarnosc Museum near the centre of Gdansk. In all truth, I knew nothing about Solidarnosc before setting foot in this museum, but I left with great empathy for all Poles who lived through this time of suppression and scarcity, and a massive respect for those who drove the change and stand for freedom that was at the core of this movement. I also left kind of wanting to have a career in designing museum exhibitions...

Hard hats of shipyard workers from the beginning of the Solidarnosc movement, affixed to the ceiling
The original plywood boards outlining the twenty-one commands of the shipyard strikers

...I mean, this museum was so well designed. It was multimedia, interactive, and - most importantly, it not only presented information by giving you screeds and screeds to read. Each room was unique, interesting, and conveyed its own message through form and aesthetics, and let the artefacts, footage and photographs predominantly speak for themselves - the audio guide also helped. Seriously the best  museum I've been to so far.

Wrocław - Miniatures, Gnomes and a Panorama



Wrocław is one of my favourite cities in Poland, and this weekend ranks as one of the most fun and memorable. We spent about half a day just exploring old town, and came across so many little bronze statues of gnomes doing different things. A jolly old gnome laden down with croissants on the window sill of a bakery. One carrying pails of water across it's shoulders as it sat on a fire hydrant. Climbing up lampposts, slouched against walls, and generally causing mischief - these little men were a delight to find, and truly make Wrocław unique.