About the museum

The Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism. The German Nazi camp for Polish children in Łódź (1942-1945) (in organisation) was established on 1 June 2021, by order of the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture, National Heritage and Sport, Prof. Piotr Gliński. 

Ireneusz Piotr Maj, a historian and doctor of humanities, has been appointed director of the Museum.

The Museum's tasks include:

- collecting, developing, conserving, storing and making available collections relating to the history of the camp for Polish children on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź and its branch in Dzierżązna near Zgierz;

- exhibition, educational and scientific activities concerning the dissemination of knowledge about the functioning of the camp for children on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź from 1942 to 1945 and its branch in Dzierżązna near Zgierz from 1943 to 1945;

- exhibition, educational and scientific activities concerning the commemoration of the youngest victims of World War II, the ordeal of Polish children in the Polish territories occupied by the Third Reich and the USSR;

- exhibition, educational and scientific activities concerning the fate of children who were war orphans in Poland and the children of the Cursed Soldiers, heroes of the Polish independence underground;

- cooperation with not-for-profit organisations, unincorporated organisations and community educators to, among other things, commemorate the history of the children's camp on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź;

- cooperation with museums, individuals, legal entities - in particular the Ombudsman for Children - on issues concerning children's rights and violations of these rights.

The temporary seat of the Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism is located at ul. Piotrkowska 90 in Łódź.

28 December 2022. The museum purchased two buildings located on the site of the former German concentration camp for Polish children on Przemysłowa Street in Łódź. One of them is the so-called Verwaltung at ul. Przemysłowa 34. The building of the former camp headquarters will be the site intended for a permanent exhibition. The other property is located at ul. Przemysłowa 29. Nearby was the camp's punishment cell.

Thanks to cooperation with the city of Łódź, the Museum acquired fixed properties directly adjacent to the purchased plots and located at ul. Przemysłowa 27a, for the construction of its permanent premises. Preparations are currently underway to start the investment.

Dzierżązna branch.

Thanks to a donation from the Zgierz Municipality, the Museum became the owner of the property on the grounds of the manor park in Dzierżązna (Zgierz Municipality), together with the former farm building. During the German occupation, the building was located near the headquarters of Heinrich Hans Fuge, a deputy for commandant Camillo Ehrlich in the camp on Przemysłowa Street, who later became head of the branch in Dzierżązna.

In accordance with the order of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage of 4 April 2023, a branch of the Museum was officially established in Dzierżązna. As of 5 April 2023, the full name of our branch will be: “The Museum of Polish Children – Victims of Totalitarianism. German Nazi camp for Polish children in Łódź (1942-1945). Dzierżązna branch.