the ophthalmology pavilion is as good as new

The construction of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum has entered the final phase of the project. Intensive finishing work is currently underway in the historic complex of the former Bersohn and Bauman Children’s Hospital on Sienna and Śliska Streets, which is clearly visible to the naked eye. Currently, the former ophthalmology pavilion, from which the scaffolding has already been removed, makes the greatest impression. The result is impressive and allows the building to be seen in its original form, as it was 125 years ago, for the first time in decades. The project, worth over PLN 323 million, is set to open to visitors in autumn 2027.

The Warsaw Ghetto Museum – the hospital regains its former appearance

The main building of the former hospital is tightly wrapped in scaffolding, which is why the most striking transformation is that of the former ophthalmology wing, facing Sienna Street. Just a few years ago, its façades were flat, dirty and full of traces of makeshift repairs. Now, one can admire the pastel colour scheme, enhanced by elegant details, including window bands and new joinery, plus rustication on the central part of the façade. The metal finishing elements also make quite an impression, including, of course, the copper roof, which echoes the original roofing from 125 years ago. The ophthalmology pavilion lost its character many years ago; now it has flourished once more and become a gem in the landscape of Sienna Street.

photo: whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski

Four buildings and three underground levels

The new headquarters of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum is being built to a design by Jerzy Wowczak’s Architectural Design Studio. The complex comprises four buildings: two historic ones and two new ones, intended for administrative and technical functions. The whole complex will offer over 11,500 square metres of usable floor space and a volume of almost 67,400 cubic metres. Three underground storeys have already been built beneath the courtyard of the former hospital, intended for the permanent exhibition galleries, storage areas and conservation workshops. The completion of this part of the project was one of the most demanding stages of construction. In the immediate vicinity of the historic walls, diaphragm walls up to 32 metres deep and one metre thick were installed. The ground was stabilised using the jet grouting method, which helped to limit the extent of deep excavations.

The Warsaw Ghetto Museum and the exhibition on the life and extermination of Jews

The museum’s main exhibition is being created in the former children’s hospital building, which was still admitting young patients as recently as 2014. The tour will begin on the third floor and lead through nine galleries descending down to level minus three. During the refurbishment, many authentic elements of the former interior were preserved, including the historic staircase and sections of the flooring. The narrative of the exhibition is built around original artefacts from the period: Judaica, works of art, archival materials and artefacts unearthed during archaeological excavations carried out on the site of the former ghetto. Since 2018, the museum has amassed around 25,000 objects, including thousands of unpublished photographs taken in occupied Warsaw and other ghettos in the territories occupied by the Third Reich.

photo: Warsaw Ghetto Museum
Media library, VR and underground auditorium

An extremely important part of the project will be the extensive Media Library located in the basement. It will house a digital library, an interactive “Magic Wall” allowing visitors to view exhibits in 2D and 3D, as well as VR films produced using 360-degree technology. The materials will explore the history of the Warsaw Ghetto, the history of the Bersohn and Bauman Hospital, and selected exhibits from the museum’s collection. This section will also feature an auditorium for over 130 people, a recording studio, a space for temporary exhibitions, a museum shop, and a bistro inspired by the cuisine of Warsaw’s pre-war Jewish community. Visitors will enter the museum from Śliska Street through the arcade of the new building.

The Warsaw Ghetto Museum for over PLN 323 million

This ambitious project is being carried out with the support of the European Funds for Infrastructure, Climate and Environment 2021–2027. Funding from the European Regional Development Fund amounts to over PLN 57.4 million, whilst the total value of the investment exceeds PLN 323.8 million. During construction, solutions were implemented to reduce CO₂ emissions, including a special concrete mix with a lower cement content. Sedum mats, wildflower meadows and photovoltaic installations have been installed on the roofs of the new buildings. The Warsaw Ghetto Museum was established by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage in 2018. The institution aims to document the life, struggle and Holocaust of Polish Jews during the German occupation, whilst also serving as a reminder of one of the most tragic chapters in the history of Warsaw and Europe.

Muzeum Getta Warszawskiego photo: Warsaw Ghetto Museum
The history of the former Bersohn and Bauman Hospital

The history of the former Bersohn and Bauman Hospital dates back to 1876–1878. The complex on Sienna and Śliska Streets was built with funds from the Jewish Bersohn and Bauman families, designed by Artur Goebel, and later extended by Henryk Stifelman. The facility was one of the most modern children’s hospitals in Warsaw and provided free treatment for its youngest patients. The hospital was associated with eminent doctors such as Janusz Korczak and Anna Braude-Hellerowa. During the occupation, the buildings were located within the Warsaw Ghetto, where, despite famine and epidemics, treatment and research into starvation continued. After the war, the Provincial Infectious Diseases Hospital named after the Children of Warsaw operated here, closing only in 2014. Today, the complex is regaining its former character and is being modernised so that, in just over a year’s time, it can open its doors to visitors as the Warsaw Ghetto Museum.

Source:Warsaw Ghetto Museum

The Ophthalmology Pavilion then and now. Photo: Google Maps and whiteMAD/Mateusz Markowski