£22m Polish WWII museum planned
A 100m zlotych (£22m, 25m euro, US$36m) museum commemorating World War II is being planned for Gdansk, Poland.
The Museum of the Second World War will depict the tragic fate of Poland between 1939 and 1945, set against the experiences of other nations - conquered and occupied, putting up resistance, fighting on military fronts, underground and by means of civilian revolt.
Along with Polish experts, the museum’s programming board will feature war history experts from France, Israel, Germany, Russia, Ukraine and the UK.
The tender for the design concept of the permanent exhibition will finalised soon, as will the winner of the architectural competition.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said: “Regardless of the [economic] crisis, we will find strength, possibilities and means to establish the museum. For we understand better than yesterday that such institutions are needed in Poland and Europe.”
The museum, which is planned for the Westerplatte peninsula - the site of the German invasion - is scheduled to open in 2014.