The Polish Institute
and Sikorski Museum
PISM is the largest archival and museum institution in Western Europe that is focused on Polish history, predominantly covering the first half of the 20th century. From its foundation in 1945 until the fall of communism in 1989, the Institute was one of the main exiled institutions where Poland’s true history was presented to the public.
Archive
Filling approximately 2 km of shelf space, the Archive contains important documents from a range of historical periods.
Museum
The Museum collections include artefacts from various genres and times in Polish history.
Film & Sound Archive
Over 1300 reels of film and sound recordings.
Photograph, Book & Album Collections
Thousands of negatives, photographs, books, chronicles and albums.
Our aim is to ‘collect, conserve and promote’. You are welcome to carry out research and to view our exhibits. The extent of our collections often comes as a surprise and we would like to introduce you to the rich tapestry of Polish History. For some of our visitors, it is a journey into a time that was talked about by their parents and grandparents. For others, it is a meeting with tangible relics of the past, about which they may have heard or read. We hope that you may be moved by the experience and inspired to find out more.
We have a team of trained guides who will enrich your visit to our museum and a team of professional archivists and historians to assist you in using our archives.
Whether you are a historian, student or just interested in Polish history, we are sure that you will find something in our collections that will match your interests.
To find out more and to see examples of our Institute Collections, please explore below.
We look forward to seeing you.
Institute Collections
All rights to the images on this website are vested in the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum. Reproduction by prior approval only.
Archive
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Museum
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Film & Sound Archive
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Photographs, Books & Albums
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Support Us
The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum is a registered charity (no. 312168) and other than funds that we generate through our activities, we are totally reliant on membership, donations and legacies to enable us to carry on with our work.