Poland’s first Queer Museum – A bold beacon of memory and resistance
– 2 min read
In the heart of Warsaw, nestled between a kebab shop and a second-hand clothes store on Marszałkowska Street, a quiet revolution has taken root. Poland’s first queer museum - the QueerMuzeum - opened its doors in late 2024, marking a historic and defiant milestone not only for the country’s LGBTQ+ community but for post-communist Europe as a whole.
Founded by Lambda Warsaw Association, Poland’s oldest LGBTQ+ organisation, the museum is a powerful act of remembrance and resistance. It is the fifth queer museum in the world, and the first in a region where queer history has long been marginalised, erased, or hidden in the shadows.
A huge part of this queer history is very private… and often destroyed after the death of these people... That is also why this museum is here...
The QueerMuzeum is more than a cultural institution - it is a living archive of resilience. Its collection of nearly 150 artefacts spans centuries, from 16th-century letters to underground newsletters from the 1980s. These items - photographs, flyers, activist leaflets, and personal memorabilia - tell the story of a community that has endured criminalisation, censorship, and social ostracism.
Among the contributors are Andrzej Selerowicz, who launched Poland’s first gay newsletter in 1983, and Ryszard Kisiel, a fellow activist who donated a decades-old safe sex leaflet he created during the AIDS crisis. Their presence at the ribbon-cutting ceremony was a poignant reminder of the personal courage that underpins this public space.
The museum’s opening is also a bold political gesture. Poland remains one of the most challenging environments for LGBTQ+ rights in the European Union. Same-sex marriage and adoption are still illegal, conversion therapy is not banned, and legal gender recognition requires surgery. In this context, the museum’s existence is a form of protest.
“This sends a message to politicians,” said Miłosz Przepiórkowski, president of Lambda. “Look, we are opening the fifth queer museum in the world in a country with the worst legal situation for queer people in the EU”.
The museum’s director, Krzysztof Kliszczynski, described the project as both “small and big” - small in scale, but monumental in meaning. He emphasised the urgency of preserving queer history, much of which has been lost due to stigma, secrecy, and deliberate destruction.
“A huge part of this queer history is very private… and often destroyed after the death of these people,” said historian Piotr Laskowski. “That is also why this museum is here - so that memory is never thrown away again”.
While the QueerMuzeum honours the past, it also looks to the future. It stands as a beacon for younger generations, a place where queer Poles can see themselves reflected in history and culture. It is a space of validation, education, and community - a rare and radical offering in a country still grappling with deep-rooted conservatism.
As Kliszczynski defiantly put it: “Enough of being afraid… We can no longer be afraid. And if someone sprays our shop window, I will personally remove the paint”.
The QueerMuzeum is open to the public in Warsaw and can be followed on Instagram at @queermuzeum.
