Participation of the Katyn Museum staff in the 17th Memory Forum
The 17th Memory Forum – Seminar of Polish Museums of Martyrdom is taking place from 7 to 10 September 2026. Representatives of the Katyn Museum, Kacper Ciesielski and Dr Bartłomiej Bydoń, are taking part in the event. Their presentations opened the first session of this year’s Memory Forum, devoted to museology. The papers introduced participants to one of the most important discussions in contemporary museums of martyrdom: the significance of authentic objects and the ways in which they can be interpreted.
In his paper, “What is most important in a museum? Authenticity. What do grave artefacts tell us today?”, Kacper Ciesielski addressed one of the fundamental values of museums of martyrdom. This is of particular importance in the case of objects recovered from the burial sites of the victims of the Katyn massacre. Grave artefacts are not merely museum objects: they are material testimonies to specific events. Their preservation, documentation and proper interpretation make it possible to explore history also through the material traces left by the victims.
Dr Bartłomiej Bydoń in his paper, “The museum object as a subject of research, an exhibition object, a carrier of data or a relic”, explored the multifaceted status of the museum object. A single object may simultaneously be a source of knowledge, an object of research, part of an exhibition narrative and a carrier of memory of a person and an event, as well as a sacred object associated with the martyrs of the 20th century.
The subjects of both presentations clearly illustrate the distinctive nature of the Katyn Museum’s work, in which the authentic object is not merely a testimony to the past, but also a starting point for research, education and the development of narratives about the victims of the Katyn massacre.
This year’s Forum programme also includes sessions devoted to education, the digital world and new technologies, exhibitions, objects and archival materials, as well as spaces of remembrance. This broad thematic scope demonstrates the many challenges that museums of martyrdom face today – from preserving and interpreting authentic testimonies to using new technologies and finding ways of communicating historical narratives to successive generations. As in previous years, the Memory Forum is also an important platform for the exchange of experience among Polish museums of martyrdom. Bringing together people who deal with similar challenges on a daily basis makes it possible to compare different approaches to working with objects and sites of remembrance, as well as to share solutions in the fields of research, exhibitions and education.
A key part of the meeting was a visit to the Museum and Memorial in Sobibór and the Museum – Synagogue Complex in Włodawa.
For the Katyn Museum, participation in the Forum is therefore not only an opportunity to present its own experience, but also to learn from the achievements of other institutions, establish professional contacts and develop cooperation. The exchange of knowledge and experience among museums of martyrdom is an important part of this process.
