1945. Not the End, Not the Beginning.

On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, discover an exhibition about people who, amid the ruins, struggled to rebuild their lives. This is a story of a different kind of war’s end — of difficult returns and dramatic choices: to stay or to leave?

For many, the war ended in 1945. But for Jewish survivors grappling with loss and isolation, it was above all a moment of decision — what comes next?

Through personal stories, the exhibition traces the dilemmas and life paths of survivors. Their biographies reveal varied ways of coping with a new reality: returning home, emigrating, attempting to rebuild Jewish communities, engaging in political activism, or remaining in hiding. Their poignant experiences come to life through photographs, documents, letters, leaflets, and personal artifacts.

A crucial part of the exhibition — and a dialogue with the present — are the works of Marek Cecula, Alicja Bielawska, Zuzanna Hertzberg, Włodzimierz Zakrzewski, Maria Ka, and Wiktor Freifeld. These artists use diverse media, including ceramics, textiles, song, and sound. Most of the featured works were created especially for this exhibition.

Here, we confront perspectives that have often been overlooked — examining the end of the war through Jewish eyes. By listening to these voices, we may come closer to answering profound questions: What if everyone had emigrated? What would Poland look like today if the Jews had stayed?

Exhibition Concept: Anna Bikont, Kamil Kijek
Curators: Zuzanna Schnepf-Kołacz, Zuzanna Benesz-Goldfinger, Justyna Majewska

The exhibition “1945. Not the End, Not the Beginning” is organized by the POLIN Museum of History of Polish Jews in collaboration with the Association of the Jewish Historical Institute of Poland and the Emanuel Ringelblum Jewish Historical Institute.