The Paris headquarters of UNESCO opened the exhibition “Underwater Archaeology in Poland. History and Prospects”, prepared by the National Maritime Museum in Gdansk. The exhibition was planned in connection with the second anniversary of Poland’s ratification of the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage in May 2023.

The exhibition ‘Underwater Archaeology in Poland. History and prospects” presents the results of more than 50 years of archaeological research conducted by the National Maritime Museum in Gdańsk. It showcases shipwrecks discovered and researched by archaeologists off the Baltic coast, including a 15th-century holk-type merchant ship (named Miedziowiec by researchers), a 17th-century Swedish galleon Solen sunk during the Battle of Oliwa, and the Polish destroyer ORP Wicher bombed by German air forces in the first days of World War II.

The exhibition is complemented by the latest results of research on wrecks discovered in the sunken medieval port of Puck and selected results of conservation work on monuments from the marine environment.

Attended the opening of the exhibition, Deputy Minister of Culture and National Heritage Jarosław Sellin, pointed out that of the Baltic countries, apart from Poland, only Lithuania and Estonia have ratified the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage, which is why the protection and popularisation of the underwater cultural heritage of the Baltic Sea is particularly important. It also represents a significant challenge for Polish conservation services.

The exhibition was created as part of the implementation of the project ‘Polish-Croatian exchange of experience on the UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage’, co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage as part of the ‘Inspiring Culture’ programme. It will be on display in the Salle des Actes at UNESCO headquarters in Paris until 17 March 2023.

Adrian Andrzejewski