An exhibition titled ‘Pieces of the Past’ has been opened in Warsaw being presented on the fence of the investment area for the reconstruction of the Saxon Palace, the Brühl Palace and the townhouses on Royal Street in Warsaw. It consists of large-format display boards presenting artefacts excavated during archaeological work carried out under the former Saxon Palace in 2006-2008.

The exhibition presents primarily objects of everyday use that were found during the excavations. The photographs are accompanied by a narrative about the history of the buildings on the western side of Piłsudski Square, the role of the Saxon Palace throughout history, the turbulent social and economic changes that swept through Poland, and the symbolic significance of this part of Warsaw.

The exhibition has been prepared in the form of boards with questions and answers to be read in three languages: Polish, English and Ukrainian. In addition, it is available for visually impaired visitors by using the Seeing Assistant Home application and thanks to the Braille subtitles used on the boards.

Attended the opening of the exhibition, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński said that the reconstructed Saxon Palace will house branches of the Polish History Museum and the Zachęta National Gallery of Art. He indicated that it will be a place open to NGOs, Varsovians and all visitors.

“It will be a place of culture and historical memory. I would like to remind you that Frederic Chopin lived here, and that the Cipher Bureau was located in the premises. This is a unique place where, in addition to narrating stories about Chopin and Polish ciphers, we will also be telling people about other most important personages of Polish history”, stressed Professor Piotr Gliński.

Adrian Andrzejewski