The originator and co-owner of the museum is Justyna Machnik, a city guide. It all began with the original walking tour “Szczecin on the Trail of the Polish People’s Republic (PRL)”, leading through Wojska Polskiego Avenue and Jagiellońska Street (premiere: April 2018). Its complement, and at the same time an exceptional bonus, was a one-room exhibition that could be viewed free of charge exclusively by tour participants (May 2019 – November 2020). This was followed by a move to a larger venue, organizational challenges, and over a year of creating the exhibition. The museum opened to visitors in March 2022.
The “Szczecin in the PRL” Museum presents visual stimuli, social history, and material culture from the years 1952–1989. It consists of several thematic zones: Szczecin (places, culture, workplaces, music, flavors), an apartment, childhood, the office of a party dignitary, trade, craftsmanship, sports, and leisure. It also showcases typography, applied arts, and design, including interior design trends and everyday objects. The exhibition addresses the phenomenon of cult status and nostalgia. For the local community, it serves as a unique repository of memory. Most of the exhibits were donated by the residents of Szczecin.
