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“Testimony of HELP” tells the story of the Blessed Ulma family from Markowa and the Jews they sheltered during the German occupation. The project, prepared by the New Technology Division of the Institute of National Remembrance, combines the advantages of a traditional exhibition – allowing visitors to experience the physical elements of the exhibition firsthand – with an immersive experience of history made possible by modern technologies. As a result, visitors can not only view the exhibits but also experience the story presented as a film etude in virtual reality.
Admission to the exhibition is free. It can be visited at the Institute of National Remembrance’s Central History Stop at 107 Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw. The project will be on display until 21 December.
The exhibition has been arranged in a specially designed space, with the first elements of the display appearing even before visitors enter its main section. From up close, the seemingly uniform black surfaces reveal hundreds of names of Poles who helped Jews persecuted during the Second World War. The exterior of the exhibition thus provides the first introduction to its subject matter.
Inside, visitors will see an installation made up of wooden chairs. Each chair is equipped with a virtual reality headset, allowing visitors to enter the world of the story being told.
The virtual part of the exhibition presents the immersive film etude “Testimony of HELP”. It tells the story of Wiktoria and Józef Ulma and their family. By combining a true and moving story with an emotionally powerful narrative told from the perspective of the Ulmas’ youngest daughter, Basia, the project provides a starting point for reflection on humanity and the ethical foundations of an attitude inspired by the human impulse to love.
Visitors discover successive spaces inspired by authentic interiors from the 1940s, learning about the realities of life in a village in the Podkarpackie region. Archival photographs, documents and other historical materials are combined with a narrative that helps visitors better understand the everyday life of the Ulma family and the dramatic events that took place in Markowa.
The next stage of the visit is the return to the physical exhibition space. The end of the virtual experience marks the beginning of the unveiling of exhibits that were previously invisible. Photographs, dates, locations and key phrases illuminated with ultraviolet light appear on the inner walls of the installation, complementing the story experienced in the virtual world.
The exhibition thus combines direct physical contact with the display and an immersive experience of history through new technologies, creating a multidimensional way of discovering the stories of Polish heroes who helped those in need.
Admission to the exhibition is free. Groups of up to 15 people can visit the exhibition at a time. For larger groups, two or more consecutive time slots must be booked.
Those waiting for their turn, as well as visitors who have completed their tour of the exhibition, are invited to explore the New Technology Zone at the Central History Stop. Registration is also required for this part of the visit. We therefore encourage you to book a visit to the exhibition and complement it with an immersive history lesson in the New Technology Zone.
Book an immersive history lesson in the New Technology Zone at the Central History Stop
Part of the exhibition is also available online on the New Technology Division website. The virtual presentation allows visitors to explore selected elements of the exhibition as a whole: a gallery of archival photographs accompanied by descriptions introducing the people, places and events depicted; the exhibition space; and the immersive 360° film etude “Testimony of HELP”. Thanks to the ability to view the film in all directions, visitors can control the camera themselves and explore the story in a more engaging way.
The online version of the exhibition presents only part of the full display. Only an on-site visit allows visitors to experience the exhibition in its entirety, engage directly with its physical space and take part in an immersive virtual reality experience.
We invite you to visit the Institute of National Remembrance’s Central History Stop at 107 Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw.
Admission to the exhibition is free. It can be visited at the Institute of National Remembrance’s Central History Stop at 107 Marszałkowska Street in Warsaw.
The exhibition was created based on sources held in the archives of the Institute of National Remembrance and includes photographs from the album The Righteous and Their World. Markowa in the Photographs of Józef Ulma by IPN Deputy President Dr Mateusz Szpytma.
The exhibition will be open until 21 December.
“Świadectwo poMOCY” [Testimony of help/power] (“pomocy” (Gen.) in Polish means “help” and “mocy” (Gen.) means “power”) is an interactive educational project carried out by the Institute of National Remembrance as part of the solemn celebration of the beatification of the Ulma family.
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