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QueerMuzeum opened in Warsaw Friday, becoming the first LGBTQ+ museum in Poland, the first in post-communist Europe, and the fifth in the entire world.
The first-ever LGBTQ+ museum in Poland opened over the weekend – and it's already been overwhelmed with visitors.
QueerMuzeum opened in Warsaw, the nation's capitol, on Friday afternoon, becoming the first LGBTQ+ museum in Poland, the first in post-communist Europe, and the fifth in the entire world. Its founders proudly celebrated the feat on social media, in which they invited the community to "celebrate with us! Feel this energy, share the joy and save this day in your hearts forever."
"It's good that we write it down and not say it, because our emotions would take away our speech," the museum wrote on Instagram. "Today, on December 6th at [1pm], we officially opened the QueerMuzeum – the first in Poland and the fifth in the world museum dedicated to the history of the queer community."
The museum's collection features around 150 exhibits documenting Poland's LGBTQ+ history that date back to the 16th century, including letters, pamphlets, photos, and early examples of activism. It was developed by nonprofit rights group Warszawa Lambda, the oldest LGBTQ+ organization in the country.
Poland is currently considered the worst nation in the European Union for LGBTQ+ rights, as it does not have marriage equality or recognize same-sex civil partnerships. After a European human rights court ruling, the Polish government introduced a resolution in October that would recognize civil unions, as well as a measure in November that would criminalize anti-LGBTQ+ hate speech.
The museum has already generated buzz – so much that it had to limit the number of people it can permit inside at a time. It announced the day after its opening that the "interest in the QueerMuseum exceeded all our expectations," noting that "today, in a small area, at one point there were over 100 of you." From now on, it said the "first 40 people from the queue standing to the entrance will be admitted."
"This is a special moment that we created together with you – for you and about you," the museum continued. "It is a space full of love, memory and pride, in the heart of Warsaw! The museum is not only a place of memory, but also of research on the past and the future."
