Muzeum Martyrologii Wielkopolan – Fort VII

About the museum

The Museum of the Martyrdom of the Greater Poland People (Muzeum Martyrologii Wielkopolan) is located in Fort VII, a former Prussian fort of the Poznań fortress, built of brick. From 10 October 1939 the Germans set up one of the first camps in occupied Polish territory there, initially known as the Konzentrationslager Posen. Prisoners and victims were representatives of the Polish elite – scientists, teachers, clergy, officials, entrepreneurs, and insurgents from Greater Poland and Silesia – and from spring 1940 also members of underground organisations. Already in the autumn of 1939 the Germans began experiments on the mass killing of people with gas in the camp.

The camp changed its official name, but the conditions of the prisoners' stay remained the same. From 1943 prisoners were gradually moved to the camp in Żabikowo, and in 1944 the German authorities set up an assembly plant for the Wehrmacht in the fort. After the war, in 1946, the first commemorations for the victims were held here.

Fort VII is now a branch of the Żabikowo Martyrological Museum, run by the self-government of the Greater Poland Voivodeship. The exhibitions concern, among other things, the forced resettlement of residents of Poznań and Greater Poland in 1939–1941, the fate of the camp's prisoners and the work of Stefan Balicki.

Key themes

• Former German camp in Fort VII in Poznań
• Exhibition on the camp's prisoners who died or went missing
• Exhibition on the resettlements from Poznań and Greater Poland in 1939–1941
• Exhibition on the killing of people with mental illness in the gas chamber of Fort VII
• Audio guide in the Movi Guide app and guided tours

Permanent exhibitions

• Wysiedlenia mieszkańców Poznania i Wielkopolski do Generalnej Guberni w latach 1939–1941 – The exhibition presents the forced resettlement of Poles from Poznań and Greater Poland to the General Government.
• Więźniowie Fortu VII w więzieniach i obozach III Rzeszy – zmarli i zaginieni – Exhibition devoted to the fate of the prisoners of Fort VII who were sent to German prisons and camps.
• „… i ślad po nich zaginął.” Zagłada chorych psychicznie w komorze gazowej – Exhibition on the killing of people with mental illness in the gas chamber of Fort VII.

Founded

1963

Operated by

Muzeum Martyrologiczne w Żabikowie (Samorząd Województwa Wielkopolskiego)

Admission & discounts

Free admission: Admission is free on Tuesdays.

Guided tours can be booked at the museum's ticket office, by email (muzeum@fortvii.eu) or by telephone (+48 61 848 31 38). Guided tours are free of charge for people with special needs.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials
• Audio description: no information

Fort VII is a historic building with limited possibilities for adaptation. The courtyards and corridors are paved with cobblestones, there is a step before the ticket office, and the exhibitions are spread over three levels; access is possible by stairs or ramps, but wheelchair users may need help. The car park is about 40 m from the entrance gate. Guides in Braille can be borrowed at the ticket office, and for visually impaired people the museum organises sensory tours after a guide has been booked in advance. Films in the exhibitions have English subtitles, and Polish subtitles can be switched on on request. The museum's website has an easy-to-read version.

Kids & families

Only partly suitable for kidsRecommended for ages 13+

Because of the content (including graphic photographs and films), the museum does not recommend visits for children under 13; young people from school groups are invited from the age of 14. Younger children may visit only with a parent or legal guardian.

Getting there & parking

The entrance to the museum is from ul. Polska (in the direction of ul. Bukowska); there is an information board before the turn. There are bicycle racks at the museum.

Amenities & dining

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit