What does the Museum of the Archdiocese of Warsaw have in common with the Primate of the Millennium?
Thanks to the persistent efforts of Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, the museum was reactivated despite the reluctance of the communist authorities.

For more than 30 years, the communist authorities in Poland refused to allow a church museum to operate in Warsaw, despite the fact that diocesan museums operated in other cities in communist Poland. In the early 1970s, the Primate of Poland commissioned Father Dr Jan Wysocki, Director of the Archives of the Warsaw Archdiocese, to lead work on the creation of a future museum. Collections began to be gathered for which the temporary home was the Chapter House of the Archdiocese.

Officially, the institution was reactivated in 1978, and in the spring of 1979, a dozen or so days before Pope John Paul II's first pilgrimage to Poland, the Archdiocese reclaimed the building of the former Trinitarian monastery in Solec, Warsaw, for museum purposes. After the necessary renovation of the building at 61 Solec Street, the Museum was officially opened to the public on 21 April 1980. The ceremonial consecration was performed, in place of the ailing Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński, by Bishop Jerzy Modzelewski. Rev. Andrzej Przekaziński became the director, a post he held for 35 years. The present headquarters of the Museum at 1 Dziekania Street in Warsaw's Old Town housed the Primate's Institute, established by Cardinal Wyszyński.

The Institute is a continuation of the Primate's Institute of the Vows of the Nation at Jasna Góra, which was established by Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński, Primate of Poland, on 3 May 1957.

Until 2010, part of the current museum premises was used to carry out the Institute's statutory activities related to preserving, protecting and disseminating the heritage of the Primate of the Millennium.
By creating an exhibition dedicated to the Primate of the Millennium, we are expressing our gratitude for his effort and determination in reactivating the MAW and we wish to commemorate the life and work of Cardinal Wyszyński and thus contribute to preserving and passing on to future generations the legacy of the teaching and thought of the Servant of God.

The exhibition is part of the permanent exhibition of the Museum of the Archdiocese of Warsaw.

The exhibition dedicated to Cardinal Wyszynski in the basement of the museum presents exhibits owned by the museum as well as those received in deposit, which are directly related to the person of the Cardinal.

In the showcases one can see, among other things, the liturgical vestments of the Servant of God (chasuble, mitre, stole, cope), with the motto of the coat of arms SOLI DEO - To God alone. Commemorative orders, medals and plaques. Some are accompanied by a note made by the Cardinal indicating the occasion and the date on which the item was received. Liturgical vessels offered to the Cardinal on various occasions, including a chalice and paten - Gift of Ars Christiana on the occasion of his 75th birthday.

A 15-minute film has also been prepared, consisting of photographs depicting important events involving the Cardinal, as well as encounters with friends during the holiday break.

In one of the showcases, among photographs from different periods of the Cardinal's life, we show 2 important documents for the museum. A letter from the Primate of the Millennium on the occasion of the opening of the Museum, dated April 1981, and a letter dated 3 May 1956. The handwritten letter was sent from Komańcza, the Primate's last place of imprisonment. The Cardinal's letter required 'deciphering', which we obtained thanks to the cooperation of the Primate's Institute, which works with the texts of the Primate on a daily basis .