The Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw has been awarded the prestigious Historical Landmarks Award 2024 by the European Chemical Society, recognizing the institution’s outstanding contribution to preserving Europe’s scientific heritage and promoting the history of chemistry.
A ceremonial unveiling of the commemorative plaque will take place at the museum on 11 May 2026, marking an important moment for both the institution and the international scientific community.
Located in an 18th-century townhouse at Freta Street 16 in Warsaw’s historic New Town, the museum occupies the birthplace of Maria Skłodowska-Curie, who was born there in 1867. Today, the museum serves not only as a memorial to the double Nobel Prize laureate, but also as an active educational center dedicated to inspiring future generations of researchers.
The idea of establishing a museum devoted to Maria Skłodowska-Curie emerged already before the Second World War. At that time, efforts to preserve her scientific and personal legacy were closely connected with the Radium Institute, founded thanks to Skłodowska-Curie’s support and engagement. Memorabilia, documents, photographs, and personal objects linked to the scientist were gradually collected in Warsaw. Much of this early collection was tragically lost during the wartime destruction of Warsaw.
On 16 October 1967, the day of the hundredth anniversary of the birth of the Nobel Prize winner, the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum of the Polish Chemical Society was opened in a tenement house at 16 Freta in Warsaw.
Today, the museum houses an extensive collection of original notes, correspondence, photographs, and scientific instruments used by Marie and Pierre Curie during their pioneering research on radioactivity, alongside personal archives, photographs, and family memorabilia from both the French and Polish sides of the Curie family.
Through exhibitions, educational programmes, and international collaborations, the institution presents the human story behind one of the most transformative scientific careers in modern history.
The EuChemS Historical Landmark Award plaque was officially unveiled at the Maria Skłodowska-Curie Museum in Warsaw on 11 May 2026. by Prof. Angela Agostiano, President of the European Chemical Society (EuChemS), and Prof. Robert Pietrzak, President of the Polish Chemical Society (PTChem).
The EuChemS Historical Landmarks Award highlights the essential role museums play in preserving scientific memory and connecting historical achievements with contemporary education. More than a century after her groundbreaking discoveries reshaped chemistry and physics, the legacy of Maria Skłodowska-Curie continues to inspire scientists around the world.
We warmly invite visitors to discover the legacy of Maria Skłodowska-Curie in the heart of Warsaw.
