The West Prussian Regional Museum is the only museum institution in Germany that presents the history and culture of historical West Prussia. The museum houses various collections and its own archive with diverse holdings. Selected topics convey a vivid picture of a cultural region shaped for over 700 years by Germans and Poles, but also Kashubians, Prussians and Dutch.
The museum, founded by the Landsmannschaft Westpreußen in 1975, was originally conceived as a place of remembrance for the expellees of West Prussia. Today, the museum's offerings are aimed at a public interested in history and culture, most of whom have no direct personal connection to the historical region of 
West Prussia
deu. Westpreußen, pol. Prusy Zachodnie

West Prussia is a historical region in present-day northern Poland. The region fell to Prussia as a result of the first partition of Poland-Lithuania in 1772 and received its name from the province of the same name formed by Frederick II in 1775, which also included parts of the historical landscapes of Greater Poland, Pomerania, Pomesania and Kulmerland. The Prussian province lasted in changing borders until the early 20th century. After World War I, parts fell to the Second Polish Republic, founded in 1918. The largest cities in West Prussia include Gdansk (Polish: Gdańsk, today Pomeranian Voivodeship), Elbląg (Polish: Elbląg, today Warmia-Masuria Voivodeship), and Thorn (Polish: Toruń, today Kujawsko-Pomeranian Voivodeship).

Westpreußen in the Online Encyclopedia of the Culture and History of the Germans in Eastern Europe (German)
.
International cooperation is one of the main focus areas of the West Prussian Regional Museum; corresponding agreements exist with several museums in historical West Prussia. Since 1999, the West Prussian Regional Museum has also been represented in the regional museum in 
Krokowa
deu. Krockow, . Krokòwò

Krokowa (German: Krockow) is a village in northern Poland populated by about 710 inhabitants. The village is located in Puck County, north of Gdańsk.

Krokowa at Google Maps
, not far from 
Gdańsk
deu. Danzig

Gdansk is a large city on the Baltic Sea in the Polish Pomeranian Voivodeship (Pomorskie) with about 470,000 inhabitants. It is lying on the Motława River (German: Mottlau) on the Gdansk Bay.

Gdańsk in the Online Encyclopedia of the Culture and History of the Germans in Eastern Europe (German)
Gdańsk at Google Maps
Historische Orte
Danzig
 
. Also in the dialogue with Polish cultural institutions, it helps to raise awareness and deepen insights into an eventful shared history that has been heavily marked by conflict. 
 
The museum is sponsored by the Federal Republic of Germany, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe and the city of Warendorf. The sponsor is the Cultural Foundation of West Prussia.
To the homepage of the West Prussian State Museum

Von dieser Einrichtung
Map and text

Important locations in Copernicus’ life

Varmia and Northern Italy
Nicolaus Copernicus rose to fame due to his interest in the stars. But where did he spend his life on Earth? Most of his sites of activity are found in present-day Poland, and many of them also relate to German history.
Alexander Kleinschrodt
Map and text

The Copernican network

Friends, followers, and successors
Despite living in relative isolation, Copernicus maintained a number of significant contacts during his time as a scholar and cleric. Astronomers from many parts of Europe carried on his work after his death.
Map and text

Commemorating Copernicus

Contested, reinterpreted, exploited
Since the 19th century, numerous Copernicus monuments have been built around the world. Even today, new sites of remembrance honoring the astronomer emerge, especially in Poland. Each site has a unique agenda, narrative, and background.
Alexander Kleinschrodt
Map and text

In Copernicus’ name

Societies, associations, foundations
These days, there are a whole host of organizations in Poland, Germany, and the USA bearing the name Copernicus. Although they all relate to the same historical person, they have quite different goals.
Alexander Kleinschrodt
Library holdings

West Prussia Library

With over 22,000 titles, the West Prussia Library offers a wide collection covering the cultural, economic and social history of former West Prussia.
Permanent exhibition

Encounters with a German-Polish cultural landscape

The history of West Prussia is very multi-faceted. It is an example of a cultural landscape on the Baltic Sea that has benefited from its advantageous location in the heart of Europe for centuries, but has also frequently become the political plaything of rulers. The permanent exhibition in the West...
Special exhibition

1920 - A province disappears

The First World War was an important caesura in the history of the province of West Prussia. The cornerstones negotiated in the Treaty of Versailles ended the integration of West Prussia into Prussian territory and incorporated the region into the newly founded Polish Second Republic. This led to...
Special exhibition

Forgotten, but not lost

The seizure of power by the National Socialists in 1933 led to a major wave of migration out of Germany. Over 500,000 people left the Third Reich, among them numerous artists and cultural professionals. The exhibition presents works by artists in exile who came from former West Prussia and other...
Workshop

Where from and where to? Stories of migration, past and present

Where from and where to? Stories of Migration, past and present, at the state museum. The Westpreußisches Landesmuseum (West Prussian State Museum) offers extracurricular museum education for young adults. The program is aimed at young people who, through the example of West Prussia, can learn...
Holding

Bestandsbeschreibung Westpreußisches Landesmuseum

The collections of the West Prussia State Museum are aimed at audiences interested in cultural history, including local historians and school classes. The library and archive offer possibilities for in-depth study and can provide basic information for local history and family researchers.