She was one of the discoverers of radioactivity and changed the way we understand the structure of the atom. Her discoveries saved the lives of many cancer patients. She made history as the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, the only woman to receive two Nobel Prizes, and the first female professor at the Sorbonne. Maria accomplished all this having been born in partitioned Poland, overcoming cultural and social barriers imposed on her gender, and being a foreigner in the country that became her home. She experienced both international fame and international criticism. She knew great love and the pain of romantic disappointment, survived the loss of her husband and child—not to mention the First World War. The life of Maria Skłodowska-Curie has long been shrouded in a romantic legend. In everything, she was the best, the first, the only one. And yet, she too had her vulnerabilities.

The new exhibition presents the many roles Skłodowska played throughout her life. Varsovian, daughter, wife, student, scientist, mother, social activist—these are just a few. What was the foundation of her discoveries? How did she balance her professional and personal life? How did she overcome adversity? How did she manage to be ahead of her time through her actions? These are the questions that will accompany us as we explore the exhibition.

Most of the Warsaw memorabilia of Maria Skłodowska-Curie was destroyed in 1944, in the bombed-out Radium Institute. A few preserved items—such as Maria’s personal and professional correspondence, her last desk, and her father’s gold watch—have found their place in the exhibition. Visitors will also have the opportunity to see numerous photographs of the scientist from various stages of her life. The central theme of the exhibition is an installation made of flowers linked to the story of Maria.