Established in 1888, the State Ethnographic Museum in Warsaw has gathered objects representing cultures from all continents since its inception.

The foundations for the Museum's work is rooted in critical museology inspired by ideas of social justice, accessibility, and counteracting exclusion, as well as in decolonial, ecological, and climate-conscious perspectives.

The Museum aims to be vibrant forum for the exchange of ideas and knowledge. Exhibitions, events, and research projects are developed in partnership with communities whose cultures are represented in their collections, thus fostering a deeper understanding of the complexities of social relations and the challenges encountered. For the State Museum of Ethnography in Warsaw, collaboration not only enables the study objects and their histories but also the interpretation of the meanings embedded within them and to share these insights with audiences.

The main mission of the museum is to collect the diversity and richness of cultures from around the world and present their value as a national asset, thus contributing to the development of an open society.