Opuszczone Laboratorium (Abandoned Laboratory), Poland

This Abandoned Laboratory (or, Opuszczone Laboratorium in Polish) was part of an institute once at the forefront of agricultural research. The site grew from a family-run farmstead, to an experimental plant and part of one of the largest scientific institutes in Poland. It has been abandoned for almost 15 years, but still offers some interesting photography frames. That is, if you love dusty lab glassware and bottles of mysterious old chemicals as much as I do!

I visited this location during my 2023 Poland road trip.

History Of This experimental plant, Once part of Instytut Zootechniki – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy

Once a privately-owned farmstead, this 3-square-kilometre site was acquired by the local government in the 1940s. Soon it transformed into a site dedicated to agricultural research, becoming part of Instytut Zootechniki – Państwowy Instytut Badawczy (Institute of Animal Production – National Research Institute) in the 1950s. Under the guidance of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the facility played a crucial role in the field of livestock management research. Instytut Zootechniki, to this day, is still one of the largest scientific units in Poland.

The 1950s brought significant restructuring at Instytut Zootechniki. The site became a limited liability company, designated as an “experimental plant” (while still operating under the remit of Instytut Zootechniki). Initially, this experimental plant focused on increasing breeding efficiency in cows. The facility explored innovative techniques like bovine embryo transplants to increase production. Over time, the livestock variety increased. By the 1960s, the focus broadened to include pig nutrition research, and several pig barns had been constructed. By the 1980s, hens were bred on site with the goal of evaluating breeding techniques for both egg production and meat.

The site sold around 15 years ago, although the why and to whom are unclear. At any rate, the site and the now abandoned laboratory now stands forgotten and left to the mercy of looters and vandals.

Inside the Abandoned laboratory

Unfortunately, much of the site is a chaotic jumble of looted offices and debris-filled corridors. One main area still holds some interest, though; the abandoned laboratory! Given the (disappointing) condition of the rest of the buildings, this decades-old lab was a welcome oasis surrounded by destruction.

At the centre of the laboratory, there is a wooden bench or workstation. It is littered with old glassware such as conical flasks, beakers, test tubes and pipettes. There are also numerous amber chemical bottles on the bench and adjacent shelving, the contents cloudy with age. Their labels are smudged and faded, and like the chemicals inside, long past their prime. Also standing on the shelves, and likewise lamenting better days, are several dead plants.

There is plenty to explore in this abandoned laboratory. There is a Polar Superautomat washing machine, with a potentiometric pH metre standing on top. Facing these, are a trio of fume cupboards neatly built into the wall. On the opposite wall, at the far side of the lab, there is an expensive-looking Polish-made laboratory balance,. There are a few more interesting pieces in the corner; an oven and a machine for measuring the amount of protein in milk (Mark II Pro-Milk Tester).