Warsaw Uprising Museum

.../> Location Apartment Block, Dzielna, Warsaw

Time A Few minutes to 5pm

Then what happened.........I decided to go for a walk with the dog to the local shops. Coming out of the apartment block, I closed the door and looked up. Two flags were flying. Red and white for Polska and yellow and red for Warsaw. As I walked through the garden maze which surrounds the apartment blocks, I noticed people standing on their balconies. ...
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Location Warsaw

Time 5pm

Then what happened.................General 'Bor' Komorowski gave orders for the forces of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to take up arms against the Nazi's to claim back their city, Warsaw, which had been occupied by the Nazi's for over 4 years.

This day was the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising and my review is of a museum dedicated to this terrible period in ... more

Date August 1st 2009

Location Apartment Block, Dzielna, Warsaw

Time A Few minutes to 5pm

Then what happened.........I decided to go for a walk with the dog to the local shops. Coming out of the apartment block, I closed the door and looked up. Two flags were flying. Red and white for Polska and yellow and red for Warsaw. As I walked through the garden maze which surrounds the apartment blocks, I noticed people standing on their balconies. Suddenly, I was aware of an eerie silence ......then the siren began wailing.........wailing. People hung their heads in silence for five minutes until the siren ended.

Date August 1 1944

Location Warsaw

Time 5pm

Then what happened.................General 'Bor' Komorowski gave orders for the forces of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa) to take up arms against the Nazi's to claim back their city, Warsaw, which had been occupied by the Nazi's for over 4 years.

This day was the beginning of the Warsaw Uprising and my review is of a museum dedicated to this terrible period in Polish history.

For readers who aren't familiar with the Uprising I will explain as simply as I can. The Poles had been occupied for four years by the Germans but were now losing control on all fronts. The underground Home Army planned an underground attack to liberate Warsaw from the German's and combine with Russian forces who had advanced to within 10 kilometres of the city on the other side of the Vistula River. The resistance numbered 50,000; some were trained but a lot were not and many were women and children. They were ill-equipped and possessed insufficient weapons to match their occupiers. However, in the first couple of days the Poles hit some major strategical positions and they joyously celebrated by flying the red and whilte Polska flag in the old town. Expecting the Russian Army to continue its rapid progress they thought that they only had to last out for a couple more days but Stalin had given orders for the Red Army to stay away. What they thought was going to be a battle lasting 2 to 3 days, lasted for 6 weeks. With reinforcements, the Germans regained control of the city with full force; tanks, rocket launchers and special hit squads. Hitler's orders were to remove the city from the map and kill everyone in it. The city became a blood bath and as so many Poles were dying each day they retreated to the sewers where they still planned and attacked. Food and water supplies became non-existent as the Germans cut off the main water supply. Many starved to death. Figures vary but many accounts suggest 2,000 Poles died every day. What followed was a systematic massacre as street by street, people were dragged from their homes and killed. In Wola, the area where I live now, 30,000 people were shot. The Germans tried to crush these people's spirit but still the Poles would not give in until in the end by October 3rd, 1944 when all was lost. In two month's of fighting, 250,000 civilians were killed. Those who survived the fighting were carted off to concentration camps and POW camps. To finalise the job, the Germans totally flattened the whole city, block by block, paying special attention to historic buildings.

Not a nice story, is it? But one that has unfortunately has to be told.

60 years on the Polish people on 1st August in 2004 unveiled the opening of the Rising Museum. Now I will write my review;

Warsaw Rising Museum
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The museum is located on ul. Grzybowska 79 in the city of Warsaw. It has been set up in the space of an old power station and can be reached by trams 20, 22, 24, 32 and 45 or by bus if you catch numbers 106, 155 or 100.

To look at it from the outside it is very low key - nothing glamourous but this is Warsaw not Hollywood and commemorating aspects of an awful war aren't glamorous either.
The building is quite large - I think about 2,000 square metres. Within this space, the museum designers have tried to show visitors an accurate and reliable account of the Rising. The main people they wish to target are a young audience to tell them the true story and significance of the Uprising. The landmark of the museum which can be seen from various parts of the city is a 35 metre high tower highlighted by the symbol of fighting Poland (a W and a P formed into the shape of an anchor). The tower resembles the shape of ruins and is equipped with a lift so visitors can go to the top floor where there is an observation deck.

Opening times 10.00-6pm Mon, Wed, Friday
10.8pm Thursday

10.00 - 6.00 pm Saturday and Sunday

Prices are: 4 zloty (approx £1), 2 zloty for reduced rates(elderly and children), 1 zloty for groups.

Design layout
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The exhibition is spread amongst three floors and adjacent to the building is a virtual wall of memories.

First Floor
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This first floor is dedicated to the time period - 1939 and 1945 relaying information of the years of occupation and including the exact moment of the rising outbreak - the W hour. The symbol of this hour is a clock dominating one wall set to the hour of 17.00 hours. Photographs and newsreel explain the workings of the Polish underground. A German bunker has been replicated which is decorated with Polish flags and photographs depicting the streets of Warsaw at this time. These photographs I found fascinating. Some are very sad, happy, terifying but the overall impression is one of great strength of character and spirit. I remember walking into this room and it seemed very dark and immediately I had passed through the entrance I felt nervous and at the same time very emotional. There are sounds all around of shells being dropped, screaming, streets burning. The sound akak akka ka - recorded sounds of machine guns is especially nerve racking. It is like riding on a ghost train.

In a seperate room is an exhibition of old printing machines which are all in working condition. These were the machines used to print information bulletins and special announcements. There is a room laid out as an insurgents room especially designed for children. The room is bright and cheerful and here children can learn history by watching performances of insurgent theatre or can take part in role play pretending to be scout mesengers or building barricades to keep the enemy at bay. For very small children there are replica board games, puzzles and toys to play with.

Mezzanine Floor
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To reach the mezzanine you have to take a lift which is decorated with armbands worn by the Home Army. This floor is particularly disturbing as a replica of the sewers has been built and as you climb through you are overcome by the special sound and visual effects which specifically want you as a visitor to realise and identify the suffering of the Polish people. It is claustrophobic, dark and frightening. Walls and walls of memorabilia illustrate the fighting and everyday life in the ghettoes covering religion and cultural subjects but most importantly showing the sheer destruction and murder of people from Wola which took place during the month of August. You might think I use the word murder inappropriately but really there is no other word to describe that situation.

There is also a replica hospital. Finally, a cinema called the Palladium has been set up with seats and over and over 3 newsreels of the Uprising are shown. For me this part of the exibition was emotionally too much. I sat down with the intention of watching all three films but after the first 5 minutes of watching the devastation with children crying and running from the bomb attacks I was a shivering wreck and couldn't stop crying. I had to walk out of the cinema and hide behind a screen where there was an exhibition of Jewish photographs and books. After regainig control I then went on to the second floor. I have to add that I wasn't the only person who was emotional as there were a lot of other people upset including my husband.

Second Floor
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To reach the second floor you can either walk up the stairs or walk through the sewer. This exhibition is very important as it illustrates the battles during the month of September as the rising was coming to an end. The main areas of the city to be brutally attacked during this month in 1944 where Mokotow, Czerniakow and Zoliborz. I know the area of Mokotow as it stands now and I find it unimaginable to think what happened then. I just can't believe the number of people who died. It's like every step I take now in these areas I am walking over graves and the ghosts are all around. Important events occurred after this period of fighting and parts of the exhibition teach you how the role of the People's Army and the National Armed forces played an important part and also how the Polish Committee of National Liberation was formed. Also there are a lot of billboards depicting information regarding the betrayal by the west which is something I knew nothing about. In short, Roosevelt and Churchill didn't want to upset Stalin ahead of the Yalta negotiations and effectively conceded Poland to the Russians.

Again photographs and film show Warsaw residents leaving, standing starving and broken as they are thrown on to trucks to take them to the railway lline to their awful destiny. A special part of the exhibition is set out as a memorial site showing graveyards of many insurgents. Other rooms which are actually on the first floor but belong to the second floor exhibition are a replica radio room which is quite authentic but quite dark and with the continuous bulletins being played continuously gives you a feeling of desperation. Also a Field Postal service and a cafe which has been created with decor and atmospherics of the period.

Virtual Memory Wall
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This is not actually in the museum but next to it in the museum's Freedom Park. The wall is a sea of granite slabs illustrating the names of thousands of Poles who died in this tragic battle during the months of August and September in 1944. New names are being added all the time from survivors and relatives.

The names are in alphabetical order depicting surname, given name, rank, and psuedonym.

Having walked on three floors and studied all the exhibitions this is the stage where it is time to leave as I felt absolutely emotionally drained.

Please note that some details have been cross-referenced from Warsaw Life and the Uprising's website.

Conclusion
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You might ask why did you visit such a place if you knew you were going to be so upset by it. The truth is that I didn't know I would be affected in that way. I am not Polish or Jewish but living and working in Warsaw has made me aware of the history of the city and I wanted to visit the museum to learn more about those awful times.

This is a fine museum. It is a place of memories showing the fate of all those who fought and lost their lives in the Warsaw Rising but also it shows very clear pictures of life under Nazi rule at that time. The actual rising has been criticised by many as it was thought the act was unnecessary and there was no need for the loss of life and the tragedy it incurred but the museum actually shows that this rising was important and shows the fighting spirit of the Polish people - the same spirit that overthrew communism and made Poland free.

All loss of life is horrendous in wars and you can't compete with figures one nation against another, but when I think that from 1939-45 including those murdered in the ghetto and transported to death camps, 800,000 Warszawians were killed and that Poland lost a greater proportion of its population than any other nation (16% compared to less than 1% in the UK) I feel that it is incomprehensible and should be remembered.

On a lighter note - the city of Warsaw is now growing and thriving. It is a city full mostly of young people who are enjoying their freedom and lives. The spirit I saw in those photographs in the museum I see every day. They have survived and grown stronger. Please visit!

Summary: A very worthwhile experience.

* Photograps of the interior are not allowed and I wasn't in the right frame of mind to take any of the exterior . The picture at the top of the page is a good representation of the outside of the building.*

*This review was posted last year 1 August on Dooyoo. Dzielna is the area where my son, my daughter in law and my granddaughter live and I was there again on this day. I read the review from dooyoo and thought I might tweak it a bit but I can't - everything I wrote in the original review is still close to my heart. I apologise for the emotiveness of the review but what happened in the Warsaw ghetthoes breaks my heart. It should never have happened and the old people will never forget but fortunately the youngsters have and it is behind them. They are moving on and that surely, is a good thing.*

 

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