Parthemores in Poland

On Friday, we went with our Polish history class to Warsaw on a whirlwind trip that included 2 museums, 7 hours on a train and 6.5 miles of walking.  Despite the long day, it was very enjoyable.  We now associate Warsaw with something other than jetlag, horrible airport lines, and a confusing road system.

Our first stop was the museum about the Warsaw Uprising.  Towards the end of WWII, Varsovians mounted a coordinated uprising against the occupying German forces.  While Soviet forces were on the other side of the Wisła River, they did little to help the Poles, presumably because their long term interests hinged more on Polish failures than successes.  Accordingly, the museum wasn’t constructed until well after Poland’s escape from the shadow of Communism. 

There was a mind-boggling amount of pictures and information.  Because our guide was speaking only in Polish and we moved through the exhibits fairly quickly, we have already decided to go back sometime when we can move at our own pace!  There is a full-size replica of a B-24 Liberator.  The Allies used B-24s to resupply the Polish underground with weapons, medical supplies, etc.  They also had a neat re-creation of the sewer system that the Home Army used to move through the city.  The museum gives you the opportunity to navigate the tunnels in the dark.  I can only imagine if you add in sewage and other nasty stuff…

But my personal favorite was the drawings in what the website referred to as “the little insurgents’ room.”  These reminded me of some of the cards kids would send to Iraq with their drawings of tanks and bombs.  This one says “Germany”:

WWII destroyed about 85% of Warsaw.  Following Warsaw’s rebuilding the Palace of Culture and Science (a “gift” from Stalin) dominated the skyline.  Poles have mixed feelings about the building, but generally don’t care much for it.  Astute observers will recognize it from the beginning of the “Kocham Cię, Polsko” theme.

You may notice a modern skyscraper in the corner of the photo.  There are now about a dozen glass skyscrapers in the downtown.  Which makes it looks like an American city:

There is also the Old Town area, which was also completely reconstructed after the war.  As a result, it has a bit of a Disney-ish feel to it.  Things still look fresh and new, especially anything involving brickwork. 

The other museum we went to was dedicated to recording the oral history of Varsovians who survived the war.  The curators are in the process of recording and transcribing as many stories as they can in an effort to better understand the day-to-day life of people who lived during a very difficult time. 

Other neat places:

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Fortification of Old Town

While Poznań is a city you can easily wrap your arms around, Warsawis a sprawling metropolis.  It was nice to get a small taste of Warsaw so we can plan future expeditions.