Warsaw: A City of Authors, Poets, Artists, and Fighters!

I have to be honest here and tell you that I have fallen a little bit in love with the people of Warsaw. They are so proud of their history and so willing to share their stories with us. When we study the Holocaust during our reading of Night in 8th grade English, I am often struck with the question, "Why didn't they just fight back?" This is never an easy for me to explain-it was nearly impossible to fight back, "they" didn't know how bad it was going to get, propaganda was powerful, and Hitler was a force that just kept coming. But here in Warsaw, I have come to see first hand what made fighting back so difficult.




Mrs. Wilson and I spent two days in Warsaw and we got to know the city as well as we could. We traveled on bus, train, and we walked so much! The places we liked the best were the two free museums that simply desired to tell the story of those who
fought bravely against the Nazi invasion of their homeland. Pawiak: a prison for Polish prisoners of war. We saw artifacts from the prisoners, witnessed what their surroundings would have looked like, and saw the pictures of who these courageous men and women really were. What struck me most at this museum-were the writings and drawings of the inmates. Many of them used their talents to escape the suffering, but also to leave behind a message of hope. One such story is of a young Girl-Scout who created the symbol used by the uprising to build morale and push the message that Poland was going to fight and stand strong against Hitler. Her symbol, the letter P above an anchor. We saw this symbol in many museums we visited, but also throughout the city. It is amazing to see that while Hitler certainly had power, the Polish people had hope and in the end that is what is remembered most in this city.




We also visited the Gestapo Headquarters . This is a museum built at the original spot of the headquarters, and can only be described as haunting. There are actual rooms where the insurgents were taken and tortured for information. One room still has the scars of bullet holes, while many others contain etchings on the wall of the prisoners' messages to each other. This is a place that touched my heart and left a deep impression.

The last place we visited in Warsaw was the Warsaw Uprising Museum. Here we summed up all the information we had been learning. It had so much information, but my favorite part was the wall of photos in an outside garden. On one side of the wall are the names of those who lost their lives in the Warsaw Uprising, but the opposite side shows color enhanced photos of who these fighters were. The color was a purposeful choice by the museum to make these men and women seem less like a piece of history and more like a reality that we should not soon forget.




Warsaw is a special place and its people should be proud.

Warsaw: A city in Development

By: Elise Wilson

What strikes me about Warsaw is the amount of brand new skyscrapers right next to delapidated buildings. With the springing up of new businesses and the amount of technology used at the museums we visited, one can see that this is a city developing into quite a wonderful place for visitors.

Yesterday we learned the hard way (we were lost for about an hour) how to manage the city's transportation, and now I consider us masters, but of course we figure out the buses and trams right as we leave for Krakow.

We started at Pawiak Prison where over 100,000 Poles were held by the Gestapo as political prisoners. I cannot describe the feeling you get walking through rooms where people have been tortured. The tree in the front of the prison reminds people of the suffering and courage that people had during German occupation.

We then went to the old part of town and saw an opulent castle and many colorful homes. One cannot see building like these in America simple because of America's comparatively young age. We visited many churches and made sure to stop at the Jesuit church.

We finished the day at a Chopin museum and we were dumbfounded by the sheer amount of details that the curators complied about this musician's life. Again the technology used at this museum was impressive as we got to activate different exhibits with special cards.

We finished our day with a tasty Polish dinner at a charming peasant inspired restaurant where the staff wore traditional rural garb and there was a live band playing traditional folk music. One thing we were not expecting was the bread basket they brought to our table. Along with the bread was a bowl full of a spread. We thought it was a type of butter. Wrong! When I asked what it was, the waitress replied, "It is fat and various pieces of meat." We were horrified.

Making it Through Day 1

We arrived at Boston’s Logan airport and checked in but then had trouble finding security and our gate. I remarked to Ms. Guiney that if we had trouble at Boston’s airport we were going to be doomed finding our way in Europe. I am happy to report that we have made it through our first day with only minor hiccups. For example, we stood at the baggage carousel waiting and waiting for our bags and then realized we were at the wrong baggage claim.

We arrived at our hotel which from the outside looks like it is something out of a candy store dripping in several bright colors (see picture). The staff at the hotel has been amazingly helpful and we are grateful they speak English. We rested for a bit while deciding what we would do for the next 2 days. We then made our way to a communist inspired restaurant called Under the Red Hog to enjoy some Polish food. When we opened the doors we were greeted by a hostess wearing a dress fashioned to look like a uniform worn by the Red Army. The menu was divided with choices of entrees based on whether you were a member of the bourgeoise or a proletariat. The pierrogies were particularly tasty. I look forward to trying more Polish treats over the next few days. Tomorrow should be jammed pack with activities, and we are both excited to learn more about this intriguing city.

Arrived Safely in Warsaw, Poland

Mrs. Wilson and I survived our first day of travels. We flew through the night and arrived in Poland at 2:55 p.m. Don’t forget that Poland has a six hour time difference, so back home, it was really 8:55 am. The flight was long, but calm. One thing we noticed was Air France’s desire to feed you! They gave us a three- course dinner at 12:30 a.m, just within an hour of boarding (see picture), and a quick breakfast just three hours later. Mrs. Wilson and I couldn’t even look at food when the flight attendants on our connecting flight from Paris to Warsaw, Poland, started handing out sandwiches.

After hours of flying, eating, and a little bit of sleeping, we stumbled wearily into our taxi and came straight to our hotel. We spent a little time walking around the local streets and planning our day for tomorrow. I can’t wait to see what Warsaw has to teach us. We have much to learn from this city that stood up to fight Hitler. The city lost that fight, but gained such a distinct history. I am excited to bear witness to the triumphs and devastation that was Warsaw during World War II. Look to hear more tomorrow.

Map of Our Travels

As a geography teacher of course I had to make a map. Click on the map to zoom in and follow our travels as we visit 6 major cities and their surroundings to learn more about WWII and the Holocaust.