Time to visit Warsaw's dead

Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "A shocking monument dedicated to the children of the holocaust"

Monument dedicated to children of the holocaust Photo - Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski, Warsaw, Poland

Quote:

The monument dedicated to the Children of the Holocaust is just behind the Janusz Korczak Monument also set in a small park area with benches and trees.This monument was much more disturbing although the subject matter is similar. It is dedicated to the children who were victims of the holocaust and was donated by a man called Jack Eisner. He had a very large family who were killed by the Nazis. From a distance it looks like a bit of broken wall - that's what it is supposed to look like, it represents the ruined Ghetto Wall. A path leads to the wall which has been tiled in a way that it resembles a Menorah, a symbol of Judaism, a long, tall, seven branched lampstand. At the foot of the rui...Read More

The monument dedicated to the Children of the Holocaust is just behind the Janusz Korczak Monument also set in a small park area with benches and trees.This monument was much more disturbing although the subject matter is similar. It is dedicated to the children who were victims of the holocaust and was donated by a man called Jack Eisner.

He had a very large family who were killed by the Nazis. From a distance it looks like a bit of broken wall - that's what it is supposed to look like, it represents the ruined Ghetto Wall. A path leads to the wall which has been tiled in a way that it resembles a Menorah, a symbol of Judaism, a long, tall, seven branched lampstand. At the foot of the ruin lies a bed of broken concrete covered in small pebbles, small tins holding candles, photographs of children embedded into the stone. On the base of this monument there is an inscription that reads, 'In Memory of one million Jewish Children murdered by Nazi German Barbarians, 1939-1945.' The sponsor, Jack Eisner's name is also engraved underneath the inscription. The inscription is written in English, Polish and Hebrew.

From a distance and as you approach the wall it is very difficult to make out what is on top of the ruined concrete. At first I thought the small candle tins were old fashioned tins of Heinz baby food. It wasn't until I leanined over the ruin I saw that there were small white candles inside each tin. All the photographs are in black and white and are of children. Most of the girls and boys in the photos are smiling, only a couple of children look solemn.

To the left of the wall there are three marble tablets attached, of a poem written by a child from the Ghetto, Henryka Lazowert. It's a sad poem written in 1941, titled the Little Smuggler. The subject is starvation, desperation but also courage. It tells the story of a child sneaking out of the Ghetto to find food for his mother and also about his worries of dying and leaving her alone. From his words I could see that the boy knew that death was unavoidable but he wasn't worried about himself, only his Mama. The poem has been inscribed in all three languages, English, Polish and Hebrew.

It's strange how a man made monument like this - just a piece of wall with bricks cemented together and a rough stone platform covered in candles and photographs can make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Well, that's what happened to me. I was shocked and had to walk away, deep in thought, to another part of the cemetery.

It is one of the saddest monuments I have witnessed in Warsaw. If you do visit the Jewish Cemetery please take a few minutes to look at this piece of work donated by Jack Eisner. Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 26, 2012

Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski
Ul. Okopowa 49/51
Warsaw, Poland 01-043
+48 22 838 2622

Cheer!
Flag

Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "Janusz and his troop of children"

Monument dediacted to Janusz Korczak Photo - Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski, Warsaw, Poland

Quote:

Janusz Korczak was a Polish pediatrician and children's writer. He was a wonderful man who spent his entire life devoted to the Jewish children of Warsaw. He wrote many stories using the pen name of Henry Goldszmit and beleived in trying to give every child a solid grounding in education as well as making them believe in themselves as individuals. He set up his own orphanage on Krochmalna Street with his female assistant, Stefania Wilczynska. Together they worked side by side at the orphanage, taking time out once every year to visit Palestine. Eventually Stefania moved there to live but Janusz refused to go as he wanted to carry on his work in Warsaw. The orphangae he created was very unusual, the ch...Read More

Janusz Korczak was a Polish pediatrician and children's writer. He was a wonderful man who spent his entire life devoted to the Jewish children of Warsaw. He wrote many stories using the pen name of Henry Goldszmit and beleived in trying to give every child a solid grounding in education as well as making them believe in themselves as individuals. He set up his own orphanage on Krochmalna Street with his female assistant, Stefania Wilczynska. Together they worked side by side at the orphanage, taking time out once every year to visit Palestine. Eventually Stefania moved there to live but Janusz refused to go as he wanted to carry on his work in Warsaw. The orphangae he created was very unusual, the children published their own newspaper and even set up a small parliament.

In 1940 when the Germans took over Warsaw, the children who were staying at the orphange had to be moved to the Ghetto. Janusz left too and lived amongst 'his children.' Two years later when German soldiers entered the Ghetto to take the chidren to the deportation point (Umschlagplatz) he also went with them. From here they were transported to the extermination camp of Treblinka. There are stories that he was offered freedom by the German soldiers at the time but he refused. He felt that his place was to be beside his orphans.

I know quite a bit about Janusz and I admire the work he carried out throughout his lifetime. There are several monuments of him and his troop of children, throughout the city and each one is interesting and beautiful to look at. This monument which stands about a hundred metres away from the entrance to the Jewish Cmetery was unveiled in 1982 to honour his dedication and bravery and also to remember the lost children.

The monument was a lot smaller than I expected. It shows Janusz leading forward, holding a small child in his arms. There is a sad look on his face and the child looks scared and is clinging on for life. Behind the doctor stand five other children, all of different heights. It's a beautifully crafted monument in black, made from epoxy resin which is a substance used in electronics usually to coat metal and also as an adhesive. Miroslaw Smorczewskiego and Lucian Kota were the sculptors. It is mounted on a concrete plinth covered in small pebbles and stones that have been left there by Jewish visitors. There are aslo several small candles. The way the children are stood behind the kind doctor made me feel sad as they looked so forlorn yet totally devoted to this man. I loved the way the ribbons had been sculptured, wrapped around the little girl's pigtails and I particularly liked the way the monument was set in a small area with benches and trees, an area for contemplation.

It is a sad monument but very well designed and crafted. It is definitely one of the highlights of the Jewish Cemetery. You can't miss it as it is very close to the entrance and on the main path.
Read Less

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on October 26, 2012

Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski
Ul. Okopowa 49/51
Warsaw, Poland 01-043
+48 22 838 2622

Cheer!
Flag

Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The Forgotten Cemetery"

Cmentarz Żydowski Photo - Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski, Warsaw, Poland

Quote:

The Jewish Cemetery (Cmentarz Zydowski) on Okopowa Street should be on everyone's itinerary when they visit Warsaw. I am quite cross with myself because it has taken me five years to actually go and visit the cemetery. There are so many things to see and do in Warsaw that I keep missing this attraction and move on to something else. Last weekend I made up my mind I was going to take a walk on a crisp, sunny Sunday to take some pictures of the cemetery and to see just what was behind that metal door. Okopowa is a very long street that will lead you to Arkadia Shopping Centre eventually. If you don't know the address of the cemetery you can easily miss it as it is surrounded by a brick wall ...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 26, 2012

Jewish Cemetery/Cmentarz Zydowski
Ul. Okopowa 49/51
Warsaw, Poland 01-043
+48 22 838 2622

Cheer!
Flag

Kaplica Halpertow/Halperts' Chapel

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "The tall white chapel on Mlynarska Street"

Cemetery with the Chapel in the background Photo - Kaplica Halpertow/Halperts' Chapel, Warsaw, Poland

Quote:

The white Lutheran Chapel (Kaplica Halpertów) on Młynarska Street was built in 1835. The building has just been recently renovated and for many months was covered and had scaffolding surrounding it. The chapel is a short walk away from my flat and every day I can hear the bells chime at midday. It isn’t often you see the huge steel gates open, only when a service is being held or a funeral is taking place.The chapel was founded by the Halpertów family who used the chapel along with other Lutheran followers, regularly. The family came from a banking background and also had connections in the tobacco industry. This isn’t the original design as it stands now as the chapel was reb...Read More

The white Lutheran Chapel (Kaplica Halpertów) on Młynarska Street was built in 1835. The building has just been recently renovated and for many months was covered and had scaffolding surrounding it. The chapel is a short walk away from my flat and every day I can hear the bells chime at midday. It isn’t often you see the huge steel gates open, only when a service is being held or a funeral is taking place.

The chapel was founded by the Halpertów family who used the chapel along with other Lutheran followers, regularly. The family came from a banking background and also had connections in the tobacco industry.

This isn’t the original design as it stands now as the chapel was rebuilt in the 60s. I don’t think it looks like a chapel as it is far too big and grand looking. I always think of chapels being small and made of stone like you see in the Welsh mountains. As you walk through the main gates you are confronted with stone steps which lead you to the front façade of the chapel; white, classical in design, square in shape with two fine supporting columns leading into a portico and large wooden door. Above the door sits the Halpertów family name and the year the chapel was opened. At either side of the door and in the tympanium are decorative classical motifs. Walking past the front façade you can go directly into the cemetery.

The back of the chapel bears the same design only on a smaller scale and without the columns. Above the portico there is an inscription which reads,’ Sic transit Gloria Mundi’ which is a Latin phrase and when roughly translated means, "Thus passes the glory of the world." The family name is also inscribed above the portico. Flashings of sun rays have been designed into the tympanium at the back of the church and from this angle you can also see the single steel cross on top of the church which can be viewed from the front of the chapel too.

Now that the building has been re -plastered and painted it does look very handsome. The setting is a very pretty one with a backdrop of ancient chestnut trees. The cemetery belonging to the chapel is also fascinating to view as there is such a variety of grave styles; Byzantine, romantic and even Egyptian.

The chapel is not central but it only takes about twenty minutes from Ratusz Arsenal where you can catch a 20, 23 tram. The stop to get off at is Ulica Młynarska.

I like this chapel and cemetery but then I am a big fan of cemeteries and like to do the rounds. Just around the corner is the Evangelical Cemetery on Zytnia Street and about a 15 minute walk away is one of Warsaw’s famous cemeteries, Powązki. If you are interested in cemeteries you can make a day of it and view all three.
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 24, 2012

Kaplica Halpertow/Halperts' Chapel
Młynarska 54/56/58
Warsaw, Poland

Cheer!
Flag

Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery

Best Of IgoUgo

Attraction | "A design for the after life"

Lutheran Cemetery Photo - Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery, Warsaw, Poland

Quote:

The Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery ( Cmentarz ewangelicko-augsburski) is somewhere I have wanted to visit ever since I moved to Warsaw. I can see the walls of the cemetery from my bedroom. At the moment the scene is a very pretty one as all the tall trees planted in the cemetery have not lost all of their leaves. The view looks like a sea of russet clouds filled with flashes of orange, amber and gold. The cemetery was designed by Szymon Bogumil Zug and opened in May 1972. I am familiar with the initials SB Zug and know of the name as he was the architect responsible for many wonderful buildings in Warsaw like the Holy Trinity Church which is close to the National Ethnographic Museum, the palac...Read More

The Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery ( Cmentarz ewangelicko-augsburski) is somewhere I have wanted to visit ever since I moved to Warsaw. I can see the walls of the cemetery from my bedroom. At the moment the scene is a very pretty one as all the tall trees planted in the cemetery have not lost all of their leaves. The view looks like a sea of russet clouds filled with flashes of orange, amber and gold.

The cemetery was designed by Szymon Bogumil Zug and opened in May 1972. I am familiar with the initials SB Zug and know of the name as he was the architect responsible for many wonderful buildings in Warsaw like the Holy Trinity Church which is close to the National Ethnographic Museum, the palace of Natolin, Pałac Blanka on Senatorska Street, the Guardhouse in Łazienki Park and the English/Chinese Garden at Wilanów Palace. Zug was born in Saxony and spent most of his working life in Poland. He died at the age of 64 in August, 1807 and was buried in the cemetery he created, here on Młynarska Street.

It was a fine, bright day on Saturday so I decided to have a peep at Mr. Zug’s cemetery. There is a huge gate across from the chapel (will review later) but it was closed so I took a few strides further down the street until I came to an entrance next to the caretaker’s house and flower shop. There is a notice board here showing the layout of the avenues but to be honest all the pathways and avenues blend into one as the cemetery is quite overgrown. By this I mean that the plant life has got out of hand and hasn’t been cut back when it should have.

I took the pathway leading to the side of the chapel. I did notice that the large flagstones that make up the path were crooked and some of them were sticking up. I trod carefully as I do have a reputation for tripping up and falling over. I also noticed that the ground was full of moisture even though it hadn’t been raining the night before. Many head stones were covered with dark green moss and I spotted a few tree trunks that were covered with wonderful species of fungi.

Some of the sources I have researched state that over 100,000 bodies are buried in this cemetery. I find this hard to believe as overall, the cemetery isn’t too large in size. Many of the head stones are very grand and there are some very interesting tombs and vaults. One of the highlights for me was the vault made from wrought iron. There was also a tomb designed like a mini mosque which was very attractive. Not all the tombs and gravestones are in good order as the cemetery was hit badly during the Kościuszko Uprising and of course, during World War II fighting took place inside the cemetery walls and many pieces of architecture were damaged. A trust has been set up to help to restore the cemetery back to how it was and to repair many of the precious artifacts but this all takes time and will be a long process.

As I walked down the many paths, I heard the scraping of garden tools as people were clearing graves and making pathways tidy. This is probably because the Day of the Dead is coming up (All Saint’s Day, 1 November) and people from all over Poland travel to all the cemeteries in Warsaw to lay flowers and light candles for their families. It is a very moving time in the Polish calendar.

As I walked down the pathways looking for the grave belonging to Emil Wedel who was the son of the famous confectioner, Charles Wedel, I noticed lots of old Polish names like; Samuel, Edward, Gabriela and Johann. These names aren’t used very much these days. I never did find the Wedel grave but I saw Zug’s grave and a beautiful white marble gravestone belonging to Irena Grossman. Other graves I noticed belonged to Herman Jung, a Polish brewer and Zygmunt Vogel, a Polish painter, watercolourist and architect.

I spent a lot of time looking at people’s names and professions; it is something that always interests me. There is a wide cross section of society here; theologians, doctors, painters, linguists, opera singers, members of the Warsaw Uprising, librarians, writers and actors/actresses. I spent at least two hours looking at the gravestones and I didn’t find the ones I was looking for so I will have to go back again but not today as it is foggy and damp.

I know this cemetery is not central but it is easy enough to find. You can take a tram 20, 23 and 24 and get off at the stop, Długosz. It’s a very pleasant cemetery with some fabulous pieces of architecture and wonderful old chestnut trees.

Opening times: 7am until dusk
Read Less

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on October 22, 2012

Augsburg Lutheran Cemetery
ul. Mlynarska 54/56/58
Warsaw, Central Poland 00-246
4822 88-70-204

Cheer!
Flag

IgoUgo

Warsaw Journals

Upload Photos