Anna Maria Hinel Plaque

Her diary whispers secrets. Secrets from a time of fear and resilience. Right here, at the Anna Maria Hinel Plaque on Floriańska Street, we touch a piece of Warsaw’s poignant history. The Anna Maria Hinel Plaque commemorates a young woman whose life was tragically cut short by the brutality of World War II. Anna Maria, born in Warsaw in 1924, was a girl scout and an active member of the Polish underground resistance. Her diary, discovered years later beneath the floorboards of her family’s apartment, offers a heartbreaking glimpse into the realities of war-torn Warsaw. Anna Maria’s words capture the fear, the uncertainty, but also the unwavering spirit of the Polish people. She documented the bombings, the arrests, and the constant threat of deportation. Imagine Anna Maria, a bright young student at Queen Jadwiga Junior High School, forced to continue her education in secret as the Nazi occupation tightened its grip. She, along with her teachers and classmates, became involved in the Department of Conspiracy Communications of the Union of Armed Struggle – Home Army. This courageous act of defiance placed her directly in the path of danger. In April 1942, Anna Maria was arrested in her apartment on this very street. She was imprisoned in the infamous Pawiak prison, enduring brutal interrogations. Despite the horrors she faced, Anna Maria refused to betray her comrades. Later, she was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she was assigned the number 24447. She perished there in March 1943, at just 19 years old. The Anna Maria Hinel Plaque stands as a testament to her courage, her resilience, and the countless other young lives lost during the war. The diary she left behind serves as a powerful reminder of the human cost of conflict and the importance of preserving memory.