“Remember this place,” my grandfather said. The Pomordowani w czasie okupacji stands as a stark reminder of Warsaw’s resilience. It commemorates those murdered during the occupation.
The Pomordowani w czasie okupacji is located in the Powstańców Warszawy Cemetery. It’s a place of somber reflection. The cemetery itself arose in 1945. It serves as the final resting place for civilians and soldiers. They perished during the Warsaw Uprising.
Gustaw Zemła designed the Pomordowani w czasie okupacji. The monument was unveiled on September 20 1973. It marks a mass grave. This grave holds the ashes of an estimated 40000 to 50000 people.
Look closely at the Pomordowani w czasie okupacji. The monument depicts a large gap. This gap is in a barricade made of gray granite blocks. A half-lying warrior shields the breach. The bronze warrior has a shield. His face is toward the sky. The shield faces west. This symbolizes defense against the German attack. Notice the warrior lacks a sword. This represents the defensive struggle of Warsaw’s people.
Around the Pomordowani w czasie okupacji lies cobblestone. This stone was collected from Warsaw’s streets. It is a grim reminder. Blood of Warsaw’s residents once stained these stones. A large cross stands behind the monument.
Initially, Romuald Gutt and Alina Scholtz designed the cemetery. Their 1946 plan included a mound. A chapel-mausoleum would stand atop it. This would act as a field altar. A sarcophagus was planned for the altar’s center. Lack of funds halted this project.
In 1973 the kurhan was provided with a tin plate. It read: “Here lie the ashes of thousands of victims of Hitler’s fascism murdered and burned in Warsaw in 1944”.
In 2001, the Polegli Niepokonani monument was supplemented. Insurgent anchors were added. They were placed on the barricade and shield. Crosses were also added. The author made the modification at the request of the World Association of Home Army Soldiers. Seven granite crosses appeared. A bronze anchor of Fighting Poland was added. Another stone anchor was placed on the barricade.
Sadly vandals repeatedly damaged the crosses. Today only subtle symbols of Fighting Poland remain. These serve as subtle reminders. They mark the deaths of thousands of Varsovians.
A plaque was placed near the mound in 2004. It commemorates the Warsaw Uprising. The cemetery is the uprising’s largest necropolis. Remains of about 104000 people rest here.
In July 2022, a new cross was erected. It replaced one removed in 1973. Marek Moderau created it. The cemetery and monument host Warsaw Uprising anniversary ceremonies.
The Pomordowani w czasie okupacji stands as a testament. It reflects Warsaw’s tragic past. It embodies the spirit of a city. A city that fought. A city that endured. A city that remembers. Let us honor those who lie here. Let us never forget their sacrifice.