European Ribbon

📖 Introduction

The Warsaw Rising Museum is one of those places that struggled to come into existence for a long time. For the post-war, communist authorities, it was neither a popular nor a convenient topic. The initial discussions about the museum emerged during a brief thaw in 1956, following the death of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. However, several more decades passed before a branch dedicated to the Warsaw Uprising was finally established within the present-day Museum of Warsaw in 1983. Since that time the crucial task of collecting exhibits started. Over the subsequent two decades, several thousand artifacts were meticulously gathered.

In 2002, the fate of the Museum was decisively determined by Lech Kaczyński, who was then the Mayor of Warsaw. Upon assuming office, he made a promise to the remaining insurgents that the facility would be inaugurated on the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising’s outbreak, which was precisely 2 years away. True to his word, the Museum was constructed based on a design by Wojciech Obtułowicz, the winner of a competition announced just a year before the building’s opening. The construction of the Museum proceeded at an exceptionally rapid pace, commencing in April 2004 and continuing around the clock in three shifts. This concerted effort ensured that Lech Kaczyński’s promise could be fulfilled. As a result, the Museum was inaugurated on the eve of the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, specifically on July 31, 2004.

The building housing the Museum is the former Tram Power Plant, dating back to the early 20th century. The selection of this site was influenced not only by its suitable volume but also by the fact that it stands as one of the finest-preserved examples of industrial architecture in Warsaw.

The Warsaw Uprising

The Warsaw Uprising was orchestrated by the Home Army (Armia Krajowa – AK), which comprised the underground armed forces of the Polish Underground State. This significant event unfolded as part of Operation „Burza” (“Tempest”) during World War II, which commenced on September 1, 1939. The primary objective of these actions was a disclosure of the Home Army and the authorities of the Polish Underground State as the sole legitimate authority of an independent Poland. The Warsaw Uprising embodied a dual purpose: It served as a political opposition to the Polish Committee of National Liberation, which was established in Lublin (or rather in Moscow) under the influence of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. The committee aimed for the Sovietization of Poland. Simultaneously, it functioned as a military rising against the German forces occupying Poland.

The situation in Poland in 1944 was exceptionally challenging. By 1943, after the Tehran Conference, it became evident that the country would not be liberated from German occupation by the Allied forces. Instead, it would come under Soviet influence. In response, the leadership of the Home Army (AK) made a crucial decision: to preempt the Soviets and recapture Warsaw from the Germans. Their objective was “to welcome” the advancing Red Army on behalf of the Polish government operating in London and negotiate the terms for the functioning of a state “liberated” by the Soviets.

The decision to start the Uprising was made by the Chief Commander of the Home Army (AK), Tadeusz Komorowski “Bór” after receiving false information on July 31, 1944, that the Russians were entering eastern Warsaw. The Rising began on August 1, 1944, at 5:00 PM, which was referred to as ‘W-Hour’. Each year at that date and time Warsaw pays tribute to the fallen when for 1 minute the entire city comes to a halt: traffic stops, pedestrians stand still, and sirens and car horns wail.

The Uprising was initially planned to last a few days, but it ended up lasting an unbelievably long 63 days of intense fighting in the streets of a city inhabited by a million people. In this unequal struggle, nearly 16,000 insurgent soldiers and approximately 150,000 civilians lost their lives. As a result of Adolf Hitler’s wishes, Warsaw was turned into a city of ruins.

Even today, the debate surrounding the justification of the Warsaw Uprising persists. It remains uncertain whether the city could have been saved had the Uprising not occurred. Undoubtedly, the Vistula River would have become a battleground between the Wehrmacht and the Red Army. Historical records indicate that the outbreak of the Uprising greatly incensed Hitler, prompting him to issue an oral order to obliterate the city and annihilate its inhabitants. In response to the Warsaw Uprising, German artillery and aviation launched a relentless assault. Over the course of two months, their attacks targeted not only military installations but also civilian areas, including hospitals clearly marked with the Red Cross emblem. From the outset of the Uprising, cruel acts were committed against prisoners of war and civilians. City residents, including women and children, were often used as human shields, shielding armed German soldiers or tanks with their own bodies. Entire city blocks were intentionally set ablaze, depriving those seeking refuge in basements, sewers, or hastily constructed shelters.

Reflecting on the events that unfolded on the streets of Warsaw, one cannot fully grasp their magnitude. At every turn, an extraordinary display of patriotism and unwavering readiness for sacrifice was evident among the Polish people who had already endured five years of war. Our hearts ache, and tears well up as we listen to the recollections of insurgents—often ordinary civilians and young individuals—thrust into the deadly crucible of battle. They fought to shield themselves and their loved ones, their homes caught in the relentless storm of bombardment. On one hand, they harbored dreams of freedom for their homeland, believing in it so fervently that they were willing to offer the ultimate sacrifice. On the other hand, they grappled with scarcity—lacking weapons, experience, medicine, and even basic sustenance.

The museum’s purpose is to honor the memory of brave Warsaw’s residents and the courageous scares Home Army (AK) units. These fighters fulfilled their orders, believing it might alleviate the imminent and inevitable Soviet occupation—an occupation that gripped half the country and persisted until 1989.

🚶🏻‍♀️ Visit

Start your museum tour by picking up an audio guide from the shop on the left side near the entrance. Then, step back into the vestibule to listen to the narrative that will transport you to the streets of Warsaw from 70 years ago.

The museum spans three levels, with a chronological tour path guided by dates from the 1944 calendar, starting just a few moments before August 1. Exhibits envelop us from all angles. We can open drawers containing documents, lift telephone receivers to hear the Insurgents’ stories, or meet their gaze through monitors and photographs. Cobblestone sidewalks lead us past clandestine printing shops, bullet-riddled street signs, and Insurgents identified by their hastily sewn white-and-red armbands. Suddenly, we descend into tunnels, emerging into a harrowing world. Damaged tenements crumble, rifles guard makeshift barricades, and we encounter hospital and hastily constructed graves. The Warsaw Rising Museum immerses us in the lives of heroes and oppressors, honoring the hundreds of victims through documents, diaries, personal belongings, and stories.

Our museum visit concludes in the central Hall with a meticulously reconstructed 1:1 scale Liberator B-24J airplane. It resides in the section dedicated to Allied aid airdrops. Additionally, we can watch the film ‘City of Ruins,’ the world’s first digital reconstruction portraying the Liberator’s flight over the desolate, war-ravaged Warsaw shortly after World War II. This 3D film was crafted using aerial photographs and visual documentation, with the museum as its visionary and producer.

Our final stop is the external Freedom Park, featuring a 156-meter Memory Wall. On its walls, over 11,500 names of soldiers who perished in the battles of August and September 1944 are inscribed. At the heart of the monument stands the 200 kg ‘Monter’ bell, dedicated to Brigadier General Antoni Chruściel, the commander of the Warsaw Uprising.

✔ Planner

Easily reach the museum using ZTM (Warsaw Public Transport Authority):

• Buses: Lines 102, 105, 190 🚍
• Trams: Lines 1, 11, 22, 24 🚊
• Metro: Line 2 (Rondo Daszyńskiego) 🚇

The entrance 🚪is on Przyokopowa Street, closer to Grzybowska Street,

Tickets 🎫 can be purchased at the ticket office near the museum gate or 🌐 on-line. 💻Free admission is available on Mondays; download an entry pass (no reservations).

Audioguides, 📳 available in 27 languages (including English, Chinese, Spanish, Japanese), can be obtained in the ticket area.

The museum provides a cloakroom and a café. ☕

Wheelchair 👨‍🦽accessibility is ensured.