On Aug. 1, several days of celebrations commenced in Krakow. There were military parades, banners, food and performances. The festivities were a little weird to a foreigner who knew little of Polish history, but it finally made sense when I went to Warsaw. The parades were in celebration of the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, which began on Aug. 1, 1944 and lasted 63 days. One of Poland’s most tragic events, it is also one of its most celebrated. While the other Allied powers did not even consider this event to be part of the World War II effort, to the Poles, this was their biggest fight for freedom. With the Red Army poised to liberate them in a matter of days, Varsovians knew this was their last chance to assert their sovereignty by liberating themselves. Instead of waiting, the campaign was launched. Unfortunately for Warsaw, the Nazis decided to fight back with great force – an army of 15,000 that had doubled by the end of the uprising. The Poles had 40,000 soldiers but only enough weapons for 2,500. The dead lay in the streets, in some places piled up to the second story of houses. The story of the Warsaw Uprising is a fascinating one whose legacy still lives on in the city. Historians speculate the uprising’s largest effect was to weaken a society that could have otherwise opposed communism. Different from the many other cities destroyed in the crossfire, Warsaw was actually systematically leveled by the Nazis. After the uprising, the Nazis punished Poland by destroying Warsaw block by block. If there is one thing the Nazis were best at, it would have to be their systematic way of doing things. Even when it came to destroying the city, the instructions for destroying each building were actually written on its walls. The great palaces and churches that once made the city as beautiful as Krakow were all demolished. Eighty-five percent of the city was destroyed. As I have mentioned though, the Poles are very proud of their country. Warsaw was completely rebuilt to its earlier splendor using old paintings of the city as a guide. Much of it is so accurate, it is extremely easy to forget the buildings are new. Of course there are still jokes about it, especially about the one section of old town that strongly resembles Disney World. And it really does – I was waiting for Mickey to walk by and fireworks to go off the whole time. But come on, if you’re going to Warsaw to see old buildings, you’ve gone to the wrong place. Modern Warsaw is much larger than Krakow and far more modern. While Krakow was built outward with small quaint buildings, Warsaw was built up with modern skyscrapers. Fancy malls and modern towers (including one fondly known as the “Palace of Culture and Science,” or “Stalin’s penis”) dot the skyline, unlike in Krakow where the tallest buildings are ancient cathedrals. The two cities have been rivals since the end of the 16th century when King Sigismund III Vasa moved the capital from Krakow to Warsaw. Even today, Krakovians talk of Warsaw as a lesser city and unworthy of a visit. I have been told dozens of times now that Warsaw is not worth visiting. Of course that’s not true – Warsaw is just a very different type of city, more modern, rich with Polish history and a source of both jokes and Polish pride.
Sonny Franckel is a senior computer science major and has been writing summer columns on her experience interning with Google in Krakow. She can be reached at sfrancke@umd.edu.
