The 1944 Warsaw Uprisig Remembrance Association

The Memory Places of the Warsaw Uprising 1944
to be found in Warsaw churches

It happened few years ago. Having finished my work devoted to the Interactive Map of the Warsaw Uprising Memory, I realized the work was not over. There still exist, I thought, places commemorating the Warsaw Uprising 1944, the ones that seemed to have been ignored. These places are to be found inside or in the neighbourhood of Warsaw churches. They include the plaques, sculptures, paintings and even stained glass windows. For many post-war years some of the plaques - due to their contents - could only be put in the safe church interiors.
This is what the idea of this Map of Memory was drawn from.

During the Warsaw Uprising Warsaw churches were not exclusively the places of worship. Inside lots of them insurgent field hospitals were located. Their cellars gave shelter for thousands of Warsaw civilians. The occupant did not show any mercy for the churches. They were being ruthlessly bombed, shot and burnt. Under the rubble of many churches thousands of helpless people lost their lives.
Inside lots of churches severe fighting between the insurgents and the Germans raged. After the Uprising capitulation the churches experienced the same as other Warsaw buildings. Some had to wait for many years after the war to be rebuilt.

Preparations to start off the second Map of the Warsaw Uprising Memory continued for several months. A group of volunteers participated actively, both SPPW 1944 members and well-wishers.
Special thanks go to young people, students of the 8 Drewniana street school, who, having been inspired by their teacher Mrs. Ewa Furmańska, our member, contributed to the preparations immensely. The students, divided into groups, made the review of more than 160 churches in 18 Warsaw districts. Almost 100 churches, in which there are Warsaw Uprising pledges, have been singled out. The photo documentation was prepared in those churches. It can be seen as the basis of the Map.

We encourage you to get interested in the new project.
If anyone of the Readers has the knowledge of other insurgent pledges that may be seen in a church that has not been included on the Map, we keep waiting for information sent at our e-mail address, enriched with the photo documentation, if possible.

Maciej Janaszek-Seydlitz

translated by Monika Ałasa