Housed in the former tram power plant in Warsaw, the Rising Museum records the 63 days of heroic struggle championed by the city with the most tragic consequences, in the face of the Nazis during the Second World War. This museum helps us to understand present-day Warsaw by means of an interactive exhibition showing how resistance spread in a city under Nazi occupation.
The Rising Museum, which opened to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the struggle for Warsaw, is a tribute to the people of Warsaw who fought and died for a free Poland. It shows what happened during the 63 days of conflict, focusing not just on the military aspect but also on the day-to-day lives of the civil population. Visitors can take a virtual tour of the ravaged city, tread the granite pavements of its streets, hear the stories of the rebels and see mementoes of the uprising. A 3D film, ‘City in ruins’, shows the desolation of a devastated city.
The history of the Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was the greatest rebellion suffered by Nazi Germany during the Second World War. It took place during the German occupation of Warsaw between 1 August and 2 October, 1944. Over a period of 63 days, the resistance involved around 30,000 soldiers from the National Army of the Warsaw Region, although only 10% of the fighters were armed. The German forces were made up of 20,000 fully armed soldiers supported by armoured units, artillery and front-line air power. The uprising left 18,000 insurgents dead and 25,000 wounded. Around 150,000 civilians also lost their lives. Eighty-five percent of the city was destroyed, and after the surrender of Warsaw, about 500,000 of its inhabitants were expelled.
Exhibitions
A steel monument passes through every floor of the building. The walls are inscribed with the dates of the Uprising, and marked with bullet holes. It is a symbol of life in Warsaw in 1944. Emotionally moving documents from the time are projected on to the walls, and visitors can see photographs, and learn about Operation Burza, the rebuilding of a clandestine printing press, the weapons used and the near destruction of a city. There are also exhibits relating to the post-war suffering, linked to the installation of the communist regime.
In the Warsaw Rising Museum, you can also have your photo taken with a replica of the Liberator B-24J, the aeroplane that parachuted basic necessities into Warsaw during the struggle.
Outside the Rising Museum
The importance of the Warsaw Rising Museum transcends the walls of the building, as you can follow up your tour with a visit to the adjoining Freedom Park and its long Memorial Wall.
Liberty Park. Freedom Park Next to the Museum lies Freedom Park with its Memorial Wall. This is one of the places where this tragic and heroic episode in Poland’s recent history is commemorated every year. Each year on 1 August, at 5.00 p.m. (at the time known as ‘W hour’ because it was the moment when the Uprising broke out), the city of Warsaw comes to a stop for one minute to the sound of the city’s civil defence sirens. A very touching tribute.
The Memorial Wall. Outside the Museum, in the area we have already mentioned, Freedom Park, stands the extensive Memorial Wall, on which are inscribed approximately 11,000 names of soldiers who lost their lives in the Uprising. And in the rose garden, there are photos that put faces to the names. Visitors should also pause to look at the murals on the Uprising, which have been created by internationally renowned Polish artists on the Art Wall.
Information for visitors
Located at no. 79 Grzybowska Street, the Rising Museum is open every day, except Tuesdays. It is open 8.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m.; at weekends it opens at 10.00 a.m. General admission to the Warsaw Rising Museum costs 30 PLN, and on Mondays admission is free of charge. There are guided tours in Spanish, English, German, French, Russian and Italian.
