Tag: Warsaw

I’ve followed the progress at the Saxon Palace in Warsaw for some years and it’s all looking very exciting. It was destroyed during the Second World War, like nearly everything else in Warsaw, but finally the Government is kick-starting change at the building. But, as some more detailed history…

Initially, the site was occupied by the Morsztyn Palace, a baroque structure built in the latter half of the seventeenth century. In 1713, King Augustus II the Strong (I love names like that), who was the first of Poland’s Saxon kings, purchased the palace and initiated its expansion and transformation into a grand royal residence. This project, overseen by prominent architects, gave rise to the Saxon Palace and the development of the surrounding Saxon Axis, a significant urban plan that included the Saxon Garden. The palace became a cultural hub, even more decadent than Wetherspoons.

Over the following decades, the palace complex expanded with the addition of adjacent noble residences, including the Brühl Palace and the Blue Palace. However, after the death of King Augustus III, the Saxon Palace lost its status as a primary royal residence and gradually fell into decline, though it remained in Saxon hands and was rented out to whoever would have it. In 1794, during the Warsaw Uprising, a major battle took place in front of its eastern side which I suppose would have added some excitement to the evening for the residents. In the early nineteenth century, the Warsaw Lyceum was housed in the palace and the family of Frédéric Chopin resided there for several years. After Poland regained independence following the end of the First World War, it became the headquarters of the Polish General Staff and, in 1932, Polish cryptologists working within the palace achieved the groundbreaking feat of breaking the German Enigma cipher. Then the Germans blew it up in December 1944. Only a few fragments of the central arcade remained survived and that has housed the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, but recently there have been plans to restore the building to surprise and delight residents and visitors.

There’s a bit of an archaeological dig taking place and these are some of the finds that they’ve located.

This is a fragment of stone cladding from the former Beck Pavilion.

A fragment of a sculpture.

Some glass bottles from the second half of the eighteenth century.

A ceramic pot with a handle from the second of the eighteenth century and a Kiddish cup from the first half of the twentieth century. There’s a lot of poignancy in the latter, this would have been owned by one of the large Jewish community who lived in the city, but who were nearly entirely wiped out during the Second World War.

The remains of the central arcade.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The archaeological dig.

And the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier again. I didn’t want to take photos of the two members of the Polish military who were guarding it, although I don’t think that there are any restrictions on doing so (within reason). They are planning to open a new building by 2030 and I will watch developments with interest…..

This memorial is located on ul. Wierzbowa, opposite the Polish National Opera building. Although the situation in Warsaw had been terrible since the German occupation, the Nazi terror had increased in the city primarily because of the appointment of SS-Brigadeführer Franz Kutschera as the SS and Police Leader (SSPF) for the Warsaw District on 25 September 1943. In a system of evil, he was one of the worst examples of hate and it’s no real surprise that special efforts were made by the Polish Army to execute him which is something they achieved on 1 February 1944.

The campaign of terror that took place in Warsaw involved various branches of the Nazi occupation apparatus. Roundups were typically conducted by officers from the Gestapo (the Secret State Police), the SD (Sicherheitsdienst – Security Service) and the Ordnungspolizei (Order Police) which were all often supported by members of the Waffen-SS. In some instances, regular members of the Wehrmacht (German Army) and Luftwaffe (German Air Force) as well as members of the Hitler Youth, also participated in these operations.

One of the executions on 14 December took place in full view of the public at ul. Wierzbowa 9/11, located near Plac Teatralny (Theatre Square) – a prominent and culturally significant space in central Warsaw. The selection of such a visible and symbolic location aligned with the Nazi tactic of leveraging public executions for maximum psychological effect and intimidation, they wanted fear. By staging the killing near a major square and theatre, the occupiers not only took lives but also defiled a key emblem of Polish civic and cultural identity, intensifying their message of terror and asserting total control over the heart of the city. As if things weren’t bad enough for the remaining Poles, the German leaders wanted to ramp up the pain even more.

The seventy condemned prisoners would have been transported by truck from Pawiak prison under heavy guard and the Nazis wanted this to be seen by as many people as possible. It’s not entirely clear which prisoners were murdered that day, but they included members of the Polish intelligentsia, political prisoners, resistance fighters and likely just some members of the public just randomly arrested on the whim of some Nazi guard.

The informational sign located underneath which mentions the execution of seventy Poles rather than the one hundred and thirty Poles that are mentioned on the stone memorial. The reason for this, I think, is that they included those killed on the same day on ul. Bonifraterska, again murdering prisoners from Pawiak prison.

As another random, and to be fair irrelevant, post…… There are a few of these crossings dotted around Warsaw and I’m always slightly confused when using them as although they are logical in their appearance, car drivers often look very confused at them. Warsaw pedestrians seem confident with them, but I’ve watched car drivers and there’s some sharp braking and erratic driving going on rather frequently at them.

I’ve managed to visit just about every craft beer bar in Warsaw, but this one is new to me and the beer list at https://craft-beer-muranow.ontap.pl/ looked intriguing.

The outside seating area was full, but I wasn’t engaged with that, especially as the inside was spacious and felt welcoming.

These photos might make it look quiet, but they were doing a decent trade during the time that I was there. There’s an upstairs area to the venue as well.

The beer list was neatly presented on the wall and was clearly visible to customers.

And a food menu. The service was friendly, efficient and engaging, so it all felt a welcoming environment.

I went for the Ju-Rajska Pomarańcza from Browar na Jurze. I liked the initial orange flavour of this, but thought it thinned out quickly, although the taste remained pleasant and I was pleased with my choice. The brewery is from Zawiercie, which isn’t overly far from Katowice, and it’s not a brewery I’ve had a beer from before.

Definitely a decent little bar and they have a fridge of some intriguing craft beers as well to add to the offer. The service was friendly, there was an excellent choice of beers and styles with the pricing being reasonable. So that’s yet another place I’ve got to keep coming back to.

Since it was my last night in Warsaw yesterday for what might be nearly a week, I thought I’d pop into this Indian restaurant near the Old Town which is well reviewed on-line. I’m not sure I had intended to have an evening meal as I’ve been skipping them recently given I’ve opted for larger breakfasts, but sometimes I must have what my heart desires….

It wasn’t busy inside, but it was a little busier in the seating area outside. I can’t be doing with all of that sitting outside thing, there are insects, cigarette smoke and people everywhere, I’m much happier away from all those distractions. I was greeted promptly and at least offered the choice of sitting inside or outside, so my first impressions were positive.

Some decorative elements in the window.

I went for a bottle of Kingfisher, initially opting for a large one but as they ran out I thought a standard size bottle would suffice, although I didn’t have much choice in that. It’s not the greatest beer in the world and I’d love if they stocked Funky Fluid, but I do retain some air of realism that this isn’t going to happen.

The food was served promptly, after around ten minutes, with everything being well presented. I quite like spicy Indian food, not in some British showing off style after six pints of lager, it’s just what feels authentic to me and adds to the flavour. Often things are rather toned down in some parts of central and eastern Europe, but I thought I’d go for the Chicken Kashmiri which has the maximum three spice stars in the restaurant’s menu. I was surprised and delighted that the food was not only served with plenty of spice, but the rich sauce also had a depth of flavour and taste. There was a generous amount of tender chicken in the sauce, with the lemon rice having the suitable amount of lemon it. The naan bread was light, crisp and rich in flavour, with the whole arrangement being one of the best Indian meals I’ve had in some time. There was an air of authenticity about the atmosphere and surroundings, with the restaurant being clean and organised. The spiral stairs down to the toilet also added some extra excitement to proceedings.

The food and drink cost a total of £11, which I thought was really excellent value for the quality received. I’ll definitely look at coming here, it’s one of the best Indian restaurants that I’ve visited in Warsaw and the team members were personable and warm. Actually, they were a little informal in places, but I’m hardly known for my liking of overly formal situations. I was pleased with the meal and I can see why the on-line reviews are so positive.

It’s something of a grand title for these bits of bridge that are on display near the Vistula, but they do have an important heritage. It’s commemorating all of the bits of bridge that have been discovered at the bottom of the river since the Warsaw Uprising in 1944. They were lifted out of the river after seventy years by the Road and Bridge Research Institute in Warsaw. The name comes from ‘Ponte’, which is the Latin for bridge, and, well, ‘Museum’. I suspect my cleverer readers would have worked that latter part out themselves though. This little arrangement of bridge parts opened in 2014 and it’s stayed here near the river since then.

Warsaw’s bridges were systematically targeted and destroyed, first by retreating Russian forces on August 5, 1915, and later by German troops during the Warsaw Uprising on 13 September 1944. So, it’s time for a table:

This is Kierbedzia Bridge, the first permanent steel bridge in Warsaw which was constructed between 1859 and 1864. It was designed by Stanisław Kierbedź and was a six-span steel riveted truss structure of the American type, vital for the city’s expansion and economic life. Its history mirrored Warsaw’s fortunes, being destroyed first by retreating Russian forces in the First World War (5 August 1915) and then by German forces in the Second World War (13 September 1944).

This is Poniatowski Bridge which was built between 1904 and 1914. This was also destroyed during both the First and Second World Wars, in 1915 and then also on 13 September 1944. It must have annoyed the civil engineers who had built the thing, it stood for just one year before the Russians destroyed it. The replacement bridge opened in 1925, so that one managed to last nineteen years before it was destroyed.

This is the Bridge under the Citadel which was a railway bridge constructed between 1873 and 1875, located on the site of what later became Gdański Bridge. Once again, this was destroyed in 1915 and 1944.

These lumps of twisted steel are quite powerful, showing the determination to get them built to aid the country’s economy and then seeing them destroyed for defensive reasons in both World Wars. Fortunately, the replacements since the Second World War have fared somewhat better.

Easter has caused some surprise and delight to the tram schedules in Warsaw and at times it feels like the logic is just to let the driver go wherever they fancy. However, after some faffing about whilst it poured down with rain, I managed to get to my intended destination of Beer and Bones whilst only being slightly damp.

I wondered how busy it would be on a Friday night over Easter weekend, but there’s the answer.

The bar area and although the beer list isn’t clearly visible here, they put it on-line at https://beer-bones.ontap.pl/ for anyone who wants to peruse it. The service was friendly, immediate and welcoming, with the team members being knowledgeable about the beer offering.

I went for the chorizo burger with fries and it was better presented than this photo suggests. They didn’t bring cutlery, but who needs such devices anyway as a primal approach is just easier. The burger, as is usual in Poland, was cooked medium to be pink in the middle and it was juicy and the slices of chorizo added some extra flavour. I think I would have rather they cooked some sizzling chorizo up rather than using slices, but the taste was there. The chips were firm on the exterior and fluffy on the interior, with a heap of jalapenos to add to the mix. Really all rather delightful.

The beer is the Sir Nick from Piwoteka and it’s cheesecake pastry stout. I thought that it was more like chocolate milk, but it was creamy and reasonably rich. The end taste was a little sweet and the flavours could have been a little more punchy.

It’s a very decent bar and it’s located literally next door to Hopito, so a mini bar crawl isn’t exactly difficult. The welcome was friendly, the food was excellent, the beer selection was well curated and the pricing was moderate for the centre of Poland’s capital. All really rather lovely and it did get slightly busier during the hour or so I was in there. I’d add that the journey back was much smoother and the tram went in the same direction as I had anticipated it would.

I’ve tracked a lot of the Warsaw ghetto wall, but I can’t remember seeing this specific signage before and as the sign says, this is where the Leszno Street entrance to the ghetto was located. The Warsaw Ghetto was established by by the Nazis following German occupation and the area was formally sealed on 16 November 16 1940. There were initially 350,000 Jews walled into the ghetto, but that number soon increased to 460,000 as deportees from other areas arrived in the city.

These maps are located in numerous places across the city, over-laying the location of the ghetto onto the current street plan. Leszno Street was one of the major pre-war streets enclosed within the initial ghetto boundaries established in November 1940. When the ghetto was effectively split into two sections (the “Small Ghetto” south of Chłodna Street and the “Large Ghetto” to the north) following boundary adjustments in late 1941 and early 1942, notably the exclusion of a section west of Żelazna Street between Leszno and Grzybowska Streets, Leszno Street remained a key east-west axis within the Large Ghetto.

The incredible web-site at https://getto.pl/en gives a clear indication of what is happening here.

What the area looks like today, with the line of the ghetto wall visible on the pavement of Żelazna Street.

There’s the line of the former ghetto.

The crossing today and, as ever, it’s very hard to try and envision what this area looked like in the early 1940s.