Wandering In Warsaw
You may not know this about me (actually, you probably don’t), but I am 50% Polish. The other 50% is a whole mess of ethnicities, but a solid half of me (thanks to my dad) comes from Poland.
Some fun facts about my heritage before we get started on the identity-confused city that is Warsaw:
My great-grandparents came over from Poznań, Poland in 1882. They had nothing and no one – just themselves, neither of whom spoke any English, and three little children to start an entirely new life.
They actually came through, and were registered at, Ellis Island.
For whatever reason, they decided they hadn’t traveled far enough and made it all the way to St. Paul, MN before taking up camp (they may have had friends or known someone that settled here before them, but that is unknown).
My grandfather was born in Minnesota in 1887. He ended up having 14 other siblings!
In 1907, a few of the siblings decided to change the original spelling of the name from “Gozdziewicz” to “Goswitz.” For that reason, any Goswitz in the United States is related to me.
My family was incredibly proud of their Polish heritage, and my grandfather passed along that feeling to my dad, who passed it along to me. Needless to say, Poland was on my travel bucket-list for quite a while, so I jumped at the opportunity to explore the area.
My fiancé, Eric, and I rented a car to drive from Prague to Warsaw. An 8-hour drive – how bad can it be?, we thought so naively. Pretty bad, actually, when both the Czech and Polish languages decided that vowels are entirely unnecessary. #thankGodforanEnglishGPS Also, speed limits are in kilometers, but everyone disregards them anyways. #WHAT
En route to Warsaw, at the suggestion of my dad, we decided to detour to Oświęcim to visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum. After a few missed turns, due to minimal signage (not surprisingly, it doesn’t seem to be something the Polish people are very fond of promoting), we made it later in the afternoon. We toured the first site, the area commonly known as Auschwitz, which was actually the site of an old Polish garrison. Passing under the Arbeit Macht Frei Gate was incredibly moving. How many before had passed under that gate, not realizing what they were walking into? One thing that stuck out to both Eric and I while we walked around was the quality of the buildings. They were very-well maintained and the area was not windy or cool, despite the cool of the day (more on that later). It was not how I had pictured a concentration camp looking. I feel to recap all aspects of the area would not do it justice and would be an insult to those that perished there. However, know that the museum was moving and incredibly well-done and an experience that will stay with me forever.
Auschwitz Entrance
Auschwitz buildings
After exiting Auschwitz, we had been told to drive about 5 minutes down the road to Birkenau. Although it was getting late, we decided it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see this and told ourselves we would stop briefly. Remember how I said the Auschwitz buildings were well-maintained and not what I pictured in a concentration camp? Enter: Birkenau. Birkenau is located in a wide-open field; it was incredibly windy, dark, and cool, and the original train tracks that brought the poor individuals to the camp are still present. The buildings featured rows upon rows of beds, or bathrooms, with zero privacy. More so than Auschwitz, Birkenau carried with it a heavier burden, and both Eric and I could not believe where we had just walked.
Birkenau Gate, entrance, and train tracks
Birkenau living quarters
After our very sobering day, we finished the drive to Warsaw and turned in for the night. Getting up early the next day, we set out to explore Warsaw and everything it had to offer. Did you know Warsaw was basically leveled during WWII? Like, literally gone. There is only one small part of pre-WWII Warsaw that remains. In the 65 years since WWII ended, they have had to rebuild and reshape what their city was. For that reason, it is unlike any European city I had ever been too.
Warsaw Old Town Marketplace
The part of the city known as “Warsaw Old Town,” is similar to other European city styles: Cobbled roadways, beautiful architecture, and narrow passageways. Eric and I fell in love with the restaurants (can I get some more beef tartare please?), drinks, and entertainment in this area of the city. We truly felt immersed in Polish culture here. Eric especially enjoyed watching Polish people walk up to my very confused self and begin speaking in Polish. This happened multiple times throughout our trip. #IguessIlookmorelikealocalthanIthought
Remember when I said most of Warsaw was leveled during WWII and looked like it was having an identity crisis? Welcome to “New Town Warsaw!” Open and expansive boulevards, glass design work, and huge skyscrapers abound in New Town Warsaw. Eric decided quickly that there was definitely an Asian influence on the design of the area – honestly, it felt like an entirely different city! While we did end up walking much of the area, we did utilize public transportation a lot, purely because everything was so spread out!
One of the best parts of New Warsaw was definitely the Warsaw Uprising Museum. #Didyouknow: Hitler invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 … and no one came to help them. For 30 days, the Polish people defended their city and country against a German army of 1.5 million. This invasion actually launched WWII – and resulted in the creation of Polish ghettos throughout the city (Warsaw actually kept markers of this area, which can still be seen today). By 1944, and almost 5.5 million lives lost, the Poles had had enough and organized what came to be known as the Warsaw Uprising. Albeit unsuccessful, they managed to disrupt supply lines and proved that their nation was still a strong one. This museum chronicles that uprising. It is completely interactive and makes you feel as though you were present during the battles. We even took a simulated 3D “plane ride,” over Warsaw that showed the destruction following WWII. If you’re ever in Warsaw, I highly recommend this museum!
If you are looking for a sweet little street with great shopping, check out Nowy Swiat. This is Warsaw’s high-end shopping street. While there, we indulged in Pierogi and stopped at an amazing chocolate shop. We also took some time outside of the downtown area and traveled to Wilanów Palace, which houses Poland’s royal and artistic heritage. Somehow, it survived both WWI and WWII, and it was one of the last remaining places that holds Polish history prior to the 18thCentury. On our way back from the Palace, we stopped briefly to wander through Łazienki Park. A venue for music, arts, and culture, it is beautifully organized and features the Chopin Statue dedicated to Frédéric Chopin. Fun fact: The original statue was the first monument blown up by the German Army during WWII. A replica was created following the end of the war.
Based on the length of this post (my apologies), you can obviously tell my passion for this country. I fully intend to fly “home” again and check out the many undiscovered parts of this land that I missed – do zobaczenia, Polska!
Until next time,
