Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom
Encyclopedia
Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom is a museum in Warsaw
, Poland
. It is a branch of the Museum of Independence
. The museum presents the conditions in which Polish patriots and resistance fighters were jailed by Nazi Germany during World War II
.
The museum is located on Szucha Avenue, in the building of the prewar Ministry of Religious Beliefs and Public Education (now the Ministry of National Education). After the outbreak of World War II
, the Nazis took over the building and turned it into the headquarters of the Sicherheitspolizei
and Sicherheitsdienst
police forces. The whole street was closed to Poles. In the basement of the building, the Nazis set up rough jails. Prisoners who were located there were usually freshly caught or transferred from Pawiak prison. Prisoners were subject to brutal interrogations, during which they were tortured and severely beaten. Torture was no exception for any prisoner, and even pregnant women were beaten and tortured. Polish prisoners often scratched out some sentences about beatings into the prison walls. Many of these inscriptions were also personal, patriotic or religious. In the 1960s a research was conducted, and over 1,000 texts were conserved. The most famous of them is the following:
It is easy to speak about Poland.
It is harder to work for her.
Even harder to die for her.
And the hardest to suffer for her.
Many of the prisoners were killed during interrogations or died as a result of their injuries. During the Warsaw Uprising
, Germans mass executed thousands of Poles in the surrounding areas. Their corpses were later burned in neighbouring buildings. The extent of these killings were tremendous, human ashes found in the basement after the war weighed 5578.5 kg (12,298.5 lb).
After the war the people of Warsaw treated the place as a cemetery, often bringing flowers and lighting candles. In July 1946 the Polish government decided to designate the site as a place of martyrdom, a testament to the suffering and heroism of the Poles. It was decided that the jails will remain untouched and turned into a museum. It was opened on 18 April 1952. Hallways, four group cells and ten solitary cells were preserved in their original condition. In accordance with the testimonies of prisoners, a room of a Gestapo
officer was recreated. Several tons of human ashes were relocated to the Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery
.
Admission into the museum is free, though visitors must be at least 14 years old.
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It is a branch of the Museum of Independence
Museum of Independence
Museum of Independence is a museum in Warsaw, Poland. It was established in 1990. The museum has two divisions, the Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom and the Museum of Pawiak prison.- External links :*...
. The museum presents the conditions in which Polish patriots and resistance fighters were jailed by Nazi Germany during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The museum is located on Szucha Avenue, in the building of the prewar Ministry of Religious Beliefs and Public Education (now the Ministry of National Education). After the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Nazis took over the building and turned it into the headquarters of the Sicherheitspolizei
Sicherheitspolizei
The Sicherheitspolizei , often abbreviated as SiPo, was a term used in Nazi Germany to describe the state political and criminal investigation security agencies. It was made up by the combined forces of the Gestapo and the Kripo between 1936 and 1939...
and Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst
Sicherheitsdienst , full title Sicherheitsdienst des Reichsführers-SS, or SD, was the intelligence agency of the SS and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany. The organization was the first Nazi Party intelligence organization to be established and was often considered a "sister organization" with the...
police forces. The whole street was closed to Poles. In the basement of the building, the Nazis set up rough jails. Prisoners who were located there were usually freshly caught or transferred from Pawiak prison. Prisoners were subject to brutal interrogations, during which they were tortured and severely beaten. Torture was no exception for any prisoner, and even pregnant women were beaten and tortured. Polish prisoners often scratched out some sentences about beatings into the prison walls. Many of these inscriptions were also personal, patriotic or religious. In the 1960s a research was conducted, and over 1,000 texts were conserved. The most famous of them is the following:
It is easy to speak about Poland.
It is harder to work for her.
Even harder to die for her.
And the hardest to suffer for her.
Many of the prisoners were killed during interrogations or died as a result of their injuries. During the Warsaw Uprising
Warsaw Uprising
The Warsaw Uprising was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance Home Army , to liberate Warsaw from Nazi Germany. The rebellion was timed to coincide with the Soviet Union's Red Army approaching the eastern suburbs of the city and the retreat of German forces...
, Germans mass executed thousands of Poles in the surrounding areas. Their corpses were later burned in neighbouring buildings. The extent of these killings were tremendous, human ashes found in the basement after the war weighed 5578.5 kg (12,298.5 lb).
After the war the people of Warsaw treated the place as a cemetery, often bringing flowers and lighting candles. In July 1946 the Polish government decided to designate the site as a place of martyrdom, a testament to the suffering and heroism of the Poles. It was decided that the jails will remain untouched and turned into a museum. It was opened on 18 April 1952. Hallways, four group cells and ten solitary cells were preserved in their original condition. In accordance with the testimonies of prisoners, a room of a Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
officer was recreated. Several tons of human ashes were relocated to the Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery
Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery
The Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery is located in Wolska 174/176 street in the Wola district of Warsaw. It was established in 1945 and it occupies 1.5 ha.In this cemetery there are buried approx...
.
Admission into the museum is free, though visitors must be at least 14 years old.