|
Virtually everything in Warsaw (Warszawa) today has been constructed in
the last five decades. At the end of World War II roughly 85% of the
city had been destroyed and most of the population deported or sent to
concentration camps.
More than a third of Warsaw's pre-war population was Jewish, but there
are hardly any traces remaining of this heritage, other than a couple of
small museums and a number of monuments, although new initiatives are
underway to remember and recreate a touch of Warsaw's rich Jewish
heritage. Much of the city's history can be explained by its location on
the main east-west trade route from Germany to Russia - it has been
attacked or overrun numerous times throughout the centuries, most
recently by the Soviet Union. But while the vision of wide streets
with tall Soviet-era tower blocks set back from the road is a common
perception, the first-time visitor will be surprised to find how green
the city is, and how many buildings of historical importance there are.
Some of the palaces along the 'Royal Route' escaped destruction, as they
were occupied by Nazi officers, but the rest have been reconstructed
from the original plans and other documentary evidence (such as photos
and paintings) to a remarkable degree of authenticity. In fact, many of
these buildings are closer to the original architecture than before they
were destroyed, as the alterations of the intervening centuries were
not incorporated in the reconstruction. The breathtakingly successful
rebuilding of the Old Town was rewarded in 1980, when the entire complex
earned its place as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The impact of the
Soviet era, however, is undeniable. The suburbs have vast tracts of
identical tower blocks, and, within the city, many of the main
commercial areas are built on a grand scale with wide,
pedestrian-unfriendly streets and uninspiring office towers from both
Soviet times and the present. Warsaw's 'mile zero' is at the
intersection of aleje Jerozolimskie and ulica Marszalkowska - the Palace
of Culture and Science is located on the northwest corner and serves as
a good reference landmark. The main rail and bus stations are in the
surrounding area, as well as most of the major hotels. From here to the
river are the major tourist destinations - the 'Royal Route' runs
north-south from the New and Old Towns, past the fashionable shops of
Nowy Swiat, the palaces that survived the war and the royal gardens of
Park Lazienkowski, before reaching Wilanow Palace to the south of the
city centre. Warsaw is Poland's largest city and the main economic,
cultural and educational centre. The city spans the Wisla (Vistula
River), and all of the main tourists sites are on the left bank, while
the right bank contains the increasingly fashionable Praga district. It
was here that the Russians halted while the occupying Nazis finished off
the Polish resistance (the Russians later crossed over the frozen
river). The river itself is not navigable, owing to shoals and sandbars.
The peak tourist season is from May to October when the weather is
most pleasant, although there will be some odd days when the temperature
rises above 30°C (86°F). January and February are the coldest months
and temperatures can drop as low as -30°C (-22°F). |
| |
-
Sz. P. Tadeusz Smoter
Bardzo się cieszę, że udało mi się pomóc w tak ważnej dla tej rodziny sprawie.
Myślałam, że to tylko zbieżność nazwisk a jednak mamy piękny finał.
Właściwie to pierwszy taki przypadek odkąd próbuje pomóc innym rodzinom żydowskim.
Przy tak szczątkowej wręcz ilości żródeł jest to naprawdę trudne, ale czasem jak widać się udaje.
Pozdrawiam gorąco
J.K. – Polska
|
