Pawiak

Pawiak was a prison, now non-existent, located on Dzielna Street in Warsaw, built between 1830 and 1835 according to a design by Henryk Marconi. It was the first modern prison in Warsaw, consisting of a men's section and a women's section known as Serbia. As early as 1863, Pawiak became a place of imprisonment for political prisoners, and during World War II, it was the largest German political prison in occupied Poland. Between 1939 and 1944, approximately 100,000 people passed through Pawiak, of whom about 37,000 were murdered and 60,000 were transported to concentration camps. The prison was a site of brutal crimes, executions, and repression, but also often saw successful underground operations. Organized resistance structures within the Home Army (ZWZ and AK) collaborated with groups of prisoners, leading to the rescue of other inmates and the meting out of justice to the tormentors. Pawiak witnessed mass atrocities, which evoked strong emotions among the residents of the capital, as documented by the inscriptions "We will avenge Pawiak" on the walls. In 1983, Pope John Paul II paid tribute to the murdered during his visit. After the war, the site of Pawiak became a memorial, and in 1965, the Pawiak Prison Museum was opened. Today, it serves as a reminder of the tragic history and cruelty of World War II, as well as the brave actions of those who fought for freedom in the face of a totalitarian regime. In 2005, the Monument of the Pawiak Tree was erected to honor the prisoners, and the museum collects valuable memorabilia and information about the fates of those imprisoned there. During Pawiak's operation, there were also daring rescue missions that became permanently etched in historical memory, highlighting the heroism of people fighting for life and dignity in dark times. The architecture of the prison and its brutal history form an important part of not only Warsaw's but also Poland's national identity.