The photographs showcased on the website of the KORZENIE MIASTA (ROOTS OF THE CITY) project depict various stages of Warsaw during the occupation: before the Warsaw Uprising, amidst the conflict, and the city's complete devastation following the cessation of hostilities. The photographs are an invaluable source of knowledge regarding Warsaw. A perceptive observer will discern within them both the remnants of the city that withstood the war and those that have ceased to exist. Besides the visible streets and buildings, one can also encounter inconspicuous barricades, trams, vehicles, or trees.
These photographs are not just historical records, but windows into a past that no longer exists. They capture the city pre-1939 and the gradual process of its devastation, evoking a wealth of emotions and a deep sense of connection to the history of Warsaw. We warmly invite individuals with a keen interest in the history of Warsaw to join us in the development of successive layers of this photographic map and contribute to these exceptional materials - said Jan Ołdakowski, the director of the Warsaw Rising Museum.
The project is not just about photographs, but about people coming together to explore and preserve the history of insurgent Warsaw. We invite all those interested in delving into the history and preserving the former capital’s legacy to join us in this collective endeavour.
The Warsaw Rising Museum team needs help searching for and completing the layers of the map of insurgent Warsaw, as the database of available photographs and the number of elements within them are substantial. The Museum, in partnership with the creative studio Science Now, has commenced a 'citizen science' endeavour. This project combines a photographic database with a sophisticated geographic information system, enabling the exploration and documentation of locations in contemporary Warsaw that hold historical significance from the pre-war or insurgent era.
The Warsaw Rising Museum is emerging as a pioneer in the utilisation of ‘citizen science' in Polish museology. In this way, we can all be researchers just as scholars of past and present Warsaw - says Jan Pomierny, president of Science Now. The tools provided today by the museum, such as a digital platform for analysing and researching photographs of German overflights, are a valuable resource for enthusiasts, specialists, and anyone interested in the history of pre-war and insurgent Warsaw - says Łukasz Alwast, vice-president of Science Now.
The insurgents suggested the initial layer of our map, correctly noting that trees, as preservers of history, served as witnesses to wartime events. Despite our limited awareness, a multitude of trees that currently thrive in Warsaw serve as living witnesses to the pre-war capital, the years of occupation, and the intense battles of the Warsaw Uprising.
Trees are just one of many possible layers of our map. Others are the Warsaw tramways and the insurgent barricades. Each of these layers represents a separate research topic, an area of exploration that allows us to understand the roots of our city better. Members of the photo collection development community can propose further new layers.
A BIRD'S EYE VIEW
OF WARTIME WARSAW
Warsaw Uprising Museum
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The Warsaw Rising Museum has achieved a remarkable feat by acquiring a comprehensive archive of nearly 2,000 aerial photographs of Warsaw, a collection of immense historical significance. These photographs, taken by the Germans during the Second World War, have largely remained unpublished until now. Today, the Museum is opening up this treasure trove to the public. The unique photographs, sourced from American and British archives, such as the National Archives and Records Administration - NARA, which houses over 1,200,000 German aerial photographs, provide a rare and privileged glimpse into the regions traversed by the front.