On both sides of Twarda Street – the fate of the inhabitants of Warsaw divided by the wall
On November 16, 1940, the gates of the so-called Jewish district in Warsaw were closed. Preparations had begun in the spring, but at that time almost no one believed it was possible to confine such a large Jewish community within the walls of a large city. Ludwik Landau, in his diary written during the occupation, noted: "All this is uncertain and undefined not only for the average person but also for the most competent authorities, because German plans, put forward by various institutions, appear on the horizon and then disappear [...]
The Jewish population of Warsaw looks with fear at the walls rising around their district.
November 16th marks the 83rd anniversary of the closing of the Warsaw Ghetto gates. This event concluded the months-long process of creating the so-called Jewish Quarter in the city. A process accompanied by extensive Nazi propaganda, demonstrating that it was not only necessary but also the only rational solution to protect the remaining inhabitants of Warsaw. Separate, isolate, and fence off After the end of the September Campaign, the Germans began dividing the occupied Polish territories and establishing their […]
The Warsaw Ghetto Wall and its Images
The ghetto wall appeared very quickly in Warsaw, and quickly disappeared from it as well. Today, we are reconstructing its image based on traces: a few remnants of fragments, photographs and film footage, as well as commemorations in dozens of locations across the city. Photographs of the wall separating the Warsaw Ghetto from the so-called Aryan side, held in the collection of the Warsaw Ghetto Museum, depict street views and city buildings with a clearly marked division of space. The wall intersects streets […]