| "Miła" 18
The Miła 18 archaeological site, located in Warsaw’s Muranów district, is one of the most important sites for research into the history of the Warsaw Ghetto and the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
The area, now located near the intersection of Miła and Dubois Streets and directly adjacent to the Anielewicz Mound, was the setting for dramatic events during World War II and played an important role in the Jewish resistance movement. During the German occupation, it was part of the Warsaw Ghetto—the largest ghetto established by Nazi Germany in occupied Europe. Historical accounts indicate that an extensive network of shelters and bunkers existed beneath the building at 18 Miła Street, providing hiding places as well as a base for members of the Jewish Combat Organization.
After the war, the buildings in this area had been almost entirely destroyed. The rubble of the destroyed Muranów district was used to reshape the landscape, creating new embankments and raised areas. The Anielewicz Mound was also created at this time as a symbolic memorial to the fallen fighters. For many years, it served primarily as a place of commemoration, while its potential for historical and archaeological research remained largely unexplored.
Despite its historical significance, the area around the former 18 Miła Street also remained archaeologically unexplored for many years. It was not until the 2022st century that systematic research began to identify the surviving remains and assess the site’s archaeological potential. Non-invasive geophysical surveys played an important role in this process, providing an initial picture of structures beneath the ground without disturbing the archaeological layers. The findings formed the basis for planning further excavations, which the Warsaw Ghetto Museum began in XNUMX under the direction of archaeologist Dr. Jacek Konik.
The research team has gradually reconstructed the layout of the prewar buildings, providing a clearer understanding of how the area was transformed after 1943. Extensive archaeological research has uncovered the remains of cellars beneath XNUMXth century tenement buildings, along with sections of underground infrastructure. These discoveries offer valuable insight into the urban fabric of the former neighborhood and the lives of its residents. Most importantly, they provide a tangible connection to the lives of those who lived in the Warsaw Ghetto and those who took part in the uprising.
During the excavations, more than 3 artifacts were uncovered, shedding light on the daily lives, living conditions, and religious practices of the Jewish community confined within the ghetto. The finds include kitchenware, fragments of clothing, shoes, and religious objects such as tefillin and parts of candlesticks. The documents and books recovered at the site are particularly significant, offering rare insight into the spiritual and intellectual life of the ghetto’s residents.
The significance of the Miła 18 site extends beyond its archaeological discoveries. It also carries profound symbolic and educational meaning. Here, the physical remains of the past are inseparable from the memory of those who lived, suffered, and resisted Nazi terror. Archaeological research is revealing not only the layout of the buildings that once stood here, but also the individual stories of people connected to this place.
As a space where the past and present come together, Miła 18 plays an important role in preserving and shaping collective memory while also serving as a center for education and cultural programs. Temporary exhibitions, public programs, presentations, and workshops for young people, local residents, and visitors bring the findings of the archaeological research to a wider audience and deepen understanding of the history of the Warsaw Ghetto. With its extraordinary cultural and historical legacy, Miła XNUMX holds an important place in Warsaw’s historical landscape.
Summer archaeological tours [LINK]
| Public program accompanying the outdoor exhibition "Miła – the state of affairs"
The Miła 18 archaeological site, located in Warsaw’s Muranów district, is one of the most important sites for research into the history of the Warsaw Ghetto and the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.
The proposed public program expands on the themes present in the exhibition: the materiality of place, the everyday life of the ghetto, archaeology as a tool of cognition, and contemporary forms of memory. It combines expert formats with fieldwork, gradually building a relationship with the local community.
1. Curatorial tour by Dr. Aleksandra Janus
The guided tours will focus on the idea of the "material witness", the relationship between objects and the topography of the place,
the specificity of the archaeological site on Miła in the broader context of the topography of the former ghetto and the monumental forms filling it.
Guided tour for the opening of the archaeological site: May 9, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
Guided tour at the closure of the archaeological site: September 27, 2026, 12:00 p.m.
The registration form will be available on April 29, 2026.
2nd European Days of Archaeology
During this year's European Days of Archaeology, our archaeological site at the former Miła Street 18 will once again be open to visitors.
On site, we will tell you all the details about the archaeological site, the research being carried out, the history of the tenement houses and the Warsaw Ghetto.
Link to the event page: LINK
Date: June 12-14, 2026, 12:00-17:00
Free entrance.
3. In fact
An archaeological tour of the Jewish cemetery on Okopowa Street in Warsaw, focusing on the specifics of conducting research at sites containing Jewish remains, will feature a presentation of current fieldwork and selected objects discovered during the research. The tour will be led jointly by Szymon Lenarczyk and Zofia Kowarska (Wykop na Poziomie), who are leading the research at the cemetery, and Aleksander Schwarz, who is supervising the work on behalf of the Rabbinical Commission for Cemeteries at the Office of the Chief Rabbi of Poland.
Deadline: June 14, 2026, 2:00 PM
Registration form: LINK
4. State of affairs, state of nature
Plant Workshops with Natalia Budnik - Neighborhood plant workshops led by landscape architect Natalia Budnik, addressed to people living near the archaeological site on Miła Street and – more broadly – residents of Muranów and Warsaw. During the workshops, plantings will be prepared (with the possibility of including them in
in the outdoor exhibition space from June) prepared based on inspirations regarding the post-war topography of Muranów, coming from the works of Roman Kobendza, Bohdan Lachert, as well as projects commemorating Alina Scholtz.
Deadline: June 28, 2026, 16:00 p.m.
The registration form will be available on June 12, 2026.
5. A walk through the former ghetto in the footsteps of material witnesses
The walk was led jointly by Aleksandra Janus and Patrycja Dołowy, curator of the exhibition devoted to the inselbergs planned for the Warsaw Ghetto Museum.
A city walk through selected locations of the former Warsaw Ghetto, with particular emphasis on the relationship between the current and historical topography and buildings as material witnesses, supplementing the narrative of the outdoor exhibition with surviving architecture. The walk also serves as a preview of the upcoming exhibition.
in the newly opened Museum building.
Deadline: September 13, 2026, 12:00 noon.
The registration form will be available on August 28, 2026.
6. Patrycja Dołowy's walk along the outliers trail
A walk with Patrycja Dołowy (curator of the temporary exhibition on inselbergs at the Water Management Museum) in the footsteps of Warsaw's inselbergs. This event is part of the Inselberg Festival.
Deadline: October 10, 2026
The registration form will be available on September 25, 2026.