„Wir wollten frei sein und diese Freiheit uns selbst verdanken.“

On August 1, 1944, at 5:00 PM, the Warsaw Uprising began. Almost five years had passed since the outbreak of World War II and the occupation of Poland. Since then, the population had been subjected to brutal repression. The uprising in the Warsaw Ghetto the year before had also been mercilessly suppressed by the Germans. In the following 63 days, the poorly armed insurgents fought against the Nazis, who responded with unimaginable cruelty. 

The banned organization of scouts, formerly Poland's largest youth movement, joined the Warsaw Uprising. The children and adolescents took on the task of establishing a functioning postal service — a kind of messenger service in the midst of war under life-threatening conditions. Together with their leaders and parents, they managed to maintain communication within the civilian population.

The Warsaw Uprising was brutally crushed by the Nazis. Over 160,000 people were killed in Warsaw, including many scouts. The surviving inhabitants were expelled, and the city was destroyed to its foundations. Today, the Warsaw Uprising plays an important role in Polish memory culture. The exhibition on scout mail during the Warsaw Uprising of 1944 aims to keep the memory of the youngest rebels alive. At the same time, it invites reflection on the themes of childhood and war, resistance and civil courage.
Furthermore, it illustrates how the Polish and German scouting movements succeeded in developing joint activities after the end of World War II.

The accompanying event is a lecture on April 28 by Harald Rostek:

https://www.herder-institut.de/de/aktuelles/veranstaltungen/wir-wollten-frei-sein-und-diese-freiheit-uns-selbst-verdanken-der-warschauer-aufstand-1944-und-seine-pfadfinderpost