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Monument of Jews and Poles Common Martyrdom in Warsaw

Monument of Jews and Poles Common Martyrdom in Warsaw is a memorial and cemetery-mausoleum in Warsaw, standing at 21 Gibalskiego Street on a mass grave of about 7,000 Jews and Poles murdered during World War II. It commemorates their martyrdom and deaths during the Nazi occupation, especially the mass executions carried out there between 1940 and 1943. Designed by Tadeusz Szumielewicz and Marek Martens, the monument has a very restrained, almost ascetic form. A tall granite-clad obelisk stands in a sunken oval space lined with light sandstone, and a gas flame burns on top during solemn and festive days. The site also includes plaques, display cases, and commemorative inscriptions in several languages.

Monument of Common Martyrdom, a tall dark pillar of irregular blocks within a curved stone enclosure.
The Monument of Common Martyrdom in Warsaw, shown as a tall dark pillar set in a curved stone surround.
© · Public domain
Monument of Common Martyrdom with four arched structures, stone pillars, and wrought-iron gates beside a walkway.
The Monument of Common Martyrdom features a row of arched structures supported by stone pillars and connected by iron gates.
April 2009 © · Public domain
Monument of Common Martyrdom stone memorial with engraved Polish and English text and a metal eagle emblem.
Monument of Common Martyrdom in Warsaw, showing engraved inscriptions and a metal eagle emblem on the stone memorial.
© · CC BY 3.0
Granite memorial plaque for the Monument of Common Martyrdom with raised Polish lettering and two white candles beside it.
A granite memorial plaque at the Monument of Common Martyrdom, with candles placed beside the inscription.
© · Public domain
Blue display board for the Monument of Common Martyrdom, covered with historical photographs and text documents.
A display board presenting historical photographs and documents related to the Monument of Common Martyrdom.
April 2009 © · Public domain

Identification

TitleMonument of Jews and Poles Common Martyrdom in Warsaw
TypeMonument
Polish titlePomnik Wspólnego Męczeństwa Żydów i Polaków w Warszawie

Historical context

Historical periodGerman occupation of Poland during World War II
Commemorated eventMass executions and mass burial at the site between 1940 and 1943
Commemorated victimsAbout 7,000 Jews and Poles
PurposeCommemorates the martyrdom and death of Jews and Poles murdered during the Nazi occupation
UniquenessDescribed as the only monument of its kind in the world

Creator

Designed byTadeusz Szumielewicz and Marek Martens
Concept byTadeusz Szumielewicz and Marek Martens
Medal designerAndrzej Nowakowski

Discovery and provenance

Burial riteJewish (Mosaic) and Roman Catholic ritual and ceremony
Catholic official mentionedBishop Henryk Muszyński, then delegate of the Episcopal Conference for relations with Judaism
Religious participation21 rabbis from around the world and Catholic clergy took part in the ceremony and joint prayer
Discovery of burial siteHuman remains were discovered in September 1988 during excavation for the foundations of a high-rise building
Reburial date13 December 1988
Reburial locationPowstańców Cemetery on Wolska Street in Warsaw
Earlier exhumationsAfter the war, the bodies of murdered left-wing activists were exhumed from the site, followed by 6,588 Jewish bodies

Location and ownership

Installation dateSeptember 1989
Exhibition casesDisplay photographs from ceremonies of burying the remains of murdered people
Base settingPlaced in the center of a deep oval depression
ApproachA stone alley of elongated steps leads downward from the gate
EntranceThrough a stylized shelter on Gibalskiego Street
Current settingLocated in a fenced grassy square
Prior land useBefore 1939, a sports field belonging to the Workers-Academic Sports Club SKRA
Site managementThe area is managed by the Nissenbaum Family Foundation
Adjacent landmarkBorders the Jewish Cemetery on Okopowa Street to the south
SiteBuilt on a mass grave at the former SKRA sports field / stadium area
LocationFormer Skra stadium area, Gibalskiego Street 21, Wola, Młynów, Warsaw, Poland

Physical characteristics

Overall characterVery modest, almost ascetic
FormA tall pillar
CircumferenceAlmost 3 meters
Left-side elementAn irregular elongated sandstone obelisk
Additional blocksThree stone blocks lie on the edge of the mass grave

Materials

Additional blocks materialStone
Left-side element materialSandstone
Depression wall materialLight sandstone
Main materialGray granite slabs

Technique

CladdingNarrow slabs of gray granite

Appearance

DecorationsPolish coat of arms and the Star of David
InscriptionsTexts in Polish, English, Hebrew, and Yiddish on the sandstone obelisk; trilingual inscriptions in Polish, Hebrew, and Yiddish on the three stone blocks
FlameA gas flame burns on top of the obelisk on solemn and festive days

Iconography and meaning

SubjectThe common martyrdom of Jews and Poles; victims of German terror during the Nazi occupation
SymbolismThe obelisk symbolizes an offering pyre

History and restoration

State of monumentStood in its present form as of September 1989
FundingFunded by the City Office and the Nissenbaum Foundation

Significance

Associated commemorative medalA special medal was struck by the State Mint to honor the mourning ceremony of 13 December 1988 and the unveiling of the monument