Cite this as: Konik, J. 2024 Underground City: archaeology of the Warsaw ghetto in its academic, memorial and social context, Internet Archaeology 66. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.66.16
Archaeological research in the former Warsaw Ghetto conducted in 2021-2022 was the first scientific investigation undertaken in the area in a systematic and planned way. Non-invasive research took place in four locations, followed by excavation campaigns in two selected sites and revealed the cellars of the pre-war buildings and lots of artefacts. Especially interesting was the immediate vicinity of the so-called Anielewicz bunker, where the commander of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943, Mordechai Anielewicz, fought his last battle. Very little is known about the bunker itself and the excavations have shed new light on the issue, possibly unearthing part of the bunker's extended structure. We have to be aware that in comparison to the typical problems of urban archaeology, the archaeology of the Warsaw Ghetto faces some specific issues. The post-war buildings in the area were constructed on the rubble of the ancient city, almost completely destroyed by the Nazis during World War II. Moreover, the former residential quarter of the murdered Jews carries a huge emotional load, and any archaeological find made here acquires symbolic significance. Thus the social reception of the research is extremely important.
Corresponding author: Jacek Konik
j.konik@vistula.edu.pl
Aleksander Gieysztor Academy, Pułtusk (affiliate of the Vistula University)
Figure 1: View of the ruins of the Warsaw Ghetto with the surviving church of St Augustine, from Karol Małcużyński 1955 Szkice warszawskie, Książka i Wiedza, Warszawa, 24-25 (public domain)
Figure 2: Map of contemporary Warsaw with the borders of the former Ghetto and marked research sites, public domain
Figure 3: Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) in the Krasiński Garden, summer 2021. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 4: GPR research in the Krasiński Garden, summer 2021. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 5: Beginning of the archaeological excavations in the Krasiński Garden, autumn 2021. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 6: Archaeological excavations in the Krasiński Garden, autumn 2021. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 7: The trench in the Krasiński Garden towards the north, autumn 2021. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 8: The remains of the water installation, the trench in the Krasiński Garden towards the east, autumn 2021. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 9: Fragment of a Jewish prayer book (Prayer over the Torah) found in the Krasiński Garden. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 10: Silver Torah shield pendant after conservation, with an inscription dedicated to the memory of Nachum Morgenstern, found in the Krasiński Garden. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 11: Excavations at the junction of Stanisław Dubois St and Miła St in the vicinity of the so-called Anielewicz mound (visible on the left), summer 2022, a drone view. Photo: Miron Bogacki
Figure 12: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - general view towards the east, summer 2022. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 13: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - 3D scan, courtesy of Michał Chrzanowski
Figure 14: Archaeological works in the trench near the Anielewicz mound, summer 2022. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 15: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - southern part, showing the passage drilled through the wall between the neighbouring cellars, summer 2022. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 16: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - northern part, showing the remains of the possible house of prayer, summer 2022. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 17: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - 3D scan of the northern part, possible house of prayer, courtesy of Michał Chrzanowski
Figure 18: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - northern part, the walls made of concrete blocks, remains of the WWII hiding place, probably an element of the Anielewicz bunker complex, summer 2022. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 19: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - northern part, fragments of the concrete ceiling, remains of the hiding place of WWII, probably an element of the Anielewicz bunker complex, summer 2022. Photo: Jacek Konik
Figure 20: Fragments of painted plaster found in the possible house of prayer. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 21: Cup for ritual handwashing, netilat yadayim, found in the possible house of prayer. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 22: The remains of a burnt library with Hebrew religious texts found in the possible house of prayer. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 23: Pharmacy bottles found during the excavations near the Anielewicz mound. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 24: Fragments of the clock mechanism found during excavations near the Anielewicz mound. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Figure 25: Excavations near the Anielewicz mound - parts of the cellar at 20 Miła St, winter 2022. Photo: Beata Jankowiak-Konik
Cędrowski, R. 2009 'Sprawozdanie z przeprowadzenia badań archeologicznych związanych z budową Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich w Warszawie', Warszawa.
Chomątowska, B. 2012 Stacja Muranów, Wołowiec: Wydawnictwo Czarne.
Engelking, B. and Leociak, J. 2013 Getto warszawskie. Przewodnik po nieistniejącym mieście, Warszawa: Centrum Badań nad Zagładą Żydów.
Frączkiewicz, M. 2021 'Miasto i wojna. Zabytki archeologiczne w zbiorach Muzeum Polin' in W. Jarno and J. Kita (eds) Oblicza Wojny 5. Miasto i wojna,Łódź: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego. 277-94. https://doi.org/10.18778/8220-699-9.16
Kajda, K., Pawleta, M. and Marciniak, A. 2017 'Archeologia, dziedzictwo archeologiczne i ich społeczne znaczenie w oczach współczesnych Polaków', Folia Praehistorica Posnaniensia 22, 71-84. https://doi.org/10.14746/fpp.2017.22.04
Konik, J. 2021a Nieinwazyjne badania archeologiczne na terenie getta warszawskiego 28.07.2021-1.08.2021. Raport, Warszawa (unpublished draft).
Konik, J. 2021b 'Holokaust i archeologia na przykładzie badań wykopaliskowych w Ogrodzie Krasińskich w Warszawie', Studia Żydowskie 11(11), 153-58. https://doi.org/10.56583/sz.675
Konik, J. 2023 Głosy zabitego miasta. Wstępna prezentacja rezultatów badań archeologicznych na terenie dawnego getta warszawskiego w latach 2021-2022, Warszawa - Wrocław: Muzeum Getta Warszawskiego, Wydawnictwo Chronicon.
Kuntoš, J. 2012 Silver Judaica from the Collection of the Jewish Museum in Prague, Prague: Jewish Museum in Prague.
Lubetkin, C. 1999 Zagłada i Powstanie. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza.
Małcużyński, K. 1955 Szkice warszawskie, Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza.
Pawleta, M. 2020 'Archeologia odpowiedzialna społecznie. Działania z zakresu public i community archaeology w Polsce', Folia Praehistorica Posnaniensia 25, 169-90. https://doi.org/10.14746/fpp.2020.25.08
Polak, Z. 2014 Prace archeologiczne prowadzone przez Muzeum Warszawy w latach 2013-2014 w Ogrodzie Krasińskich w Warszawie w związku z poszukiwaniami archiwum 'Bundu' - raport przygotowany dla Biura Mazowieckiego Wojewódzkiego Konserwatora Zabytków. Warszawa (unpublished draft).
Stroop, J. 2009 Żydowska dzielnica mieszkaniowa w Warszawie już nie istnieje! (translated by B. Wysocka), Warszawa: Instytut Pamięci Narodowej, Żydowski Instytut Historyczny.
Internet Archaeology is an open access journal based in the Department of Archaeology, University of York. Except where otherwise noted, content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (CC BY) Unported licence, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided that attribution to the author(s), the title of the work, the Internet Archaeology journal and the relevant URL/DOI are given.
Terms and Conditions | Legal Statements | Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Citing Internet Archaeology
Internet Archaeology content is preserved for the long term with the Archaeology Data Service. Help sustain and support open access publication by donating to our Open Access Archaeology Fund.
Home
