In the footsteps of suffering and courage – The Wola Massacre: a walk in memory of the victims!

August 1944. In burning Warsaw, German troops committed one of the greatest crimes of World War II. In Warsaw's Wola district, tens of thousands of people – women, children, the elderly, entire families – were shot and burned within a few days. The streets turned into a cemetery, and the district became a symbol of genocide.

In the midst of this tragedy, however, there was a place that offered a glimmer of hope. The Wola gasworks – an industrial complex full of furnaces, pipes and installations – became a refuge for hundreds of civilians. Officially, 1,200 people worked there, but the actual number was much higher: over 1,800, including as many as 636 residents who had nowhere else to flee. Amidst the steel structures and stifling air, they hid from German troops, hoping for a miracle of salvation. For those who survived the Wola massacre thanks to the gasworks, its interior was not just the industrial heart of the city. It became a place where, in the shadow of death and conflagration, hope still smouldered.

Today, during a historical walk led by Piotr Brulki, we return to those events. We will walk along a section of that tragic road – the streets where defenceless civilians were murdered. We will hear the testimonies of survivors who courageously decided to tell the truth about German crimes.

This is only part of the story. Every step in Wola is a reminder that behind each victim's number there was a face, a name, a life. This walk in the footsteps of suffering and courage is not only a history lesson – it is also a call to remember.

We encourage you to watch!