Footsteps of WWII · Poland
Umschlagplatz memorial, Warsaw
Memorial · 22 Jul – 21 Sep 1942
The story
The Umschlagplatz, a loading yard on Stawki Street beside the railway, was the place from which the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto were sent to Treblinka. During the Grossaktion Warschau, from 22 July to 21 September 1942, some 254,000–265,000 people were marched here, held in the yard and nearby buildings, and loaded into freight wagons; about 300,000 were deported in all. Among them on 6 August 1942 were Janusz Korczak and the children of his orphanage. The memorial, by Hanna Szmalenberg and Władysław Klamerus, was unveiled on 18 April 1988, on the eve of the uprising's 45th anniversary.
What to look for
A white marble enclosure about 4 m high, shaped like an open goods wagon. Inside, 400 Polish and Jewish first names are carved, from Aba to Żanna, each standing for a thousand victims. A single tree is visible through the opening.
Plan your visit
Open-air memorial on Stawki Street, accessible at any time and free. About 10 minutes' walk from the Ghetto Heroes Monument and POLIN.
Things change, so check opening times before you travel.
Nearby sites
- Ghetto Heroes Monument and POLIN Museum, Warsaw · under 1 km
- Warsaw Rising Museum · 2 km
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Footsteps of WWII: Europe 1939–1945
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