Warsaw Demolishes Historic Wall in Ghetto
Image by getty images
Workers began demolishing a wall in Warsaw near the spot where Jews were gathered for transport to the Treblinka concentration camp.
The demolition of the wall bordering the square in the former Warsaw Ghetto known as the Umschlagplatz was first reported Tuesday by the Virtual Shtetl website.
The brick wall, which in some places is topped with barbed wire, has been in poor condition for some time. It appears, however, that it is being demolished to allow for the cutting of trees and other vegetation, according to the Virtual Shtetl.
Historians reportedly are not sure whether the wall is the original from World War II.
Bartosz Milczarczyk, a City Hall spokesman, told RDC radio that the wall will be reconstructed.
“I am glad that the authorities see how important for the history of both the Jews and the city are relics such as this particular wall,” Piotr Kadlcik, president of the Jewish Community of Warsaw, told JTA. “These objects, even if their historical origin is in some doubt, are an important element of the teaching of history that took place here a few decades earlier. And that we must not forget.
“I hope that as Warsaw authorities promised, the wall will be reconstructed as soon as possible.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
