"It is a necessity… an imperative, due to the historical truth and the legacy that our generation will bequeath to those who will come after us, to speak not only of the loss… but also to reveal, in its fullest scope, the heroic struggle of the people, the community and the individual, during the days of massacre and at the very epicenters of destruction."
wrote Yitzhak (Antek) Zuckerman, one of the leaders of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, in the early 1950s. Today, his words remain a guiding principle as we mark the 70th anniversary of the uprising.
German aerial photograph of the autumn of 1943. The thin line in the north is the ghetto wall. On the left side of the image (toward the center) - Umschlagplatz and railway sidings, where 265 000 Jews from the Warsaw ghetto were deported to the Treblinka death camp and murdered there. Banners, a dispute that continues with a question of what they looked like, are marked on the building at 7th Muranowska Street. To the left of this building, which does not exist today, is the Muranowski Square.
It is in this area that, in the first days of the uprising, the most ferocious fighting took place. The arrow leading from Umschlagplatz runs at 16th Mila street. To the left of it there is a house with number 18, where the bunker was located, where the insurgents and leadership of ZOB fighters were hiding in the bunker below the house.
Now, at 18 Mila (Mila Street means Nice Street) there is a small hill called colloquially Anielewicz mound. This mound is actually built from the ruins of the tomb and the place of death of over one hundred people!
The mound at the present intersection of Zamenhofa and Miła Streets is situated in the middle of the square over there. The memorial stone nearby states: On May 8, 1943 Mordechaj Anielewicz, commander-in-chief of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and the staff of the ŻOB resistance organization died here as soldiers die.
On top of the mound, a stone is located stating the following:
This mound in memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising fighters was raised out of the ruins of Miła Street, one of the busiest streets in Jewish Warsaw before the War. In the bunker at 18 Miła Street, the staff of the ŻOB resistance organization died. Among them were Mordechaj Anielewicz, the leader of the uprising, other fighters, and civilians. On May 8, 1943, after a three-week battle, surrounded by the Nazi troops, they died or committed suicide in order not to be killed by the enemy. There were several hundred bunkers in the ghetto. When found by the enemy, they turned into graves.
The Last Letter from Mordechaj Anielewicz
Warsaw Ghetto Revolt Commander to his friend Y. Cukierman written on the fourth day of the Uprising (April 23, 1943).
Jewish fighters who died at Mila 18
The names of 60 other fighters are unknown
Chaim Akerman
Małka Alterman
Mordechaj Anielewicz
Nate Bartmeser
Heniek Bartowicz
Franka Berman
Tosia Berman
Icchak Blaustein
Melach Błones
Berl Braude
Icchak Chadasz
Nesia Cukier
Icchak Dembiński
Józef Fass
Efraim Fondamiński
Towa Frenkel
Emus Frojnd
Mira Fuchrer
Wolf Gold
Miriam Hajnsdorf
Aron Halzband
Rut Hejman
Mira Izbicka
Salke Kamień
Ziuta Klejnman
Jaffa Lewender
Lolek (tylko imię)
Sewek Nulman
Abraham Orwacz
Rywka Pasamonik
Majloch Perelman
Aron Rajzband
Lutek Rotblat
Miriam Rotblat
Jardena Rozenberg
Salka (tylko imię)
Jerzy Sarnak
Szmuel Sobol
Basia Sylman
Szyja Szpancer
Moniek Sztengel
Szulamit Szuszkowska
Mojsze Waksfeld
Olek Wartowicz
Icchak Wichter
Arie Wilner
Zeew Wortman
Hirsz Wroński
Rachelka Zylberberg
Moszek Zylbertszajn
Sara Żagiel
RIP
German aerial photograph of the autumn of 1943. The thin line in the north is the ghetto wall. On the left side of the image (toward the center) - Umschlagplatz and railway sidings, where 265 000 Jews from the Warsaw ghetto were deported to the Treblinka death camp and murdered there. Banners, a dispute that continues with a question of what they looked like, are marked on the building at 7th Muranowska Street. To the left of this building, which does not exist today, is the Muranowski Square.
It is in this area that, in the first days of the uprising, the most ferocious fighting took place. The arrow leading from Umschlagplatz runs at 16th Mila street. To the left of it there is a house with number 18, where the bunker was located, where the insurgents and leadership of ZOB fighters were hiding in the bunker below the house.
Now, at 18 Mila (Mila Street means Nice Street) there is a small hill called colloquially Anielewicz mound. This mound is actually built from the ruins of the tomb and the place of death of over one hundred people!
On top of the mound, a stone is located stating the following:
This mound in memory of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising fighters was raised out of the ruins of Miła Street, one of the busiest streets in Jewish Warsaw before the War. In the bunker at 18 Miła Street, the staff of the ŻOB resistance organization died. Among them were Mordechaj Anielewicz, the leader of the uprising, other fighters, and civilians. On May 8, 1943, after a three-week battle, surrounded by the Nazi troops, they died or committed suicide in order not to be killed by the enemy. There were several hundred bunkers in the ghetto. When found by the enemy, they turned into graves.
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| Miła street, means Nice str. Here from Zamenhof str heading East. |
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| The same area during the Warszawa Ghetto Uprising |
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| German aerial photograph of the autumn of 1943. The thin line in the north is the ghetto wall. On the left side of the image (toward the center) - Umschlagplatz and railway sidings, where 265 000 Jews from the Warsaw ghetto were deported to the Treblinka death camp and murdered there. Banners, a dispute that continues with a question of what they looked like, are marked on the building at 7th Muranowska Street. To the left of this building, which does not exist today, is the Muranowski Square. The arrow leading from the Umschlagplatz points at 16th Mila Street. To the left of it there is a house with number 18, where the bunker was located, where the insurgents and leadership of ZOB fighters were hiding in the bunker below the house. This is the place of their common grave. |
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| German aerial photograph after 1944. The arrow leading from the Umschlagplatz points at 16th Mila Street. To the left of it there is a house with number 18, where the bunker was located, where the insurgents and leadership of ZOB fighters were hiding in the bunker below the house. This is the place of their common grave. |
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Close up of the German aerial photograph shown above- The building in the top left corner was part of the Umschlagplatz. It exists today. My mother´s parents, Gabriel and Helena Rozental, were taken to this point during the Great Action in the Warsaw Ghetto in 1942 and transported to the death camp Treblinka. After WWII, the building housed Warszawa University and my mother worked there.....
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Street map before 1939. The house of Mila 18 and Muranowska 39 is marked with a red rectangle. The area Umschalgsplatz (U) is in the left upper corner.
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| Mordechaj Anielewicz, commander-in-chief of the Warsaw Ghetto Art by Justyna Bamba |
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| The Last Letter from Mordechaj Anielewicz, Warsaw Ghetto Revolt Commander, dated April 23, 1943 |
The Last Letter from Mordechaj Anielewicz
Warsaw Ghetto Revolt Commander to his friend Y. Cukierman written on the fourth day of the Uprising (April 23, 1943).
________________________________________
It is impossible to put into words what we have been through. One thing is clear: what happened exceeded our boldest dreams. The Germans ran twice from the ghetto. One of our companies held out for 40 minutes and another – for more than 6 hours. The mine set in the "brushmakers" area exploded. Several of our companies attacked the dispersing Germans. Our losses in manpower are minimal. That is also an achievement. Y. [Yechiel] fell. He fell a hero, at the machine gun. I feel that great things are happening and what we dared do is of great, enormous importance....
Beginning from today we shall shift over to the partisan tactic. Three battle companies will move out tonight, with two tasks: reconnaissance and obtaining arms. Do you remember that short-range weapons are of no use to us. We use such weapons only rarely. What we need urgently: grenades, rifles, machine-guns and explosives.
It is impossible to describe the conditions under which the Jews of the ghetto are now living. Only a few will be able to hold out. The remainder will die sooner or later. Their fate is decided. In almost all the hiding places in which thousands are concealing themselves, it is not possible to light a candle for lack of air.
With the aid of our transmitter, we heard the marvelous report on our fighting by the "Shavit" radio station. The fact that we are remembered beyond the ghetto walls encourages us in our struggle. Peace go with you, my friend! Perhaps we may still meet again! The dream of my life has risen to become fact. Self-defense in the ghetto will have been a reality. Jewish armed resistance and revenge are facts. I have been a witness to the magnificent, heroic fighting of Jewish men in battle.
It is impossible to put into words what we have been through. One thing is clear: what happened exceeded our boldest dreams. The Germans ran twice from the ghetto. One of our companies held out for 40 minutes and another – for more than 6 hours. The mine set in the "brushmakers" area exploded. Several of our companies attacked the dispersing Germans. Our losses in manpower are minimal. That is also an achievement. Y. [Yechiel] fell. He fell a hero, at the machine gun. I feel that great things are happening and what we dared do is of great, enormous importance....
Beginning from today we shall shift over to the partisan tactic. Three battle companies will move out tonight, with two tasks: reconnaissance and obtaining arms. Do you remember that short-range weapons are of no use to us. We use such weapons only rarely. What we need urgently: grenades, rifles, machine-guns and explosives.
It is impossible to describe the conditions under which the Jews of the ghetto are now living. Only a few will be able to hold out. The remainder will die sooner or later. Their fate is decided. In almost all the hiding places in which thousands are concealing themselves, it is not possible to light a candle for lack of air.
With the aid of our transmitter, we heard the marvelous report on our fighting by the "Shavit" radio station. The fact that we are remembered beyond the ghetto walls encourages us in our struggle. Peace go with you, my friend! Perhaps we may still meet again! The dream of my life has risen to become fact. Self-defense in the ghetto will have been a reality. Jewish armed resistance and revenge are facts. I have been a witness to the magnificent, heroic fighting of Jewish men in battle.
Warsaw April, 1946. A group of kibutz "Hashomer Hacair" is going to where it was Mila 18 to put flowers in remembrance of Mordechaj Anielewicz, Warsaw Ghetto Revolt Commander, and all the other Ghetto Fighters. Among them is Halina Birenbaum (in the middle), survivor of Majdanek, Oświęcim, Ravensbrück, and Neustadt-Glewe, from which she was liberated in 1945. In 1947, she moved to Israel, where she started a family. Picture taken by Halina's brother, Marek Balin.
Warsaw April, 1946. A group of kibutz "Hashomer Hacair" standing on the spot where it was Mila 18 to put flowers in remembrance of Mordecai Anielewicz, Warsaw Ghetto Revolt Commander, and all the other Ghetto Fighters. Among them is Halina Birenbaum (first on the left), survivor of Majdanek (Oświęcim), Ravensbrück, and Neustadt-Glewe, from which she was liberated in 1945. In 1947, she moved to Israel, where she started a family.
Jewish fighters who died at Mila 18
The names of 60 other fighters are unknown
Chaim Akerman
Małka Alterman
Mordechaj Anielewicz
Nate Bartmeser
Heniek Bartowicz
Franka Berman
Tosia Berman
Icchak Blaustein
Melach Błones
Berl Braude
Icchak Chadasz
Nesia Cukier
Icchak Dembiński
Józef Fass
Efraim Fondamiński
Towa Frenkel
Emus Frojnd
Mira Fuchrer
Wolf Gold
Miriam Hajnsdorf
Aron Halzband
Rut Hejman
Mira Izbicka
Salke Kamień
Ziuta Klejnman
Jaffa Lewender
Lolek (tylko imię)
Sewek Nulman
Abraham Orwacz
Rywka Pasamonik
Majloch Perelman
Aron Rajzband
Lutek Rotblat
Miriam Rotblat
Jardena Rozenberg
Salka (tylko imię)
Jerzy Sarnak
Szmuel Sobol
Basia Sylman
Szyja Szpancer
Moniek Sztengel
Szulamit Szuszkowska
Mojsze Waksfeld
Olek Wartowicz
Icchak Wichter
Arie Wilner
Zeew Wortman
Hirsz Wroński
Rachelka Zylberberg
Moszek Zylbertszajn
Sara Żagiel
RIP
