After leaving Prague, we decided to head to Poland´s largest city and the capitol, Warsaw. I have to admit, Warsaw is not the most beautiful city I have visited, but the fact it even exists today, is quite amazing. In 1940 Warsaw was awarded with the highest military decoration for courage in the face of the enemy when it resisted the Germans for almost a month during WW2. In retaliation, Hitler decided to raze Warsaw to the ground and destroyed almost 90% of the entire city. The Polish didn´t give up though. The Germans took control of Warsaw for awhile (despite a very good resistance from the Jewish people which annilated them), but when news spread that the Soviet Army was advancing, the Warsaw people decided to act again. After a fierce battle, they effectively fought off the Germans, leaving room for the Soviet Union to come in and take over. Then the decades of Communist rule.
The Polish have indeed been through alot.
During our time in Warsaw, there were two festivals going on: the Assumption of the Virgin Mary (where Mary accended into Heaven at the end of her life) and the 90th Anniversary of the Battle of Warsaw, which commemorated the defeat of the Soviet Army during the Polish-Soviet War after WW1. There were many interesting military vehicles at the festival.
The Polish have indeed been through alot.
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