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Warsaw ghetto (Poland)
Last modified: 2001-11-16 by jarig bakker
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Warsaw ghetto flags
Here
is the most comprehensive account of chronology of the events in the Warsaw
Ghetto.
Second
is an account of the Uprising written by the only surviving commander of
ZOB (Jewish Fighting Organization), Dr. Marek Edelman:
Third is my personal recollection of the journeys with my father re-tracing
his movements of his own "passage thru hell" during the Warsaw Uprising
of August-September 1944. First of it happened after his return from England
in 1947 when he took me to the sites of his traumatic experiences during
that Uprising, but also to the incredible wasteland of the desert, which
once was
the Ghetto, and shown me the spot next to Muranowska Street, where
his unit of the Home Army was trying to blow up the wall of the Ghetto
and suffered heavy casualties. I remember vividly his description of uplifting
sight of white and blue flag of ZZW (Jewish Military Union or Irgun) fluttering
furiously next to white and red flag of Poland over the fierce battlefield
behind the wall. That imaginary image stuck in my memory forever along
with quite few others from both unprecedented Uprisings in my hometown.
I lived myself thru both of them but don't have personal remembrance due
to my age. I include several flags and pictures to help you understand
better that difficult chapter of human history.
Chris Kretowicz, 14 Sep 2001
Flag of Warsaw Ghetto Judenrat 1940
![[Flag of Warsaw Ghetto Judenrat 1940]](../images/p/pl-wagh1.gif)
by Chris Kretowicz, 14 Sep 2001
Flag of Zydowska Organizacja Bojowa-ZOB (Jewish Fighting
Organization)
![[Flag of Jewish Fighting Organization]](../images/p/pl-wagh2.gif)
by Chris Kretowicz, 14 Sep 2001
I'm not quite sure about the Fighting Organization flag. It wasn't a
simple Zionist (Israeli) flag?
Nathan Lamm, 11 Nov 2001
Flag of Zydowski Zwiazek Wojskowy-ZZW (Jewish Military
Union)
![[Flag of Jewish Military Union]](../images/p/pl-wagh3.gif)
by Chris Kretowicz, 14 Sep 2001
Interesting to see that a Revisionist group uses a plain two stipes
flag.
BETAR usually used flags based on the Zionist flags with inscriptions.
Dov Gutterman, 15 Sep 2001
Yes, it is quite puzzling. I am familiar with the fact that Betar used
a variety of Zionist flags with slogans and images on it before the WW
II and in Palestine, but it is also beyond the doubt that Pawel Frankel's
ZZW units raised the white and blue bicolor (together with Polish flag)
over their positions in the Warsaw Ghetto in the Uprising.
What was the reason for not using typical Betar flags ?
I can't speculate on it. Maybe somebody knows, and will be kind enough
to give us an input on this question ?
Chris Kretowicz, 15 Sep 2001
A possible link to the Polish (light blue
replacing red)? They *were* trying to get Polish support.
Nathan Lamm, 11 Nov 2001
Warsaw ghetto
Jose Luis Cepero from Cadiz likes to know:
What flag was hoisted in the ghhetto of Varsovia next to the polish
flag? (He knows that it was blue and white but doesn't know the arrangement)
What was the personal flag, if any, of the leader of the Jews in a
ghetto (name is not remembered) where even coins were made and whose leader
was a virtual small king?
Jaume Ollé, 2 Sep 2001
During the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of April-May, 1943, The ZOB (Zydowska
Organizacja Bojowa or Jewish Fighting Organization or Yidische Kampf
Organizatzion) led by Mordechaj Anielewicz and composed of members
of leftist and ultra leftist youth organizations:
-
Dror He-Halutz (= Freedom - The Pioneer, unites two youth movements)
- (5 fighting units),
-
Ha-Shomer ha-tzair (= The Young Guard - Still exists today in Israel
as the youth movement of MAPAM (United Workers Party) which is part of
Meretz Party) - (4 units),
-
Bund (socialists) (4 units),
-
PPR (Polish Workers Party - communists) - (4 units),
-
Gordonia (Named after A.D Gordon, the main spiritual leader of the
labour movement) - (1 unit),
-
Akiva (Bnei-Aqiva, a religious youth movement. Still exists today
in Israel as the youth movement of MAFDAL (National Religious Party) -
(1 unit),
-
Ha-No'ar ha-Ziyoni (= The Zionist Youth) - (1 unit) and
-
Po'alei Zion smol (Zion Workers - Left (split from Zion Workers)
- (1 unit)
hoisted the Zionist flag (now Israeli flag) alongside
Polish
white and red flag over the bunker at 18 Mila Street, at least during the
first few days of the Uprising. The other group of heroic fighters, not
associated with the ZOB for ideological reasons,but allied with them just
prior to Uprising, was 250 fighters strong unit of ZZW (Zydowski Zwiazek
Wojskowy or Jewish Military Union) also known as Irgun (Irgun or
Irgun Zva'ei Leumi (National Military Organization) was the military
wing of the Revisionist Zionist Federation. BETAR (Brit Yosef Trumpeldor)
was its youth movement, still exists today in Israel as the youth movement
of Kherut movement, part of the Likud Party.whose members where associated
primarily with Betar, right-wing, revisionist Zionist organization. That
group was led by former Polish Army officer Pawel Frenkel and cultivated
excellent relation with Polish Home Army and the Delegation of Polish Government
in exile in London.They distinguished themselves with unbelievable courage
while fighting from their compound on Muranowska Street, from which they
were flying the double bi-colors: white over light blue and white over
red. Those flags were clearly visible from the "aryan" side over the walls
and stayed up well into the second week of the Uprising.
The Jewish Council (Judenrat) of Warsaw Ghetto was flying a white flag
with the blue shield of David in the center.The Jewish
Police (or Ordnungsdienst) were wearing shield of David on their caps
or berets. All of the "residents" of the Ghetto were required to wear white
armbands with the shield of David. The president of the Judenrat in Warsaw
Ghetto was dr Adam Czerniakow, a controversial and tragic figure,who commited
suicide in 1942 after realizing his policy of appeasement and collaboration
couldn't save any lives, especially those of children.The Warsaw Ghetto
Judenrat issued paper money,which were,
of course, absolutely worthless outside the walls.
The one with the ironic title of "king" or "emperor" was the president
of the Judenrat in the Lodz (Litzmanstadt) Ghetto in Central Poland. His
name was Chaim Mordechaj Rumkowski and he was generally despised and hardly
has any apologists in contrast to Dr.Czerniakow in Warsaw. In his "realm",
the Nazis let him issue postage stamps with his portrait in the upper right
corner, print paper money and even mint two coins: the aluminum 10 Mark
and the magnesium 5 Mark.
I do hope this answers posted questions.
Chris Kretowicz and Dov Gutterman, 3 Sep 2001
The Warsaw Ghetto page on FOTW states that the Judenrat flew a blue
Shield of David on white, while the resistance flew a standard Israeli/Zionist
flag. On NBC's current series about the revolt, they show the revolt flying
the first flag (almost square), however. Any info?
Nathan Lamm, 6 Nov 2001
The NBC miniseries is taking a lot of liberties with the historical
truth about the events in Warsaw Ghetto,of which their depiction of the
flag is only one of many and least significant, so believe rather FOTW
pages than NBC.
Chris Kretowicz, 6 Nov 2001