Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Warsaw, Poland: Series 2 (part 1)

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Poland’s history was nothing short of heartbreaking after being devastated by the Third Reich during World War II and enduring the hard life brought about the Soviet Communist regime. But it’s through these grueling times you will find stories of hope, courage and faith.

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I want to share one of the most amazing World War II stories I’ve ever heard, told by my good friend, Iza.

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Iza’s grandparents lived in a diverse town a few miles from Warsaw, where people of different nationalities lived together with the Polish in harmony.

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Her grandfather was a fisherman and was out at sea when news broke out that the German Nazis had invaded Poland.

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As the Nazi’s pushed deeper into their country, Iza’s grandmother had no choice but to flee the town. Not knowing the state of her husband made the already dire situation even more agonizing.

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Luckily, their German neighbors who were almost like family to them, took her and her children as they relocated somewhere they thought would be safe:

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Right in the middle of Nazi occupied territory.


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Iza’s family posed as house servants to their German neighbors, earning them the necessary permits to prevent them from being thrown into the ghettos.

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Each day they lived in fear, not knowing how long their permit will last, or if civilian spies would soon blow their cover.

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Iza’s grandfather feared for his family’s safety, but sailing back home would mean certain death for him and his crew.

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Fuel and supplies were running low, he made a painful decision to turn back and sail to the nearest country that has not yet been occupied by the Germans.

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Iza’s grandparents had no clue that they will be separated on that fateful day. Each day as both struggled to survive, hope diminished that they would ever see each other again… But this is only half the story.

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In these photos:
- Surviving Ghettos now serve as monuments dedicated to the Jewish people who died during the holocaust.
- A parade of residents in costume representing the Polish, British, Russian battalions, and a Jewish family to commemorate both the heroes and victims of World War II.


to be continued....


Garandee mode:
Do, what happened next? TELL ME!!

19 comments:

aurbie said...

Brilliant post.

Chyng said...

Interesting. Ganun mga walls nila? GAnda!

dodong flores 도동 플로오리스 said...

That's a touching story...

Will wait for the next post...

Ay, sya, ang galing ng kuha ng mga photos...

kg said...

nice pictures garando! parang nazi time pa talaga! so nice!!!!!

and the story is so interesting. and it's more captivating because it's a first-hand account from someone you actually know! galing! :) looking forward to the continuation!

fortuitous faery said...

wow, that's a very realistic recreation of the WWII aftermath!

man, i'd love to visit poland someday.

Yoj said...

Wonderful post! I love the pictures too!

witsandnuts said...

Naku, to be continued! Sobrang naabsorb ko pa naman yung story telling. Excited nako sa kasunod. Heehee. This is a great idea to present this post, interesting story supported by beautiful photos. =)

sheng said...

Alam mo ba, inis ako sa post na ito, okey na okey ang pics, okey na okey na ang lahat, tapos biglang parang teleserye...to be continued... hayyyy... hehe... waiting for the continuation. Madaliin na yan, please. Teehehe

ms firefly said...

yikes, i'm so bitin!
when's the next episode?
poland has many heart-rending ww2 stories made into movies...schindler's list, the pianist, and the one adapted from a novel, jakob the liar. at one point in my life, i went crazy over ww2 stories and shed sooooo many tears for it.

great pictures as always!

Garando said...

Patty:
Thank you!

Chyng:
Yeah, built with bricks pero those are very old buildings. The new ones look very different na. :)

Dodong Flores:
Thank you Dodong.

KG:
Thank you! I love these kinds of stories kase my grandfather used to tell us about their experiences during the war too. :)

Fortuitous faery:
Thanks! I do hope you get to visit, I'm sure you'll enjoy it!

Yoj:
Thanks!

Witsandnuts:
Thank you! hehehe. There's a lot to learn from their stories. :)

Sheng:
haha! medyo mahaba-haba kase yung kuwento eh... baka sumobrang bigat yung blog entry ko. :)

Ms Firefly:
Thanks! Will try my best to post it this weekend. WOW! I love those movies too, lalo na yung Jakob the liar. That was one of the very few films that made me sob talaga!

mordsith said...

indeed, it is through such struggles that one sees stories of hope and courage. i bet it's quite fascinating to hear from a first-hand account. better than Schindler's list. :)

Midge said...

That is such an inspiring story. Goes to show you that people can - and will - beat the odds.

lenj said...

sarap basahin kasi with matching photos. very interesting kaso nakakabitin naman ito.. can't wait for the next part. ^__^

Unknown said...

"But it’s through these grueling times you will find stories of hope, courage and faith."

I do have to agree.
I have also heard some incredible stories of people that tried to cross the Berlin Wall after WWII and there are probably others with such stories to share.

It's really amazing how the events can turn so quickly.

Alice said...

Thanks for sharing this amazing story and photos. I can't wait for the continuation...

onyxx said...

unfortunately, there were many tragic tales like that during WW2 (including here). i imagine it was even worse for the polish jews though :(

The Pope said...

I love this post, i am an avid history reader, and have been reading a lot of war histories.

Masyadong suspense ang story telling mo which was supplemented by your photos...

Hintayin ko ang continuation nito.

A blessed weekend to you and your family.

Garando said...

Mordsith:
Yes, that "personal touch" when Iza was telling her story as we walked through the park literally gave me goosebumps!

Midge:
Very very true!

Lenj:
Thank you, was worried kase baka sumobra haba yung post ko eh. hehe...

Shadowmoon:
Very true. I bet there are some amazing stories in Brazil as well during the 2nd world war. ;)

Alice Teh:
You're most welcome. I always thought this story would make a wonderful book, or even yet a hollywood production!

Onyxx:
True. I even wanted to go and visit Auschwitz (the infamous Nazi concentration camp) and see the monuments, but I didn't have enough time...

The Pope:
I'm glad you liked it. :)
The conclusion to the story should now be out as I'm posting this comment. I hope you had a wonderful weekend as well!

Rico said...

That guy in a black leather jacket (parka?) sure looks scary. Riveting story. I can't wait for part 2.