Episode 14 - My Wola - My Heart

Wola, a district of Warsaw dear to my heart, is where my family's roots run deep, and I was born in the "na Czystem" Hospital on former Dworska Street (now Kasprzaka). As a child, my parents shared stories of the Wola Massacre, often taking me and my sister to General Sowiński Park, near the former Reduta and St. Wawrzyniec Church. We'd visit a clearing across from Wolska Street, which my father called "the round." This unusual park featured brick or reinforced concrete stairs leading to nowhere, surrounded by mature apple, cherry, and plum trees.

My parents explained that this wasn't a park but a vacant lot where pre-war residential buildings stood. During the Warsaw Uprising, Kaminski's Ukrainian troops, collaborating with Germans, burned down houses and murdered civilians. Only chimneys and stairs remained. We also visited Szymański Park, where rural buildings once stood, offering fresh produce. This area is sanctified by the blood of Poles, including my family members, slain by Nazis and Ukrainians.