Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Campaign 2023

Join the 11th edition of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising social-educational campaign, to mark the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. On 19 April, we will wear a paper daffodil pin to show that we are #RememberingTogether. We encourage people around the world to take part in the events we organize both in person and online, and to visit our new temporary exhibition titled, "Around Us a Sea of Fire."

Wanda Traczyk-Stawska na tle ściany w Muzeum POLIN. Do garsonki ma przypięty papierowy żonkil, a na ramieniu biało-czerwoną opaskę powstańczą.
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Wanda Traczyk-Stawska. FOT. A. KARCZMARCZYK, VAN DORSEN ARTISTS
Bartosz Gelner trzyma przed sobą papierowy żonkil.
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Bartosz Gelner. FOT. A. KARCZMARCZYK, VAN DORSEN ARTISTS
Aleksandra Żebrowska trzyma przed sobą papierowy żonkil.
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Aleksandra Żebrowska. FOT. A. KARCZMARCZYK, VAN DORSEN ARTISTS
Ralph Kaminski trzyma przed sobą papierowy żonkil.
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Ralph Kaminski. Fot. A. Karczmarczyk, Van Dorsen Artists
Członkowie grupy Granica - niektórzy mają przypięte żonkile do ubrań, inni trzymają je w dłoniach.
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Grupa Granica. Fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Hol główny Muzeum POLIN. Prezydenci Polski, Izraela i Niemiec wraz z pierwszymi damami. W tle flagi tych krajów.
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fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Marian Turski wygłasza przemówienie podczas obchodów 80. rocznicy powstania w getcie warszawskim. Stoi przy pulpicie mównicy, na której naklejona jest tabliczka z napisem "80 rocznica powstania w getcie warszawskim""
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Marian Turski. Fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Członkowie chóru dziecięcego trzymają przed sobą kartki z imionami cywilów z getta warszawskiego.
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fot. F. Błażejowski / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Straż złożona z trzech osób w mundurach stoi przy pomniku Bohaterów Getta. Jest zwrócona w kierunku budynku Muzeum POLIN. Do pomnika wędrują delegacje z kwiatami.
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fot. F. Błażejowski / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Troje wolontariuszy-ambasadorów akcji Żonkile 2023 trzyma przed sobą papierowe żonkile.
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fot. A. Karczmarczyk, Van Dorsen Artists
Dwaj wolontariusze trzymają przed sobą papierowe żonkile. Obaj mają kręcone włosy. W tle bloki.
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Photo: M. Starowieyska / Museum of the History of Polish Jews
Wolontariuszka wręcza papierowy żonkil kobiecie przy metrze Centrum. W tle mural upamiętniający powstanie w getcie warszawskim.
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fot. M. Starowieyska / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Tłum ludzi przy metrze Centrum w Warszawie. Na ścianach wokół tzw. patelni mural przedstawiający cywilów z getta warszawskiego.
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fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Ściana na tzw. patelni przy metrze Centrum w Warszawie. Podobizna i cytat Krystyny Budnickiej.
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fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Dziewczyna stoi w drzwiach metra Centrum w Warszawie. W tle mural upamiętniający cywilów podczas powstania w getcie warszawskim.
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fot. M. Jaźwiecki / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Grafika Akcji Żonkile. Żółty Żonkil, obok i pod spodem czarne napisy: 19.04.1943, powstanie w getcie warszawskim, Łączy nas pamięć
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fot. Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich
Starsza wolontariuszka wręcza papierowy żonkil starszemu mężczyźnie w kapeluszu.
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fot. M. Starowieyska / Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich

For the first time in the campaign’s history, volunteers will be handing out paper daffodils in the streets of six Polish cities: Warsaw, Łódź, Kraków, Białystok, Lublin, and Wrocław. This year, we plan to distribute specifically 450,000 paper daffodils. This number symbolizes the number of Jews who were imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto at the peak of its overcrowding, in the spring of 1941.

Our campaign is supported by the Ambassadors: Wanda Traczyk-Stawska, Aleksandra Żebrowska, Ralph Kaminski, Bartosz Gelner together with our fantastic volunteers—Patrycja, Kacper and Zygmunt. We also invited Grupa Granica social movement to join our team of Ambassadors—with their activities on the Polish-Belarussian border they have been putting into practice the 11th commandment recalled by Marian Turski: ‘Thou Shalt Not Be Indifferent’.

Hanna Krall, a writer and journalist, author of the book Shielding the Flame, has been named the campaign’s Honorary Ambassador. We have produced a moving animation for children and youth based on this very novel—you will be able to watch it on our YouTube channel.  

Civilians as the leading motif of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising campaign

The situation of the civilian population imprisoned in the Warsaw ghetto during the Uprising is one of the main topics we wish to raise in the program accompanying the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. We dedicate the campaign to the civilians—approximately 50,000 women, men and children hiding in shelters in the attics or in underground bunkers during the Uprising, and in the rubble after its fall. They remained unreachable to the German soldiers for many weeks, and their resistance was as important as the armed struggle of the fighters.

We will recall the memory of the civilians during the events we have organized. Check a program.

We have also prepared a set of educational materials for students (upper elementary to high school). This includes short stories for young learners, and an animated filmed titled, "Shielding the Flame." The materials will help educators and students participate in the commemoration on 19 April. For more information, please visit Warsaw Ghetto Uprising campaign at schools, libraries and cultural institutions.

How to participate in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising campaign? How to get a paper daffodil? >>

Mural next to the Centrum underground station

Between 13 and 23 April, you will see a mural commemorating the civilians who stayed in the Warsaw ghetto during the Uprising. The mural will present a visual narrative on the protagonists of "Around Us a Sea of Fire" exhibition.

We encourage you to publish photos of the daffodils and the stickers in the social media. Do not forget about the hashtags: #RememberingTogether and #WarsawGhettoUprisingCampaign. Remember also to tag the profile of @POLINMuseum.ENG.

The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising campaign all across the globe

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, on the initiative of the Mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski, we produced an extra 150,000 paper daffodils (on top of 450,000 which will be distributed in Poland). They were sent to Jewish communities and organisations all over the world. The initiative was supported by Ronald S. Lauder, President of the World Jewish Congress and member of the POLIN Museum Council. The World Jewish Congress is our partner in the campaign-related activities.

In Israel, 40,000 paper daffodils will be distributed. They will be handed out at schools all across the country and to the audience of the commemorative "Remembering Together" concert in Tel Aviv. Thanks to our cooperation with ELNET Poland, Israeli Ambassadors across the globe will each receive paper daffodils, too.

On 19 April, LOT Polish Airlines will commemorate the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising—each member of the crew on all routes realised on that day will wear a yellow paper flower. Thanks to a special audio message, the passengers will all learn that this very day marks the 80th anniversary of the outbreak of the Uprising.

In 2023, the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising campaign is organised within the program "Thou Shalt Not Be Indifferent. 80th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising."

Logo of Jewish Cultural Heritage Project: from right side: logo of Norway grants, logo of Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Republic of Poland, logo Polin Museum and JCK project.

www.eeagrants.org, www.norwaygrants.org, www.gov.pl