1936 Straszewiczów / 'Ruch' City Map or Plan of Warsaw, Poland

A scarce large-format c. 1936 city plan or map of Warsaw, Poland, printed by the Straszewiczów Photo-Offset Graphics Plant and published by 'Ruch,' the Polish Society of Railway Bookstores. It provides an overview of the city on the eve of World War II (1939 - 1945).

A Closer Look

Covering the entirety of contemporary Warsaw, the map highlights railway lines (linje kolejowe) in particular, unsurprising given Ruch's role as the main operator of kiosks in railway stations throughout the country. In the late 19th century, Warsaw became the most important rail hub in Eastern Europe, where the lines of the Central European (Prussian, Austrian) and Russian (wide gauge) networks met, allowing goods and passengers to transit between the various systems. Streets, neighborhoods, parks and gardens (prominently shaded green), cemeteries, and other features are labeled throughout. A grid overlays the map, perhaps corresponding to a now-lost accompanying index. The map's cover consists of an advertisement for Haberbusch i Schiele, the largest brewery in Poland at the time, which, as the ad indicates, also produced vodka and lemonade.

Warsaw's Interwar Period

When Poland regained its independence after World War I (1914 - 1918), Warsaw was made the capital of the Second Polish Republic. However, the Interwar Period was highly volatile, with wars, economic troubles, and political unrest. The city narrowly (and unexpectedly) avoided destruction and/or capture by the Red Army during the Polish-Soviet War thanks to a last-ditch counter-attack (known as the 'Miracle on the Vistula'). The following years saw the effects of the Great Depression, as well as assassinations, coups, and, eventually, the Nazi invasion of 1939, followed by a violent occupation (including the infamous Warsaw Ghetto) and the horrific destruction of most of the city in the 1944 Warsaw Uprising.

Nevertheless, the interwar period saw many positive developments. The city grew considerably, and some public works were undertaken before the Great Depression, such as the widening of major roads. Various communities aside from Poles (Jews, Germans, Ukrainians, etc.) gave Warsaw a cosmopolitan flavor, and the city hosted excellent educational and cultural institutions.

Publication History and Census

Although no publication information appears on the map, the cover refers to Atelier 'Ruch' (the Polish Society of Railway Bookstores) and Foto-Offset Zakład Graficzny Straszewiczów (Ruch and Straszewiczów collaborated on several other maps of Polish cities in the 1930s). The map is also undated, but from context, it likely dates from the mid-late 1930s. Maps with this title were produced by 'Ruch' and Straszewiczów throughout the 1930s, and the lack of a publication date makes a complete census difficult. However, editions can be quickly differentiated by coloration. We note an example of this edition at the Museum of Warsaw. Other editions appear on the market occasionally and are also noted among the holding of major Polish research institutions, such as the Kórnik Library and Biblioteka Narodowa.