Polish Post stamp for the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising
On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, Poczta Polska issued a special stamp to commemorate one of the most important events in the history of Warsaw and its inhabitants.
The stamp's graphic design is based on an archival photograph by Sylwester Braun, colored by Studio Produkcyjne Orka. The shot shows insurgents at a firing position in front of the ruined Church of the Holy Cross on Krakowskie Przedmieście Street. The insurgents, dressed in distinctive uniforms and helmets, are photographed against a backdrop of bomb-damaged buildings.
The issue is accompanied by a commemorative First Day of Circulation (FDC) envelope, which includes additional graphic elements. The main illustration is a photograph by Wiesław Chrzanowski depicting a group of insurgents from the "Anna" Company of the "Gustaw" Battalion. The soldiers sit on a fallen tree trunk, with a panorama of the destroyed city in the background. A distinctive element of the insurgents' attire are the red and white armbands, used to identify members of Polish units. The insurgents had to supply their own uniforms, often using pre-war Polish Army equipment or acquiring equipment, including weapons, from the enemy. The armbands became a symbol of their struggle and sacrifice.
Scout Field Post
The Warsaw Uprising is inextricably linked to the history of the Scout Field Mail. The clandestine communications network within the Underground State was among the most extensive among the underground organizations in occupied Europe. Organizational work to establish it in the first branch at 41 Wilcza Street began on August 2, 1944. The official commencement of operations is dated August 6. Young men from the Grey Ranks provided communications in the Warsaw Uprising.
It is estimated that the Postmen carried 200,000 pieces of mail during the Warsaw Uprising. Letters could not exceed 25 words. On October 3, 1944, the Scout Post Office's last roll call took place at the Pasieka headquarters at 41 Wilcza Street. The Uprising collapsed, and the insurgent field postal service ceased its operations.
The Warsaw Uprising lasted 63 days, and its toll was tragic: 16,000 insurgents died and approximately 15,000 were taken prisoner. It is estimated that 200,000 Warsaw residents lost their lives, and those who survived were forced to leave. After the uprising's collapse, the Germans implemented their plan to annihilate Warsaw. The city suffered enormous losses – 25% of Warsaw's left-bank buildings lay in ruins, and the Old Town was completely razed to the ground – the scale of the destruction is illustrated by the fact that only one habitable building at 6 Długa Street survived. All bridges over the Vistula River were blown up, and the city's infrastructure was completely devastated.
About the stamp:
Designer: Roch Stefaniak
Number of stamps: 1 in a block
Value: PLN 10
Circulation: 90,000 pcs
Printing technique: offset
Stamp format: 39.5 x 51 mm
Block format: 121 x 63 mm
Paper: fluorescent
Date of circulation: August 1, 2024
