Another act of vandalism targeting Warsaw’s history has taken place in the city. This time, the victim of the vandalism was the Karol Tchorek plaque on the façade of the building at 16 Bracka Street, commemorating the victims of the Warsaw Uprising. Less than a year ago, we reported on the massive graffiti that defaced the plaque and the façade of the building at 27/35 Marszałkowska Street. Vandals are becoming increasingly brazen.
Another Tchorek plaque vandalised
The damaged plaque is located on the corner of Aleje Jerozolimskie and Bracka Street. It commemorates around 90 people murdered on 3 August 1944. They were mainly men forced by the Germans to cover the advance as so-called human shields. Residents of nearby tenement blocks were also shot in the area. The plaque in their memory was made of sandstone, based on Karol Tchorek’s 1949 design. This type of material is difficult to clean, as the paint penetrates deeply into its porous surface. This may necessitate a special, costly restoration or even the replacement of irreparably damaged sections. The defaced building itself was recently listed as a historic monument.
The history and significance of Tchorek’s plaques
The plaques designed by Karol Tchorek appeared in Warsaw after the Second World War as a standardised form of marking sites of executions and battles. Their introduction was preceded by spontaneous initiatives by residents, who marked such locations with makeshift crosses and plaques. From the 1950s onwards, stone slabs featuring the distinctive motif of the Cross of Valour and an inscription dedicated to the fallen began to be installed. Most of them were erected in the 1960s. To this day, they remain a very important and poignant feature of Warsaw’s urban landscape, serving as a reminder of the tragedy of the occupation and the fate of civilians.
Warsaw is awash with graffiti
Similar vandalism to the latest incident took place in the spring of 2025 at 27/35 Marszałkowska Street. There, too, a plaque and part of the façade were damaged. Read more about the events from a year ago HERE. However, the most high-profile case of mass vandalism occurred in 2021. Stickers were placed on over a hundred plaques, altering the text to replace the word “Nazis” with “Germans”. The incident sparked nationwide outrage and prompted an intervention by the authorities. The adhesive used to affix the stickers damaged the surface of many plaques, necessitating their sanding down. The cost of the work exceeded 100,000 zlotys at the time. Despite this, the case was dropped and the perpetrators faced no consequences.
Penalties for vandals
Under Article 261 of the Criminal Code, the destruction of memorial sites is punishable by a fine or restriction of liberty. In the case of buildings listed in the register of monuments, the consequences may be even more severe. In practice, the problem remains finding the perpetrators, who act quickly and often evade responsibility. A recent case from the Warsaw Underground, where individuals vandalising train carriages were apprehended, stands as a positive exception to this sad rule. The damage was estimated at over 90,000 zlotys. Admittedly, owners of historic buildings can apply for financial support to repair the damage, but that is not the point. The growing number of defaced façades and other structures is a huge problem in many Polish cities. So far, no effective solution has been found to combat vandals.
Source:TBTS,polska-zbrojna.pl
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