Another side of war
Poland
Whenever we mention the Second World War, we picture suffering, misery and many atrocities that were committed at that time, for it was a truly dreadful chapter of our history. With millions of casualties and havoc wreaked all over the globe, many historians focus on battles, sieges or leaders with their most important decisions, while there is another, more mundane side to this conflict. Whilst various clashes and skirmishes were taking place in Poland, many citizens were struggling to lead simple life as they used to before the war. This everyday life was also a significant part of wartime.
Maintaining the natural, pre-war daily routine was not easy for Polish citizens. The occupation and its effects were felt by all people living under German rule. What came alongside German soldiers, was extreme poverty. Food and basic supplies were scarce in Warsaw. Work was compulsory, but the salaries were not enough when there was barely anything in the markets.
That's why Warsaw became famous as the black market flourished there. Barter was a common way of acquiring food and medicine. Jews were the first to start exchanging their valuables for consumables. Selling jewellery and tableware was the only way to get food. Soon the Polish people started to barter whatever they had. Almost everyone was trading one way or another. Soon it was not unusual to come across German military rations in Polish restaurants, because invading soldiers eagerly sold their freely available food for valuables in the black market, even though it was strictly forbidden.
Trade on the black market was the way to ensure survival during occupation, but certainly not a way to forget about the dangers of living in the warzone. A common means of escaping the dark reality were books and newspapers. During the war the Poles were reading quite a lot, although not all newspapers and books were allowed by the Germans.
Maintaining the natural, pre-war daily routine was not easy for Polish citizens. The occupation and its effects were felt by all people living under German rule. What came alongside German soldiers, was extreme poverty. Food and basic supplies were scarce in Warsaw. Work was compulsory, but the salaries were not enough when there was barely anything in the markets.
That's why Warsaw became famous as the black market flourished there. Barter was a common way of acquiring food and medicine. Jews were the first to start exchanging their valuables for consumables. Selling jewellery and tableware was the only way to get food. Soon the Polish people started to barter whatever they had. Almost everyone was trading one way or another. Soon it was not unusual to come across German military rations in Polish restaurants, because invading soldiers eagerly sold their freely available food for valuables in the black market, even though it was strictly forbidden.
Trade on the black market was the way to ensure survival during occupation, but certainly not a way to forget about the dangers of living in the warzone. A common means of escaping the dark reality were books and newspapers. During the war the Poles were reading quite a lot, although not all newspapers and books were allowed by the Germans.
The Third Reich published a list of banned books and implemented it in the whole General Government. A lot of those books were Polish classics, most of them patriotic. Patriotic literature was what gave the Poles hope and allowed them to live their dreams of freedom, even if for a brief moment. However, some libraries were rebuilt and the repertory was refilled with thousands of German books. Most of available newspapers were just enemy propaganda, so they were not popular among readers. The illegal sources included publications by the underground groupings, like the Home Army, which informed the citizens about the ongoing partisan actions and recent events in the country.
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Newspapers were not the only way of learning about the current situation. Radio transmissions were really important, most of all at the beginning of the invasion. It allowed people to keep track of how the defence was going. The last Polish radio station was silenced on September 16th. Listening to some stations was strictly forbidden after the occupation started and the radio sets were being confiscated by the soldiers. Some people managed to hide their radios from the Germans and were able to illegally listen to the transmissions broadcasted by the allies. This unbowed curiosity cost many people their lives.
Cinemas were still active during the war. There was quite a few of them in the capital, most of which were only for Germans and Volksdeutsche. Those were cheap and attractive in order to make the occupiers feel at home. The Polish cinemas were quite expensive and only the richest and the bravest could afford them. As the money earned from the tickets was used to fund the German military, it was seen as treachery by the resistance to attend the screenings. Partisans would often throw tear gas grenades into the screening rooms to force people out of the cinemas, so that people would leave crying for their indirect support of the Wehrmacht.
With food supplies being extremely scarce, only few could afford to eat in the aforementioned restaurants. A lot of them closed soon after the invasion started, but were soon reopened. Their menu looked just like before the war, with delicacies like turtle stew, pineapples, lobsters, salmons or even champagne. Meals like that were affordable only for clerks and German officers. Germans and the Volksdeutsche had their own separate restaurants, canteens and cafeterias with supplies shipped from the Reich, so they felt quite comfortable and could socialise freely within their community.
The horrors of war are always the most interesting part of it for the historians, but ordinary citizens remember very well the struggles of everyday life during the conflicts. Second World War was no different, with Polish, Jewish, or even German people trading, going to cinemas, restaurants, reading books and newspapers to escape the horrid reality of war. Those mundane events are just as important to remember as battles and massacres that marked this most unfortunate chapter of history.
Małgorzata Olborska
Cinemas were still active during the war. There was quite a few of them in the capital, most of which were only for Germans and Volksdeutsche. Those were cheap and attractive in order to make the occupiers feel at home. The Polish cinemas were quite expensive and only the richest and the bravest could afford them. As the money earned from the tickets was used to fund the German military, it was seen as treachery by the resistance to attend the screenings. Partisans would often throw tear gas grenades into the screening rooms to force people out of the cinemas, so that people would leave crying for their indirect support of the Wehrmacht.
With food supplies being extremely scarce, only few could afford to eat in the aforementioned restaurants. A lot of them closed soon after the invasion started, but were soon reopened. Their menu looked just like before the war, with delicacies like turtle stew, pineapples, lobsters, salmons or even champagne. Meals like that were affordable only for clerks and German officers. Germans and the Volksdeutsche had their own separate restaurants, canteens and cafeterias with supplies shipped from the Reich, so they felt quite comfortable and could socialise freely within their community.
The horrors of war are always the most interesting part of it for the historians, but ordinary citizens remember very well the struggles of everyday life during the conflicts. Second World War was no different, with Polish, Jewish, or even German people trading, going to cinemas, restaurants, reading books and newspapers to escape the horrid reality of war. Those mundane events are just as important to remember as battles and massacres that marked this most unfortunate chapter of history.
Małgorzata Olborska
Sources
https://radiopolska.pl/90lat/radiofonia-w-czasie-ii-wojny-swiatowej
https://forum.historia.org.pl/topic/7748-menu-czas%C3%B3w-okupacji/
https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/historia/1556781,1,zycie-codzienne-w-okupowanej-warszawie.read
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw8-5h5Tw38&t=595s
https://radiopolska.pl/90lat/radiofonia-w-czasie-ii-wojny-swiatowej
https://forum.historia.org.pl/topic/7748-menu-czas%C3%B3w-okupacji/
https://www.polityka.pl/tygodnikpolityka/historia/1556781,1,zycie-codzienne-w-okupowanej-warszawie.read
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cw8-5h5Tw38&t=595s
Daily Life During the
Second World War
Italy
Life during the war was hard. People experienced a lot of hardships including hunger, bombing, violence, death of relatives and destruction of houses and cities. Despite all these problems people tried to live a normal life, having to cope with these difficulties in any way they could.
First of all, because of the numerous bombings people left cities to find shelter in the countryside where the situation was less risky. It was impossible to predict when an army would have bombed a city, so people who remained in the cities died in their houses, which were destroyed in the process. For those who stayed in the big cities, they were advised to put sand, water and food supplies in the attic and to be equipped with handkerchiefs or gas masks to be protected from the dust and the smoke caused by the explosions. But it was not enough to survive and many children and old people died because of the collapse of their houses.
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One of the major issues affecting the lives of civilians during the war was the lack of food. Bread, the most important piece of food during famines, was dark and so tough that not even hens could eat it. Finding food was not an easy job, and on top of it food also became very expensive. Poor people living a simple life could not afford to buy it and ended up starving. One solution was to buy small animals and raise them in the courtyard to obtain meat, fat and leather that could be sold to get some money.
Life was hard and it was important to co-operate with the neighbours and to help each other. Furthermore, life was complicated because of the Nazi soldiers. They were occupying the land and often they tried to find shelter in the people’s houses. When injured, they went into the houses of the civilians where they could obtain whatever they wanted and needed. They found a place to hide, a place to sleep and the little food civilians collected for themselves had to be given to the soldiers.
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In wartime, living a normal life was complicated, but people were strong enough to reinvent themselves to help others and to work together to overcome these difficulties. They showed courage, resistance and physical and mental strength. They were true heroes.