1965 Zbrodnie Hitlerowskie na Ziemiach Polski w Latach 1939-45
By: Państwowe Przedsiębiorstwo Wydawnictw Kartograficznych
Date: 1971 (dated) Warsaw
Dimensions: 62.5 x 49 inches (rollers included)
A rare and somber wall map depicting the magnitude of atrocities committed by Hitler and the Nazi Regime throughout Poland during World War II. Unlike other maps from this series this one differentiates the loss of human life by ethnicity with the Jewish people suffering far more than any other group.
The map was produced and published by Państwowe Przedsiębiorstwo Wydawnictw Kartograficznych (PPWK), a state-owned cartographic publishing house in Warsaw, in collaboration with the Council for the Protection of Struggle and Martyrdom Sites (Rada Ochrony Pomników Walki i Męczeństwa) and the Main Commission for the Investigation of Nazi Crimes in Poland (Główna Komisja Badania Zbrodni Hitlerowskich w Polsce). These organizations were responsible for preserving the memory of the atrocities committed during the Nazi occupation and ensuring that the historical record was accurately maintained.
The map is densely packed with symbols representing various types of Nazi crimes, including concentration camps, extermination camps, execution sites, and locations of mass murders. The visual design uses stark black symbols, such as skulls and crossbones, to signify sites of mass extermination like Auschwitz-Birkenau, Treblinka, and Majdanek, immediately drawing attention to the horrors associated with these locations. Smaller symbols represent locations of forced labor camps, mass execution sites, and destroyed villages. The map's legend provides a clear key to these symbols, allowing viewers to comprehend the scale and distribution of the atrocities across the country.
Soviet Influence and Narrative of the Map
It is often noted with this map and others from the series that while it was produced by the Polish Government, the country was then under control of the Soviet Easter Bloc, a group of Eastern and Central European countries that were aligned or controlled by, the Soviet Union during the Cold War. The Eastern Bloc was formed in the aftermath of World War II, as the Soviet Union, under Joseph Stalin, sought to secure its western borders and spread communist ideology. Thus, the information presented in the series of wall maps of which this example is a part of should be interpreted through the analysis and influences of the Soviets.
The borders depicted on the map reflect the post-war boundaries imposed by the Soviets, which altered Poland's borders significantly compared to its pre-war state. Additionally, while the map focuses on the crimes of Hitler and the Nazis, it omitts the crimes committed by the Soviets in poland, such as the Katyn massacre or the repression of the Polish Home Army. The map functions not only as a historical document but also as a tool of Soviet-era propaganda, reinforcing the narrative that suited Soviet geopolitical and ideological interests at the time.
Codntion: Map is in B condition with some doiling and fraying along the ecged. Near the top center of the map the paper is torn yet still held to the linen. This can be restored for an additional cost or sold as is. Original rollers are securely attached to the map backed with original linen.
Inventory #12872
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622