"On This Site" by Joel Sternfeld was the direct inspiration for my project about Warsaw. The American photographer captured infamous crime scenes and places of significant events in the United States. Both the original project and the one made by me present images of unsettlingly normal places, ordinary landscapes left behind after tragedies with their hidden stories disturbingly invisible.
Kijowska Estate, Szmulowizna, Praga–Północ
19-year-old Mariusz S. from Siedlce terrorized Warsaw for four months. He planted six bombs, which he constructed handmade from pipes - hence his nickname - „Rurabomber” („Pipebomber”). Four bombs were planted at the Kijowska housing estate. In the apartment block in the photo, on September 17, 1998, Soćko blocked the garbage chute with his bomb. The caretaker who tried to remove the plastic bag with the bomb was injured by the explosion. The last Rurabomber bomb went off on January 5, 1999. The perpetrator reappeared at the scene of crime in a crowd of onlookers - then he was recognized and captured. He spent 14 years in prison.
Birch Alley, Kabaty Woods, Ursynów
Jolanta Brzeska was a social activist, one of the leaders of the Warsaw Tenants Association, established to combat the effects of wild reprivatization. Since childhood she lived at Nabielaka Street 9, in a tenement house rebuilt by her family after the war. In 2006, the building was handed over to the heirs of the pre-war owners, and then it was taken care of by Marek M., who used a whole arsenal of methods to get rid of the tenants. The persecuted pensioner resisted the actions of the new manager and became the last remaining tenant of the building. On March 1, 2011, her burnt body was found in the Kabacki Forest. The investigation into the case was conducted carelessly, no charges were filed in connection with it. Jolanta Brzeska has become an icon of the tenants' movement.
Roman Dmowski Roundabout, Śródmieście North, Śródmieście
On October 22, 2020, the Constitutional Tribunal issued a judgment tightening the abortion law in Poland. Protesters across the country, led by the National Women's Strike, took to the streets. On October 30, around 100,000 people took part in the Great March in Warsaw. The place where the largest number of protesters gathered for some time was the very center of Warsaw - Rondo Dmowskiego. The protest did not stop the publication of the Constitutional Tribunal's judgment. Because of the association of the roundabout with one of the largest protests in history of Poland, demands were made to change the name of the intersection to "Roundabout of Women Rights".
Nowy Świat Street 28, Śródmieście North, Śródmieście
On May 8, 2022, 25-year-old Dawid M., 24-year-old Sebastian W. and 28-year-old Łukasz G. harassed women walking along Nowy Świat around 4 AM. A 29-year-old man tried to defend the women. A scuffle ensued at the gate of the tenement house. As a result he was beaten and then stabbed several times. Despite the help given to him, the man died. The perpetrators were arrested.
Socrates Street, Wawrzyszew, Bielany
On October 20, 2019, 33-year-old Adam G., together with his wife and son in a stroller were crossing the street at about 13. The man managed to push his loved ones away from the speeding BMW. However, he himself did not avoid the collision and tragically died on the spot. Krystian O., who was driving the vehicle, was moving at a speed of approx. 130 km/h in a 50 km/h area. His car also had illegal modifications. The court partly placed the blame on the pedestrian, which means that the driver of the car will serve a sentence of 7.5 years in prison. He was not charged with murder with possible intent. The street has been rebuilt since the accident to make it safer. Residents pointed out the need for change before the tragic event.
Wincenty Rzymowski Street 17, Służewiec, Ursynów
On June 25, 1998, the Chief Commander of the Police, General Marek Papała, was returning to his apartment after visiting the home of the retired Brigadier General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the People's Republic of Poland, Józef Sasin. A name day reception was held there. Papała managed to park his car in the parking lot near the block. Around 10 p.m., as he began to get out of the vehicle, he was fatally shot. Despite many versions of the investigators, possible motives and people who may have had something to do with the event, the investigation continues to this day and the guilty party has not yet been found.
Wał Miedzeszyński Street 407, Saska Kępa, Praga-Południe
Jacek Dębski, former Minister of Sport, celebrated his 41st birthday on April 11, 2001. Around 10:30 PM, he left the Italian restaurant "Cosa Nostra" close to the Poniatowski Bridge together with Halina Galińska. He was shot nearby and died in the hospital the same night. The motive for the murder was most likely money lent to a member of the mafia, which Dębski did not want to return. The principal and executioner of the murder, i.e. Jeremiasz Barański and Tadeusz Maziuk, both committed suicide in their cells after being charged. Halina Galińska, who cooperated with them, served a sentence in prison.
Żelazna Street 67, Mirów, Wola
Krzysztof Matusik worked as a security guard in a branch of Kredyt Bank. On March 3, 2001, he switched shifts with Stanisław Woltański. He entered the building that day under the pretext of forgetting his uniform. Then he introduced a partner - Grzegorz Szelest, who shot Stanisław. Later Marek Rafalik joined the men. The perpetrators let the cashiers starting their work into the building and forced them to open the safe. Then Grzegorz shot all three employees of the bank: Mariola Młynarska, Agnieszka Radulska and Anna Zembaty. The men stole about 100 000 zlotys. After a few months, they were detained and each of them was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Washington Alley 98b, Grochów, Praga-Południe
On May 5, 1994, at 3:28 AM, there was an explosion on the roof of then „Escada” - a club/restaurant that belonged to Wojciech K. who was involved in the Pruszków mafia. The building suffered significant damage. The force of the blast also shattered most of the windows of the surrounding blocks of flats.
Small Forest by the Żerań Canal, Żerań, Białołęka
On June 13, 1997, 19-year-old Tomek Jaworski went to post-final-exam campfire in Młociński Park. In the same place, around midnight, a group of aggressors from Łomianki appeared and started a fight. The high school graduates hid from them in the bushes. Tomasz tried to communicate with his peers by whistling, but unfortunately he drew the attention of the aggressors, who beat the boy and dragged him to the car. He was taken to the apartment of Monika Sz. where he was brutally tortured for 20 hours. After that, the woman and two men decided to murder Tomek. They took him to the Żerań Canal, where 34-year-old Marek and 19-year-old Tomek (the victim's peer and namesake) dug a pit and stabbed the high school graduate. The perpetrators were sentenced - Monika and Tomasz to life imprisonment, Marek to 25 years in prison.
Nowy Świat Street 36, Śródmieście North, Śródmieście
On December 16, 1997, shots were fired in the "Ultimo" boutique around 8 PM. Anna Jaźwińska and her husband Daniel were shot. She survived, he unfortunately lost his life that evening. As a result of the event, a stormy investigation began. There is a lot of unclear evidence, understatements, gaps in the case. The main suspect named by Anna - Beata Pasik - was convicted of murder eight years after the situation. She was released from prison seven years before the end of her original sentence and claims she is innocent.
Parade Square, Śródmieście North, Śródmieście
On October 19, 2017, Piotr Szczęsny appeared in front of the Palace of Culture and Science. He played a song titled "I love freedom", distributed leaflets with his manifesto and announced through a megaphone that he was protesting against the government's violation of civil liberties. He then set himself on fire shouting "I protest!" In his manifesto, he opposed the rule of Law and Justice party and, among others, breaking the constitution and principles of democracy, destroying nature, discrimination against minorities, marginalization of Poland's role on the international arena and using the hate language in the public debate. Piotr Szczęsny was extinguished by onlookers but died of burns 10 days later.
Lwowska Street, Śródmieście South, Śródmieście
Wojtek Król was a 20-year-old student at the Warsaw University of Technology. On March 17, 1996, while walking down Lwowska Street, he witnessed the escape of two men who had committed a robbery and a beating. The man chasing them, a neighbor of the robbed couple, shouted to Wojtek to trip them up. He did not react, and the attackers ran past the student. A few seconds later, one of the escaping men took out a pistol and fired backwards, most likely aiming at the neighbor who was chasing them. However, he hit Wojtek who died from the shot. The bandits left in a taxi. Despite many witnesses, the guilty were not caught, and the men accused in the trial were acquitted. A few days after the incident, 25 000 people marched through the streets of Warsaw against violence and police helplessness.
Wolska Street 38, Młynów, WOLA
Marian K., Ludwik A. - and their partners: Mariusz Ł., Piotr Ś. and Olgierd W., i.e. commanders of the Wołomin mafia,visited the liked by them „Gama” restaurant on March 31, 1999. Unexpectedly, three armed men entered the room and fired multiple shots. They even hit cars parked on the street. As a result of the shooting, none of the five gangsters survived. The reason for the event was the desire to change the command of the criminal group from Wołomin. No one has been charged in this case, the investigation has been discontinued.
Pustelnicka Street 10, Gocławek, Praga-Południe
Ryszard Piwko was a widower who maintained close contact with the sister of his deceased wife. They both had sons of similar age. On September 30, 1997, around 10 pm, Ryszard and his son started to go home after visiting the woman. Her son took them away. When the boys were packing things into the trunk and Ryszard was getting behind the wheel, two men ran up to the car. They shot the driver and tried to shoot the sons as well. The perpetrators of the incident have not been found, nor has any motive been found.
"On This Site - Warsaw" was presented to a wider audience at the Warsaw Old Town Market Place during Night of Photography organized by the Museum of Warsaw. The project won the debut prize. The subject of the competition was "Transformations of Warsaw".