Scorched Earth: Tour of Wola & Ochota, SS War Crimes from Byelorussia to Warsaw

Warsaw, the capital of Poland, holds a rich and complex history that includes a significant chapter during World War II that also affected the city up to 1992 and even until this day. For tourists and history enthusiasts looking to delve into the depths of Warsaw's wartime secrets, there is a unique opportunity to uncover the city's past with exclusive historical tours offered by us. This one focuses on two districts in the city who suffered brutal fates, Wola and Ochota.

One of a several known photos of the men of the Dirlewanger Sonderkommando in action, taken in Warsaw during the Uprising. Likely taken in Śródmieście (City Center)

This district themed tour goes beyond the surface-level history lessons and take visitors on a journey through the two worst war crimes Poland would experience and how it relates to the "Belarus Connection". You will learn about two figures who became Hitler's worst henchmen in the east; Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski and the notorious Oskar Dirlewanger. This tours sheds light on forgotten stories of anti-partisan operations, the SS-related history of the region and how these two districts would face the same end as many villages, towns and cities experienced in the Byelorussian region by SS sonderkommandos under the leadership of twisted dark men in the Dirlewanger Brigade as well as the anti-partisan operations in Belarus lead by Erich von dem Bach-Zelewski who would later be put in command of putting down the Warsaw Uprising in August of 1944. What sets these tours apart is the level of detail and depth they offer and how no other tours go through these areas as it was the start of the failure of the Warsaw Uprising. As visitors walk through the streets of Wola and Ochota they will learn beyond the apartment blocs, cafes and restaurants that most see now. As visitors explore key locations and landmarks, they are transported back in time through storytelling and interactive elements that bring the past to life. The tours aim to not only educate but also to evoke emotions and foster a deeper connection to the history of Warsaw. You will also learn about modern day Wola and Ochota, I am very interested in their dark past but if there's something every traveler and seasoned vagabonder learns is that there is more to a neighborhood, town, city and country than their dark past. You will also experience the real local side of Warsaw other tourists do not see.

Overall, these exclusive historical tours offer a unique opportunity to uncover Warsaw's WWII secrets and gain a deeper understanding of the city's tumultuous past. However, this information and history of Poland, Warsaw, and Belarus is an extremely difficult, dark, horrible and barbaric topic that most other tours I've been on do not share because it can be info people can't fathom. I share it, because if we censor the past we will not know of the past and how to learn from it. Just as the Nuremberg Prosecutor Benjamin Ferencz once said before his death in 2023, "young people must pass the torch"

Whether you're a tourist visiting Warsaw or a history enthusiast seeking to expand your knowledge, these tours promise to provide a memorable and informative experience that will leave a lasting impression.