Olimp

Olimp (Picture thieved from Google)

This time last year, I often had a string of lessons close to Ul.Legnicka on the western side of Wrocław. Many hours for many days a week I spent time walking around this relatively uneventful part of Wrocław. It was even difficult for me to find a good coffee.

Then one day, close to Legnicka, on Sokolnicza, nestled between the offices of one of my students, a second hand wedding dress shop and a photocopying place, I found an imposing three pronged stone structure with an inscription. Grabbing my dictionary, I soon learnt that the monument represented and commemorated the meeting place of 'Olimp' during WWII.

The Olimp group were a pretty brave bunch of people. There were, of course, many heroic Poles and Polish organisations during WWII but Olimp deserve some kudos because they operated entirely in German territory, in the Nazi's own backgarden. Most of you may know that during WWII, Wrocław was infact Breslau, one of the hardest and most patriotic German cities. Yet despite the unforgiving repression against Poles in this area and the iron grip of the Gestapo, Wrocław still contained a highly effective Polish intelligence organisation - it's name was Olimp and it consisted of members of the Polish minority in Breslau and escapees from nearby camps.

Why the name 'Olimp' is unknown. From the memoirs of a Pole connected with Olimp it is said to be connected with the remoteness of the meeting place making it as difficult to get to as Mount Olympus - and the name stuck. However, from anyone’s point of view their meeting place is pretty central so who knows, maybe it just sounded cool.

Members of Olimp met in the buildings in and around Sokolnicza during 1941 and sent information along supply routes to larger Polish cities, to be then sent on to England. The location was chosen because of a local restaurant which would mask the movement of people. The restaurant is know gone but when your standing there next to the monument it's not hard to picture what it must have been like in the 40's- maybe I'm being a little melodramatic but I swear you can still feel the tension in the air.

The Gestapo broke up Olimp in 1942 and sent most of it's members to prison camps although the organisation in some form existed until the end of the war. The most surprising thing however is how very few Wrocławians have heard of Olimp or its heroic deeds.

It's hard to even find information on tinternet (although a wiki page does exist). There are many things to be proud of in Wrocław and many things you must see but for those who do remember this post and get the opportunity, it's well worth to visit this unknown monument.

Wrocław na zawsze polski

EDIT- Ok, now there is a FB page dedicated to the original 'Olimp' group, enjoy!