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Remembering the War-Time ZSP
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On Aug. 1, the anniversary of the start of the Warsaw Uprising, members of the ZSP left flowers and a message in front of the House of Professors by the plaque to the war-time ZSP. During the nazi occupation and war, the ZSP created the 104 Company of Syndicalists, involved in several important actions and maintained a key position in the old town of Warsaw, headquartered in the House of Professors. It was comprised mainly of syndicalist activists from the movement which existed before the war but was crushed by the nazis and the Stalinists. However there were also some people who escaped from the Warsaw ghetto at the House of Professors, as well as a group of Greeks. The 104 Company of Syndicalists also had a womens´ army. The Company started out with around 50 people but soon grew to about 1000, making it one of the largest forces in the Uprising.

It was involved in attacks on German positions and also other strategic places. It captured among other things Krasinski Palace, where the nazis were storing weapons and the telephone central, two key objects. Besides fighting, they organized a bakery and a hospital, two very important services during the war. The ZSP continued underground publishing, producing two publications, Iskra (the Spark) and Syndykalista.

After about a month of intense fighting, many were killed. The nazis completely destroyed the Old Town of Warsaw and the syndicalists were forced to evacuate through sewers. They continued fighting from another position. Only 26 people survived the initial battles but not many survived the uprising and the later repressions. 3 of them managed to swim across the river and escape the nazi slaughter but they were captured by Russians and forced to serve in the Soviet army.

The history of the ZSP´s fighting in the Warsaw uprising is not forgotten and there are 4 memorial plaques to them and the 104 Company in the city. Each year on August 1, the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising is commemorated.