ZAMEK Culture Centre

October 18th, 2024 ‒ February 9th, 2025

This exhibition tells the story of the German occupation from the standpoint of architecture and everyday life in the Warthegau (Land of the Warta), a province of the Reich established by the Germans in 1939. The new order introduced during World War II was to result in thorough Germanization of the occupied area. Architecture was one of the  vital tools serving that policy, as it provided a framework for the community functioning under occupation. The plans and actions of the German decision-makers were disseminated in the newspapers, radio broadcasts and newsreels to enhance the illusion of omnipotence.

It is not without reason that the ZAMEK Culture Centre engages with this topic. Our premises—the former Imperial Castle of Kaiser Wilhelm II—was one of the edifices that were converted and adapted in line with the ordinances of the occupation authorities. Residing in this very building, Gauleiter Arthur Greiser—the Nazi governor—sought to make the Warthegau a model province, whose example would be followed elsewhere on the territories conquered by the Reich. Ultimately, the castle was to become one of Hitler’s headquarters. Its interiors reflect the aspirations of the occupiers, the eponymous illusions of total power.

At our exhibition, the story about the occupied and the occupiers begins with a symbolic selection of artefacts: the remains of buildings and monuments destroyed by the Germans, set against a Nazi map of the Warthegau.

A substantial part of the exhibition includes items illustrating how the Reich leaders’ belief in victory was manifested in bold visions of the future under their rule. Similar towns and villages were to be populated by German communities that would live according to the tenets of National Socialism. The plans, maps, photographs, works of art and daily objects shown here tell the tale of the German occupation not only from the perspective of the authorities but also the local population. Most exhibits originate from Polish museums, but a number have also been sourced from German and Austrian archives and private collections. It is an account that spans the tragic fates of Poles, Jews and other national groups, as well as the stories of the Germans brought into the occupied lands.

In 2025, 80 years will have passed since the end of World War II. Illusions of Omnipotence  reminds us how important it is to learn from history. This reflection is palpably present throughout the exhibition, while the installation by Iza Tarasewicz—integral to the concept of the exhibition—offers a singular, artistic insight in that respect. The piece, created in the space envisioned as Hitler’s study, is an ambiguous commentary on the history long past and the history unfolding before our eyes.