This morning we begin our tour of Warsaw on the Royal Route, a historical path that connects major landmarks in Warsaw. We begin with a stop at the courtyard of the Presidential Palace.
Here we find a statue of Marshall Joseph Pilsudski, first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he became an increasingly dominant figure in Polish politics and exerted significant influence on shaping the country’s foreign policy. Piłsudski is viewed as a father of the Second Polish Republic, which was re-established in 1918, 123 years after the final partition of Poland in 1795, and was considered de facto leader (1926–1935) of the Second Republic as the Minister of Military Affairs. (Taken from WikiPedia.)
The captions on the statue base states “Marshall Joseph Piludski” and “To its defender in 1920, Warsaw”.
This 1934 Cadillac Fleetwood is displayed adjacent to the courtdyard.
This sign translates to the following (with some edits for clarity).
Marshal Józef Piłsudski’s Cadillac 355D, a unique monument of material culture, particularly connected with Polish history, was manufactured in 1934 in the United States by special order of the Polish government. Basic technical and operational data of the vehicle: Four-stroke, eight-cylinder V-shaped (8V), carbureted, liquid-cooled engine drives the rear wheels. Displacement: 5793 cm3 [354 cubic inches, 5.79 L]. Power: 1.30 HP at 3400 rpm. Gearbox with three forward gears and one reverse. Steel body, mounted on a frame, with upholstered roof insert on a wooden frame. Wheelbase: 3708 mm [146”] . Track: front 1508 mm [59.4”], rear 1575 mm [62.0”]. Overall length: 5780 mm. Tires: 7.50 x 17 (reinforced). Total weight: approx. 3000 kg [6614 lbs] (with armor). Fuel consumption: approx. 30 L per 100 km [7.8 mpg]. Maximum speed: approx. 100 km/h [62 mph].
As we move away from this courtyard, we head to the Frederick Chopin Monument. This park is a nice example of the many green spaces in Warsaw.
Chopin was a Polish composer who wrote primarily piano solo pieces. As Poland’s most famous musician, he is still beloved in Poland. For more on Chopin see, for example, this site.
Unfortunately, the park is under construction around the monument.
There are 15 Chopin Benches scattered around Warsaw, all locations somehow connected to Chopin and his life in the city. Each bench includes a map that marks the locations of the other benches and a button to play a short clip of one of Chopin’s works.
We will continue our tour of the Royal Route with the next post.
Mark
Thank you for sharing the photos and explaining them. You have some great memories from your time in Poland.
How nice to step out into an entirely different culture and immerse yourself in the sights, sounds, food, etc. I hope you both very much enjoyed the time away.