Lobby of the "German House". Dining room in the "German House". Beer tavern in the "German House". Common room. Single-room apartment. Staff residence on Karowa Street. Club house of the German Sports Club "Palais Brühl". Regatta on the Vistula in Warsaw. Tennis court in Agricola Park. Swimming pool in Agricola Park. Tournament facility in Warsaw. Team Schalke 04 plays against Warsaw.

To provide such a German focal point in Warsaw, the building of the former Ministerial Council was renovated and turned into the "German House"; this building, with its spacious lay-out and strictly classical architectural style, evokes impressions of Germanness in its very outward appearance. In the approximately 300 years since its construction it has seen a rather varied existence: at first it served as the palace of Prince Radziwill; next it was used as a public theater facility; in Russian days it served as the gubernatorial palace; during the world war it was the seat of the German military administration; and after the Polish state had been created by the dictates of the Treaty of Versailles, it was used as the seat of the Polish Ministerial Council and as such was the site of those politically explosive conferences and discussions which were not the least cause of the present war. The splendid reception halls are now the site of state solemnities, but this building with its beer and wine taverns, its cafe and garden restaurant, is also a popular meeting place for all Germans seeking relaxation and entertainment. As well, more than 1,100 members of the District personnel come to the cozy dining rooms of the German House and three other dining halls daily, where they receive full meal service so that they no longer need to bother with seeing to their own meals.

Besides several guest rooms, the side wings of the German House contain a number of tastefully and sensibly furnished apartments for personnel members who prefer not to set up their own housekeeping.

Many residences in the German Quarter have been furnished according to German tastes, and have been provided with furniture, curtains and bedding. It is now only rarely necessary for personnel to live in inadequate hotel rooms.

The most important measure in terms of accommodations has been the renovation of two large personnel residences, consisting of more than 150 rooms furnished in unpretentious German style. These facilities result in small shared apartments where everyone has their own comfortable room to live and sleep in, and often also a cozy shared common room to use at will. This arrangement is extremely popular and has proven to be very practical.

The creation of such residences was even more necessary in the smaller cities and towns, where the County Administrators have managed to provide their personnel with, in some cases, downright exemplary facilities despite the primitive conditions they were initially faced with.

But many other things besides the provision of accommodations and meals have also been necessary: for example, the establishment of German stores featuring reasonable prices, the creation of a health care facility to make up for the lack of home-care, clothing and shoe repair collection centers right in the offices, the accommodation of special diets and the provision of sun-ray treatments, the establishment of dressmakers' facilities where every female employee can sew her own clothes, and the provision of a convalescent home in pleasant surroundings. Even a German streetcar line had to be arranged to prevent overly close contact between the Germans and the Polish population.

But the creation of appropriate living conditions is only the beginning of overall personnel care. It is further necessary to provide intellectual stimulation so as to maintain the mental acuity and physical strength of the Germans at peak efficiency for the daily stress of working in an ethnically alien environment. As detailed in Section XIII, the Division of Propaganda, working together with the Party, has handled this great responsibility admirably.

Sports take up a large portion of the personnel's leisure time. Much has been done for the physical conditioning of the Germans during these years of reconstruction, and facilities created for the practice of various kinds of sports include the Club House on the Vistula, which offers opportunities for sailing, rowing and canoeing activities; Agricola Park, with its new swimming pool, aesthetically arranged tennis courts, and sports facilities for track and field activities and target shooting; even an indoor swimming pool for wintertime sports at the YMCA; and not least of all the Equestrian Club, which is particularly popular.

In spite of numerous difficulties it has been possible to conduct repeated field-trips, sight-seeing tours or boating excursion on the Vistula, and thus to afford the personnel of the General Government a glimpse of the countryside and everyday life, and of the ancient German cultural history of the Vistula region.

Many a bright and cheerful social get-together, Christmas celebrations full of spirit, and children's parties, have contributed to turn these Germans, drawn from all parts of the Reich, into a close-knit, united community.

Warsaw Under German Rule
German Reconstruction and Development in the District of Warsaw