TL;DR: Franciszek Bojańczyk, Global Outreach Coordinator at the POLIN Museum, reflects on the 82nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, a defining act of Jewish resistance during WWII. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Campaign—launched in 2013 and inspired by survivor Marek Edelman’s tradition of laying yellow flowers—has since become one of Europe’s largest Holocaust remembrance initiatives. With over 2 million daffodils distributed worldwide, the campaign has raised awareness, reshaped public memory in Poland, and spread a powerful message of unity and kindness across political and cultural lines.
This Saturday, April 19, in Warsaw and at many locations around the world, we will commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising—the most heroic act of Jewish armed resistance during World War II, as well as the first civilian uprising in occupied Europe. Although this year’s anniversary coincides with both Pesach and Easter, thousands of people of goodwill will wear yellow daffodils as a symbol of remembrance.
For decades, until his passing in 2009, Marek Edelman—one of the fighters in the 1943 uprising—marked each anniversary by placing a bouquet of yellow flowers at the Memorial to the Ghetto Heroes. After his death, the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews embraced this tradition by distributing paper yellow daffodils as symbols of memory and solidarity. These daffodils were designed by Helena Czernek, a young Polish-Jewish artist and a graduate of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw.
The first “Daffodils” campaign—now widely known as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Campaign—was launched on April 19, 2013, to mark the 70th anniversary of the uprising. Originally intended as a local initiative centered on Muranów, the site of the former ghetto (the largest in Nazi-occupied Europe), its beginnings were humble: in 2013, a handful of volunteers distributed about 30,000 paper flowers. Twelve years later, the campaign has evolved into one of the largest Holocaust remembrance initiatives in Europe. To date, over 2 million daffodils have been distributed, and approximately 25,000 schools and institutions in Poland and abroad have taken part. The campaign has also made a significant impact on public awareness. For instance, a 2013 survey of Varsovians asked whether respondents knew about the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising or the significance of April 19, 1943; only 30% of those surveyed were aware. By 2019, however, awareness had risen to 80%, clearly demonstrating the socio-educational success of the campaign.
It is equally important that Poles come to recognize the uprising as a significant part of their national history. In 2013, research conducted by the Centrum Badania Opinii Społecznej (The Public Opinion Research Centre) found that 73% of respondents viewed the uprising as important only for Jews, with just 31% acknowledging its importance for Poles. When the survey was repeated in 2018, 49% responded that it was primarily significant for Poles. This 18% increase highlights how the campaign has been instrumental in educating the public about the uprising as an integral part of Polish history—a change that would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of the campaign’s volunteers.
The campaign’s reach now extends far beyond Warsaw. On April 19, daffodils were worn by politicians, diplomats, news anchors, and even the cabin crews of LOT Polish Airlines on international flights. With the support of its international partner, the World Jewish Congress, the campaign distributes daffodils to Jewish communities, synagogues, and organizations on nearly every continent. On two occasions, members of the European Parliament have worn daffodils during parliamentary sessions.
In a world that often feels increasingly divided, the campaign’s message—of remembering together across political and cultural lines—is more vital than ever. As Marek Edelman used to say,
“We must make sure that our culture cultivates kindness, not hatred.”
In that spirit, join us this Saturday by wearing a daffodil. If your community or organization hasn’t received any yet, you can easily make your own using the template and video tutorial available on our website. Alternatively, share a digital daffodil online and join thousands around the world with the hashtags #RememberingTogether and #WarsawGhettoUprisingCampaign.
For more information, please visit our website:
What is the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising Campaign? | Muzeum Historii Żydów Polskich POLIN w Warszawie
Shabbat shalom, and may this be the week the hostages return home,
Franciszek Bojańczyk
Global Outreach Coordinator at POLIN Museum
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