Explore Warsaw Zoo, Poland | Silent Walking Tour with Subtitles [4K]

History and Present of Warsaw Zoo

1. Beginnings (17th century–1928)
The roots of today’s Warsaw Zoological Garden date back to 17th-century private menageries, including King John III Sobieski’s collection in Wilanów, and several 19th-century private zoos in Warsaw. The modern zoo officially opened on 11 March 1928, covering around 40 hectares beside the Vistula River. It quickly became one of Poland’s most popular zoos.

2. Interwar Growth and World War II (1928–1945)
Under its first director Jan Żabiński, the zoo expanded rapidly. By 1939, it was among the largest in Europe, with new pavilions under construction for hippos and lions. The outbreak of war in 1939 caused severe destruction: many animals died during bombings, predators were euthanized to prevent escapes, and others were taken to Germany. During the occupation, Jan and Antonina Żabiński hid around 300 Jews in empty cages, buildings, and their villa, later called “the house under the wacky star.” In 1965, they were recognized as Righteous Among the Nations.

3. Postwar Period (1945–1982)
After the war, Jan Żabiński resumed his role until 1951, when he stepped down under political pressure. The zoo struggled with limited resources during communist times. Later directors, including Jan Landowski and Zbigniew Woliński, worked to maintain and expand the zoo. In 1979, Warsaw Zoo hosted the International Union of Zoo Directors meeting, originally planned for 1939.

4. Revitalization (1982–2008)
In 1982, Jan Maciej Rembiszewski became director and led until 2009. He oversaw modernization, introduced educational programs, built rehabilitation centers, and helped restore the zoo’s position as one of Europe’s leading zoological gardens.

5. Today (2009–present)
Since 2009, Andrzej Kruszewicz has been director. Major attractions include the elephant pavilion opened in 2003, the Ape House opened in 2008, and the Hippopotamus House with Poland’s largest shark tank opened in 2010. The zoo houses over 11,000 animals from more than 500 species and attracts over 700,000 visitors annually. It is a member of both EAZA and WAZA.

6. Recognition and Legacy
The Żabiński Villa, where Jews were hidden during the war, became a museum in 2015, showing original interiors and cellars used as refuges. Today, the zoo is officially named Municipal Zoo Antonina and Jan Żabiński. The story inspired the book The Zookeeper’s Wife in 2007 and its 2017 film adaptation, which brought worldwide recognition to the Żabiński family and their bravery.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

🎥 Filming:
🕙 Time - Morning (11AM)
📅 Date - Weekday, August 2025

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

☕ Support the channel: Buy me a coffee - https://buymeacoffee.com/romanwalks

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

If you enjoyed this walk, don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more relaxing city walks and hidden gems in Warsaw.
Where should I walk next? Let me know in the comments!

#Warsaw #Zoo #WalkingTour #SilentWalk #Poland