Poles during World War II went to great lengths to make life as difficult as possible for the Germans. Humor under occupation boosted morale and gave hope for a better future. At the same time, it enabled effective harassment of the occupier. It was also a domain that the powerful Gestapo could not completely control.
Inscriptions on Walls
At the beginning, there was considerable freedom in ridiculing the German occupier and inventing jokes. People hoped that the French army’s offensive in spring 1940 would end the period of captivity. Therefore, they consoled themselves with the saying: „the higher the sun, the closer Sikorski gets.” Later, when the Polish underground became stronger, wall inscriptions became more thoughtful.
In many inscriptions, their authors included plenty of good-quality humor and did not hesitate to use irony. When the Germans removed the monument of Jan Kiliński in Warsaw, someone immediately wrote in tar on a wall: „I am here, people of Warsaw – Kiliński Jan.”
When Dr. Ludwig Hahn, the terror of Poles, arrived in Warsaw, two rhymes appeared on the walls: „Rooster, rooster of the Hahn breed. His head will be twisted tomorrow at dawn” and „I stand and wait from night till morning. Waiting for the Allies, maybe they’ll finally drop a bomb on Hahn.”
In turn, when German convalescents from the Eastern Front arrived at the Saxon Garden, someone jokingly wrote „Zoo” above the gate.
Wall inscriptions were made with indelible paint or soot in hard-to-reach places. Their removal forced the Germans to expend considerable effort. The inscriptions raised Polish morale and at the same time provided them with satisfaction when they saw Germans struggling to remove inscriptions that would reappear after some time.
Jokes in the Press and Operation „N”
Jokes in the press were placed from the beginning of the occupation. In summer 1940, Witold Skrzyniarz placed an advertisement in „Goniec Krakowski”: „Specialist Władysław Sikorski tans the hides of wild animals. Specialty: iberalesy [distorted statement „über alles”], Kraków, Veit Stoss str. 34.” The German Gestapo did not understand the true content of the advertisement and, until they confirmed that the given address did not exist, searched for Sikorski at the indicated address.
A special case of jokes were those related to Operation „N.” This operation was meant to lower morale in German society. The idea to edit German-language publications pretending to be those issued by the Germans was the brilliant brainchild of the initiator of Operation „N,” General Stefan Grot-Rowecki.
As part of Operation „N,” Germans in Warsaw were harassed by sending fake official documents obliging them to transport chickens and eggs by horse-drawn carts (to the Kreishauptmann on Nowowiejska Street) on Adolf Hitler’s birthday for soldiers on the Eastern Front. German factory owners were sent notifications ordering them to give their workforce a paid day off to mark the 10th anniversary of the Nazis coming to power. Fake announcements by German authorities about the mobilization of Volksdeutsche or the evacuation of Germans from the General Government were also posted.
In autumn 1943, a fake proclamation by Hans Frank was hung in many places, forbidding Poles to breathe fresh air, use water from the Vistula, wash with soap, sleep at night, think rationally, and die a natural death without the consent of the Arbeitsamt. These actions aimed to ridicule and compromise the Germans. Due to the large scope of the entire operation and the excellent preparation of materials, the Germans considered them the work of German opposition.
German occupation authorities many times tried to completely destroy the Polish underground press through paper rationing, frequent searches, and destruction of clandestine printing houses. Ultimately, however, they failed to do so and continued to be exposed to ridicule in the press and fake ordinances.
Jokes and Black Humor
Jokes about the occupier were created throughout World War II. It was either black humor or irony. A joke entitled „Conversation at the Gestapo” was composed: – So you Poles don’t want Germans to remain in Poland permanently? – Oh yes, very much so, only three meters underground.
Jokes were also made about the defeat of the Axis powers: „The Italians will return to Africa. Unable to do it by deed, at least by shouting, Benito wanted to convince the world that the Italians would return to Africa, from where the English bat drove them out.”
At the same time, efforts were made to ridicule Benito Mussolini and Adolf Hitler. A joke was created called „Telephone conversation from the period of Italian fighting in Libya”: – Hello, Benito! I hear you’re occupying Egypt? – Speak louder, Adolf, I can’t hear anything. – Are you occupying Egypt? – I can’t hear anything. Are you calling from London already?
Some of the jokes simply aimed to annoy the Gestapo. After Operation „Góral,” someone sent a denunciation to the Gestapo, writing that he was ready to describe the entire course of the operation. Gestapo agents went to the address indicated by the author of the denunciation: „Warsaw, Castle Square 1.” Only on site did they realize that at this address there was only the Sigismund III Vasa Column.
Different in nature were rhymes prophesying defeat for the Germans. A rhyme heralding Hitler’s imminent defeat circulated: „He who waged war with bombs will die by a bomb. He who threatens others with a noose will not escape the noose.”
The Germans were helpless in the face of the scale of the phenomenon. The Gestapo, despite its enormous capabilities, was unable to stop Poles from telling forbidden jokes and amusing rhymes. Thanks to this, it was possible to mock the Germans and maintain high morale among Poles.
Summary
Polish humor under occupation was incredibly elaborate. It helped survive the difficult time of occupation and enabled effective harassment of the German occupier. Due to the considerable ingenuity of Poles, the Gestapo was completely helpless in the face of what befell it.
The commandant of one of the German oflags even said that „a naked Pole under an empty bell jar will be dressed and furnished after two weeks and will start distilling moonshine.” Thus, the creativity and originality of Poles found recognition even in the eyes of the enemy.
Bibliography
- Iranek-Osmecki K., Powołanie i przeznaczenie. Wspomnienia oficera Komendy Głównej AK, Warsaw 2004.
- Jankowski S., Karski. Raporty tajnego emisariusza, Poznań 2009.
- Koper S., Polskie piekiełko nad Wisłą. Sceny z życia polskich elit pod okupacją, Warsaw 2019.
- Paczkowski A., Ankieta cichociemnego, Warsaw 1984.
- Rowecka-Mielczarska I., Ojciec. Wspomnienia córki gen. Stefana Grota Roweckiego, Warsaw 1985.
Autor
Rory Thornfield
Rory's grandfather left behind a wartime diary filled with accounts of a minor Burma skirmish that history books never mentioned. Reading it, Rory realized: behind every famous battle are dozens of forgotten struggles, each with its own human drama.
His preferred topics: The overlooked corners of military history – secondary campaigns, shadow battalions, local conflicts that never made headlines. From medieval sieges to twentieth-century expeditions, he focuses on the soldiers, not the generals. The people who faced impossible choices and carried those experiences forever.
Rory strips away the romanticism without losing respect for those who served. He combines tactical analysis with personal stories, examining human endurance and moral complexity rather than celebrating warfare. His writing is balanced, thoughtful, and deeply researched.
Outside work, Rory visits forgotten battlefields (now quiet farmland), photographs war memorials nobody tends anymore, and interviews veterans' families.