Built on the site, which was a mass cemetery for the patriots who died for Poland during World War II, the Polish government designated it as a Mausoleum of Struggle and Martyrdom in 1946. Today, the Mausoleum is a museum that serves as a testament to the suffering and bravery of the patriots. The jails — where the Polish patriots and resistance fighters were interrogated and tortured by the German soldiers — were preserved in their original condition.

See the hallways, group cells (trams) and solitary cells (isolation chambers), which were well maintained to simulate their original conditions. Remember to pay a visit to the room of the Gestapo officer and look out for the thousands of inscriptions of prayers, deaths, names, crucifixes and drawings on the walls, window frames and floors. These were actually done by the Polish prisoners, who were held captive and tortured inhumanely here. A visit to this heart wrenching place should leave you feeling profoundly changed.