Warsaw flattened by the Nazis. During World War II, all of Warsaw's buildings were heavily damaged. Many of those in the center of city were totally destroyed. What you see today are faithful reproductions of the originals created from drawings, paintings, photographs and incorporating fragments of the original buildings recovered from the rubble. It is amazing that, at a time when several families were sharing tiny apartments or even single rooms, the Communist government devoted so much energy to the rebuilding of palaces and churches. Of course, much of the labor was free or paid pitiful wages. From all over Poland, organizations and schools came to Warsaw to spend countless hours helping to clear the rubble, sort bricks and assist in the rebuilding effort.