Animals and War

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to analyse in a broader context Stanisław Adawczewski’s article A Glance at the changes in the fauna of Warsaw and its surroundings caused by the war. Stanisław Adamczewski (1909–1987) was a Polish entomologist, professionally associated with the Institute of Zoology at the Polish Academy of Sciences; from 1930 until the end of his life, Adamczewski held various positions at the State Zoological Museum (later Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences). Adamczewski conducted research on the species composition and abundance of butterflies in the Białowieża Forest and in the environments exposed to anthropogenic pressure (Warsaw). His articles not only analyses the changes and damage that the war inflicted on nature during World War II, but also carries a tremendous emotional weight as it depicts life in the occupied city—both human and animal. Adamczewski focuses on the eco-systemic changes affecting various species, most often those coexisting with humans, and therefore readily observed in everyday life. The unequivocal conclusion of his approach is that nature—flora and fauna, plants, domesticated animals, wild animals and birds—are war casualties just as well.