University of Warsaw

The main gate of the University of Warsaw stands out with its heavy wrought iron grill, crowned by the eagle of the Polish coat of arms. Originally built as a palace for the Kazimierz family in the seventeenth century, the site became the university in eighteen sixteen. During the second world war, the campus was almost entirely destroyed and used by German troops as a barracks. Professors taught students in secret, hiding their books and lectures under floorboards to keep education alive.