bre aking ▁architect ural ▁achiev ements ▁were ▁made ▁during ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Republic , ▁most ▁not ably ▁the ▁reconst ruction ▁of ▁Wars aw ▁with ▁its ▁historical ▁Old ▁Town ▁and ▁the ▁completion ▁of ▁Warszawa ▁Central na ▁railway ▁station ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁under ▁Edward ▁Gi erek ' s ▁personal ▁patron age . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁most ▁modern ▁railway ▁station ▁building ▁in ▁that ▁part ▁of ▁Europe ▁when ▁completed ▁and ▁was ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁automatic ▁glass ▁doors ▁and ▁es cal ators , ▁an ▁unlikely ▁sight ▁in ▁commun ist ▁countries . ▁Another ▁example ▁of ▁pure ▁late ▁modern ism ▁was ▁the ▁S my k ▁Department ▁Store , ▁constructed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁when ▁social ist ▁real ism ▁was ▁still ▁in ▁effect ; ▁it ▁was ▁critic ized ▁for ▁its ▁appearance ▁as ▁it ▁res emble d ▁the ▁styles ▁and ▁mot ifs ▁of ▁the ▁pre - war ▁capital ist ▁Second ▁Polish ▁Republic . ▁ ▁Education ▁ ▁Commun ist ▁authorities ▁placed ▁an ▁emphas is ▁on ▁education ▁since ▁they ▁considered ▁it ▁vital ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁new ▁intellig ents ia ▁or ▁an ▁educated ▁class ▁that ▁would ▁accept ▁and ▁favour ▁social ist ▁ideas ▁over ▁capital ism ▁to ▁maintain ▁the ▁commun ists ▁in ▁power ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁period . ▁▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁Second ▁World ▁War , ▁education ▁in ▁the ▁capital ist ▁Second ▁Polish ▁Republic ▁( 1 9 1 8 - 1 9 3 9 ) ▁had ▁many ▁limitations ▁and ▁wasn ' t ▁readily ▁available ▁to ▁all , ▁though ▁under ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁J ę dr