The Nazi occupation was a tragic period for Łazienki. In 1939 it was closed to Poles and the historic buildings were taken over by the German military. Towards the end of December 1944, before evacuating the palace, the Nazis drenched its walls with petrol and set the complex on fire. In the building’s blackened walls they drilled some one thousand holes to place dynamite in order to blow it up the way they had Warsaw’s Royal Castle. Fortunately, they were unable to do so.Following the Second World War, an arduous reconstruction project of the Łazienki royal complex, which was to last nearly two decades, got under way. The first seven ground floor chambers of the palace was opened to the public in 1960 and in 1965 the entire first floor. Fortunately the White House, Myślewicki Palace and the theatre in the old orangery were spared from any severe destruction during the war. Nevertheless, they required thorough restoration, since they did sustain damage. At present they are completely renovated and open to visitors. Also restored are the Amphitheatre, Waterworks and the Cadets’ Hall which recently became the home of the Ignacy Jan Paderewski Museum. This historic palace and garden complex, now situated in the city centre, performs various cultural functions and is regularly visited by a great many domestic and foreign excursions as well as Varsovians. Its constant care and maintenance under the watchful eye of conservators is, however, extremely costly.