Braun was born January 1, 1909 in Warsaw. During Warsaw Uprising he made 3000 photographies of battles, portraits of people, destruction and everyday life in fighting city. Generally he was operating in Śródmieście district. After capitulation of Warsaw, he escaped from the city. In January 1945 he came back to take his negatives. After that he fled to Sweden, and in 1964 he immigrated to the United States. In 1981 he delivered archives of his photografies to Historical Museum of Warsaw. Sylwester Braun died in Warsaw.