Warsaw to remember Rising on anniversary
PR dla Zagranicy
Roberto Galea
01.08.2015 11:30
Poland's capital will stop for a minute’s silence on Saturday to commemorate the 71st anniversary of the Warsaw Rising against the Nazi occupiers.
On Saturday, President Bronisław Kmorowski laid wreaths near the graves of some of the victims of the Rising at the Powązki cemetery in Warsaw. Photo: PAP/Radek Pietruszka
An air-raid siren will be sounded at the “W Hour” at 5:00 pm to mark the start of the fighting on 1 August 1944.
The central part of the city which saw the worst of the fighting during WWII will stop for a minute’s silence to pay respect to the two hundred thousand Warsaw inhabitants who lost their lives in the battle.
At an event of Friday, Polish President Bronisław Komorowski said that “the most beautiful monument to the Rising is a free Poland”.
“Today 71 years following this dramatic attempt to save Poland’s chance for freedom, for a chance to have a free nation, a free country, a free people. What's more, we need to think back with respect and gratitude at Poland’s freedom today,” President Komorowski said.
The Warsaw Rising is considered to be the single largest military effort undertaken by a resistance group in Europe. The Polish resistance Home Army decided to start the rising to free the capital from under the Nazi occupation at a time when the Soviet Red Army was approaching Warsaw from the east on its way to Berlin.
However, on Stalin's orders the Soviet offensive was stopped and Warsaw was left to bleed to death. Before the Soviets finally captured the city in January 1945, the Nazis had demolished most of the buildings and infrastructure. (rg/rk)