Home » today » News » Warsaw. 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. Rafał Trzaskowski’s speech

Warsaw. 76th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising. Rafał Trzaskowski’s speech

– Caring for the memory and passing it on to our children, let us do everything so that each next generation of Polish and Polish women, women from Warsaw and Warsaw will not have to experience the fate of Warsaw residents in 1944 – said the Mayor of Warsaw during the ceremony of planting a tree in the Warsaw Uprising Park. Under his roots, the foundation act of the memorial chamber, which is to be built in this place in honor of the civilian population of Warsaw and the victims of the Wola Massacre, was dug in.

Apart from the President of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, the ceremony was attended by Wanda Traczyk-Stawska, participant of the uprising, Tomasz Grodzki, Senate Marshal, Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, Konstanty Radziwiłł, Masovian Voivode and Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz, as well as Warsaw insurgents.

REPORT FROM THE CELEBRATIONS OF THE 76TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WARSAW Uprising >>>

“These are the images that stay in us and build determination”

The Mayor of Warsaw dedicated his speech to the memory of the events of 1944. – Anyone who grew up in the cult of the uprising remembers certain childhood images or those that were passed down from generation to generation. The first pictures that I remember (come – ed.) From my childhood in the 1970s, when many traces of the uprising were visible in Warsaw. For me, the most shocking situation was when I was standing over the grave of my uncle, who died in one of the first skirmishes, at 4.40 pm, before the uprising broke out, and I realized that I am also 21 years old. This is what my uncle had when he died – said Trzaskowski. He mentioned parents who “blessed their children” and then experienced their death or slavery. – As parents, we wonder how we would behave today if they went to the uprising – he added.

– This painting, when my grandfather had to wait for the exhumation of the body, and then dragged his son and his friend to the cemetery on the door across Warsaw, will always be with me. These are the images that stay with us and build determination to never forget the uprising and learn from it, said Rafał Trzaskowski.

photo-content" style="width:1137.7777777777778px">
photo-content__wrapper">

Rafał Trzaskowski during the ceremony at the Warsaw Insurgents CemeteryMateusz Marek / PAP

WATCH TVN24 ON THE INTERNET ON TVN24 GO >>>

“Let this also be a warning for the future”

The mayor of Warsaw also spoke about the “years of hypocrisy”, the times of communism. – When we were not allowed to properly worship heroes, when there was talk of insurgents, but not about the uprising, when the facts were distorted. Then we are aware of the pain that the insurgents had to endure, since most of them have passed away, not surviving the times when we can honor the memory of the insurgents and the civilian population hand in hand – said Rafał Trzaskowski.

He also assured that the construction of a memorial room at the Warsaw Insurgents Cemetery was starting. – Thanks to the determination of Mrs. Wanda (Traczyk-Stawska – ed.), But also of other insurgents who followed the order for this memory to survive. Today, our responsibility is to take care of the insurgents, but also the memory of the uprising, so that the symbols that we have engraved in our DNA remain sacred to us, remain something that connects us – he explained And he emphasized that the memorial room would be special, as it would be dedicated primarily to civilian victims. – It is an important lesson to make us think about those who had to bear the burden of the uprising on their shoulders because they lost their children or grandchildren. And during the dark communism they were not even allowed to remember the way they wanted, he reminded.

– Civilians are over 80,000 of the 100,000 people who are buried here. Children, women, old men, their remains were brought here from all over the city. This is probably one of the most shocking images of the uprising, because the soldiers knew what they were going to face, but the civilian population could not have been aware of it – described Trzaskowski. That is why the chamber is to commemorate the Slaughter of Will and the death of the civilian population in the uprising, the price they had to pay.

– Let it also be a warning for the future that war brings a terrible price, not only to heroes, but also to civilians who have to pay the bill, unfortunately in our history for decades. Taking care of the memory and passing it on to our children, let us do everything so that each next generation of Polish and Polish women, women from Warsaw and Warsaw will not have to experience the fate of the inhabitants of Warsaw in 1944. Let us pray that none of us and our grandchildren will have to experience moments like those parents from Jerozolimskie – summed up the president of the capital, referring to the words of Wanda Traczyk-Stawska. In her speech, she talked about the insurgents leaving Warsaw after the capitulation. As she explained, among the crowd led by Wehrmacht soldiers, parents gathered along Jerozolimskie Avenue looked for their children.

“Please, remember”

– Please, remember those who are lying here. Remember, because it is your greatest pride that there are Warsaw residents like that – Traczyk-Stawska appealed during the ceremony. She said that “today is the day when a great dream has come true – that there will be a memorial room.” – Because this cemetery would not tell about itself – she added.

She also asked the president of Warsaw and the voivode of Mazovia for help in creating this place as soon as possible.

WANDA TRACZYK-STAWSKA’S SPEECH AT THE WARSAW RISING PARK >>>

photo-source">Main photo source: Mateusz Marek / PAP

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.