Ceremonies at the memorial to the 1944 Warsaw Uprising insurgents who fought in the Mokotow district of the Polish capital commenced Monday’s observances marking the 78th anniversary of the city’s revolt against its Nazi-German occupants.
78 years ago the Warsaw Uprising launched. It was the largest resistance operation in German-occupied Europe during #WWII. As every year, the soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces will pay tribute to the fallen and fighters for the freedom of our Homeland . #WarsawUprising pic.twitter.com/bD5GrgDZL4
— Poland MOD ?? (@Poland_MOD) August 1, 2022
Today marks the 78th anniversary of the outbreak of the #WarsawRising. It was a military operation aimed to liberate the capital from German occupation. #OTD every year at 5 pm the entire Warsaw stops for a minute to pay a tribute to the heroes, who gave their lives for #Poland. pic.twitter.com/0pToKUsFCP
— Chancellery of the Prime Minister of Poland (@PremierRP_en) August 1, 2022
The Warsaw Uprising was the largest underground military operation in German-occupied Europe. On August 1, 1944, around 40,000-50,000 insurgents took part in the fighting. Planned to last several days, the uprising eventually lasted over two months.
During the fighting in Warsaw, about 18,000 insurgents lost their lives and 25,000 were wounded. Losses among the civilian population were huge and amounted to approx. 180,000. After the Warsaw Uprising was crushed about 500,000 surviving residents were forced to evacuate and Warsaw was almost completely razed to the ground.
The anniversary’s main commemorative ceremonies in Warsaw were scheduled for 5 p.m. on Monday, the time the Uprising commenced.
Sirens wailed throughout Warsaw at 5:00 p.m. on Monday, the exact time of August 1, 1944, the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising against the city’s Nazi German invaders, to mark the revolt’s 78th anniversary.
On August 1, 1944, at 5.00 p.m., the greatest armed uprising against the German occupiers during WWII – Warsaw Uprising broke out.
Today, at 5.00 p.m., all of Warsaw will stop for a minute to commemorate the Heroes of the struggle for our freedom. Eternal Glory and Memory! ?? pic.twitter.com/IMNy9FlLAh
— Polish History ?? (@PolishHistory_) August 1, 2022
As the sirens wailed, traffic and pedestrians stopped throughout the city for a minute of silence in tribute to the fighters and victims of the bloody WWII insurgency.
The Warsaw Uprising March, which started in downtown Warsaw shortly after the capital held a moment of silence, was planned to end with a concert of uprising-time songs in front of the Warsaw Uprising Memorial in Krasińskich Square.
Warszawa 1939pic.twitter.com/xd2wbCpXsy
— Marzena Paczuska (@MarzenaPaczuska) July 31, 2022