On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, Polish President Andrzej Duda emphasized the uprising’s role as the moral foundation of Poland’s independence. During the commemorative ceremony for the victims of the Wola Massacre, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier joined Duda in honoring those who perished.
In his speech, President Duda reminded attendees of the atrocities committed exactly 80 years ago by German SS troops who began exterminating the population of Warsaw. He highlighted the grim statistics: by August 12, 1944, around 60,000 civilians were murdered in Wola, a district of Warsaw. Duda recounted the harrowing scenes of ordinary citizens being forced from their homes and shot in the streets, with their bodies later burned. He mentioned the tons of ashes collected from the streets of Wola to be buried in a communal grave.
A Symbol of Reconciliation and Respect
President Duda underscored the significance of President Steinmeier’s presence at the ceremony. He noted that the German President, representing the nation responsible for the wartime atrocities, laid a wreath and paid his respects by bowing and kneeling before the cross commemorating the victims. Duda highlighted this gesture as a powerful symbol deserving respect.
The ceremony was attended by key officials including Ministers Wojciech Kolarski and Mieszko Pawlak, and Presidential Advisor Wojciech Gerwel. Earlier in the day, Presidents Duda and Steinmeier held a meeting at Belweder, where they discussed Polish-German relations, NATO, the European Union, and aid to Ukraine. Duda expressed his pleasure in welcoming Steinmeier during such a significant moment for bilateral relations.
Honoring the Past to Build the Future
On the eve of the anniversary, both presidents participated in a solemn field Mass and a Roll Call of the Fallen at Warsaw’s Krasiński Square. This poignant ceremony honored those who fought and died during the uprising.
Between August 5 and 12, German forces brutally suppressed the uprising, murdering approximately 12,000 residents in the vicinity of Górczewska Street. Victims included men, women, children, and patients of Wola Hospital. The bodies were burned, making it difficult to determine the exact number of victims. On August 6, 1946, their ashes were interred beneath the Monument of the Fallen Unconquered at the Warsaw Uprising Cemetery.