The memory of the beginning of the Second world war in Poland, Wieluń and Warsaw reconciled with strong words and Gestures. There was a poignant, personal moments, but also hard policy.
Two commemorations reminded on Sunday of the German invasion of Poland – and were quite different. In the afternoon the commemoration in Warsaw ended with 250 invited guests from all over the world and a clear political message from the host.
It had begun ten hours earlier, rather modest in a small town, two hours by car to travel from the capital. There, in Wielun, echoing around 4.40 am, the alarm sirens. The city intends, for some years, of the own victim. 1200 people died there on 1. In September 1939, when without warning the bombs fell. “It was a terrorist attack by the German air force,” said the German President.
Remember the Terror at dawn,
Frank-Walter Steinmeier was the first foreign statesman who visited Wieluń. Around 2000 people gathered in the square of the legions, the Central location in Wielun, significantly more than usual for this occasion.
The guest from Germany was on this anniversary before the inhabitants, have paid tribute to you. “Welcome, Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier,” the mayor of Wieluń greeted him in German. The President of Poland, Andrzej Duda said that 80 years after the crimes of the German Federal President in the place of come to be a “moral reparation”.
Memory at dawn – the President of the Steinmeier in Wielun
And then division of the host in the memory of the events, no Details. Almost minutely of the day was the dawn of the 1. September 1939 retold. It was a Friday, many traders from the surrounding area rushed to the market in the 16,000-person town, in the Morning should start for the children of a new school year. No one suspected that “the representatives of this so-civilised country, of a great European culture would do something so Barbaric,” said Duda.
The most emotional Moment of the day
In the audience known Iwona, a young woman, she did not envy the German President, because he would have to endure with the historical truth, “a lot”. She was glad that Steinmeier was coming to Wielun. “That’s why the whole world what happened with us is experiencing,” added the 72-year-old Bogumiła Parzonka. You have witnessed the rebuilding of the city. “It’s been a long time, we have the Germans forgiven and the youth can’t help it.” Not all on the court shared this opinion, however, the conciliatory comments predominated.
“We have the Germans forgiven” – the 72-year-old Bogumiła Parzonka (l) in Wieluń
Above all, Steinmeier himself contributed. “I bow before the Victims of the Attack on Wieluń. I bow to the Polish Victims of the German reign of violence. And I ask your forgiveness,” said the Federal President and the three phrases repeated in Polish. This exchange of the Polish ears, hard-sounding German language in the familiar Polish, so that all understood on the space of the Embassy of the guest – this was probably the most emotional Moment of the day of remembrance.
The hours in Wielun ended for the two state presidents with a personal encounter with witnesses. The German promised that his country will always bear the responsibility.
A different commemoration in Warsaw
From Wielun to Warsaw, Where the Central ceremony took place at noon, to-came back from the Chancellor Angela Merkel. Unlike in the small town of Wielun’s inhabitants were in Warsaw before the place. Maybe it was the safety precautions, or the burning sun.
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Steinmeier asks Poland to forgiveness
Also on the Pilsudski square in Warsaw, it was a reminder and a victim to German guilt and responsibility, the “living miracle of reconciliation”, such as the Federal President “in humility and gratitude,” he stressed. “We will never forget,” he said in the name of the Chancellor.
And yet, the character of the memorial celebration was quite different than in the Morning. Duda took advantage of the Chance to remember in front of an international audience of the heroism of his countrymen, as well as the often forgotten Dimension of the Polish victims.
In this sense, the last speaker, US Vice-President Mike Pence, who stepped in on short notice for Donald Trump voice. He emphasized everything that the poles about their heroism, their unbroken freedom of spirit, and their merits in the liberation of Europe of the dictatorships of the 20th century. Century hear. And yet, something was missing in his appearance. He was hardly in the transatlantic partnership, provided hardly any new impulses, and spoke much on the past.
US Vice President Pence (r), Poland’s head of state, Duda (m) and Federal President of Germany Steinmeier (l) in Warsaw
Finally, the policy
Clearer signals sent to the Polish head of state, Duda to own people and to the international guests. He mentioned Russia, not a word, but all knew whom he meant when he called for decisive Action against military aggression. He also made a bold comparison: “The German attack on Poland, there would have been perhaps, if the Western powers and the annexation of Austria and sharp against the persecution of Jews in Germany would have protested.” This was a great lesson. “You can and should not move on to the agenda of this procedure,” he demanded with a view to the annexation of the Crimea and the conflict in the East of Ukraine. From Russia, no guests were on the Pilsudski square loaded.
Currently the most difficult issue between Germany and Poland from clinging Duda: the demand for reparations. In the run-up to it had arranged for miss tones. Only a small group of protesters cried out for the presence of the Federal President, the word “reparations” – it went quickly.
In the morning, in Wielun, the 72-year-old Bogumiła Parzonka asked whether the issue will probably be addressed. Both countries would have to openly talk about it, she said, and wished to have “at least something symbolic”. Just not today – because “it is for us today a much more important day.”
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Memory of Wieluń
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