The celebrations began with a solemn Holy Mass held at St. Boniface Church and celebrated by representatives of the Zgorzelec clergy. A large number of Zgorzelec residents attended the Mass. The official guests included representatives of the city, municipal and Zgorzelec county authorities, representatives of institutions and establishments operating in our city and county, and delegations from military-class schools. As usual, numerous representatives of veterans’ associations and trade unions, scouts, school students and the Zgorzelec motorcyclist group were also present.
The service was given a festive setting by numerous flag-bearing delegations representing veterans’, military and trade-union associations, Zgorzelec schools and uniformed services. The PGE Turów Lignite Mine Orchestra provided the musical accompaniment. The official part of the celebrations concluded with a procession to the Millennium Monument, where, following commemorative speeches, wreaths and bouquets of flowers were laid.
At 4:30 p.m., residents gathered in the auditorium of the Municipal Cultural Centre to sing patriotic songs together, accompanied by students from the Zgorzelec School of Music. The event, jointly organised by the Mayor of the City of Zgorzelec and the Zgorzelec county head, was a great success, as the MDK auditorium could not accommodate everyone who wished to commemorate Independence Day in this way.
Refreshments were prepared in the MDK foyer especially for residents taking part in the communal singing, including a cake in the national colours, cupcakes decorated with Polish flags and hot drinks. In addition, throughout the day the MDK foyer hosted an exhibition of books about regaining independence, prepared by the Municipal Public Library in Zgorzelec.
Zgorzelec City Office/ii