The ceremony took place on Friday, May 6. Deputy Starost Marian Haniszewski:
We know ourselves only as much as we have been tested – these are the words of a poet. But I would not wish such a test on anyone again; we do not want such a test again. Yet, seeing where the world is heading—terrorism, arms races, civil wars—we are no longer certain whether that terrible lesson of the 20th century taught us anything. It is with sorrow and sadness that I must state that, unfortunately, it did not.
Reserve Major Wiesław Łysakowski:
The price paid in the blood of our ancestors was the highest. I would like to recall with you the fate of all the people who had to sacrifice their everyday lives and dreams of family and love. For us. Thanks to them, today I can say: I am free, I live in a liberated Poland; this is a great gift, a great privilege. Can we truly appreciate it? Sometimes it is hard to believe how easily we destroy this gift in malicious disputes and endless marches against one another. Although I have already seen and experienced much, I naively believe that it is worth talking and working together. Most Poles want normality and peace. Let us remember that peace and normality are the greatest gifts, taken away from so many people. May this never happen again.
One of the most important elements of Friday’s ceremony was the laying of flowers beneath the monument to the soldiers of the Second Polish Army. Flowers were laid, among others, by delegations of veterans, Siberian exiles, uniformed services and local government officials.
The event was organized by Powiat Bolesławiecki. The ceremony was led by Renata Czerwińska and Major Jerzy Juchaniuk.