“We must remember! Remember even when some people claim the right to rewrite history, judging which soldiers deserve to be remembered more. All of us who received the memory of World War II from its direct witnesses, as well as those who learn about it from books. We must remember this. So that through our everyday conduct we can prove that we deserved the soldiers’ sacrifice, and that their devotion will not be wasted. We must remember this so that at least once a year, on May 8, we gather in a place important to our communities to honor the collective sacrifice of Polish soldiers. Ladies and gentlemen, there are fewer and fewer direct witnesses of World War II among us. More and more veterans are going on eternal watch, passing on to us the legacy of themselves and their fallen comrades. This legacy is devotion to the country and to the community. This legacy is the expectation of unity and understanding,” said Bolesławiec County Head Karol Stasik during the ceremony marking the 73rd Anniversary of the End of World War II at the Monument to the Soldiers of the Second Army of the Polish Army in Bolesławiec.
Another testament to remembrance and great respect for the liberators’ achievements is the fact that the Bolesławiec County Board made considerable efforts to have the square where the familiar crosses stand named after the “Soldiers of the Second Army of the Polish Army.” The Bolesławiec municipal authorities supported this request, but at the same time faced the dilemma of changing the street’s name—like municipalities throughout Poland—when the decommunization law came into force. As a result, the street now bears the name General August Emil Fieldorf “Nil”.
It is difficult to dispute the undeniable merits of the latter, but at the same time, in accordance with the declaration “We remember,” the authorities of Bolesławiec County determinedly sought to have the square with its symbolic monument take over the former—equally deserving—name of the neighboring street. This proves that here, locally, we are aware of the sacrifice paid by young men fighting for freedom and their homeland. They did not analyze whom they were standing alongside in order to defeat the mortal enemy that was destroying Europe and the world so extensively. In accordance with the words quoted today by the Bolesławiec County Head: “We must remember this! Remember even when some people claim the right to rewrite history, judging which soldiers deserve to be remembered more…”
