The ceremony commemorating the 79th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II was held on Monday, September 3, at the monument to the Soldiers of the 2nd Polish Army in Bolesławiec (2nd Army Square, General Nil Street).
During the ceremony organized by Bolesławiec County, the memory of those who fought to defend their homeland was honored once again. The host of the ceremony, Bolesławiec County governor Karol Stasik, spoke:
As every year, we gather at a place that is important to us to remember that on September 1, 1939, our country became the subject of a criminal attack by Nazi Germany. The aim of this attack was the complete liquidation of the Polish state and the extermination of its population.
Today, living in a safe Poland and a peaceful Europe, our memory of that time is only a vague recollection. We have forgotten how easily a conflict can be sparked—one that brings the deaths of millions and immeasurable material losses.
We say that such a war will never happen again, yet World War II did not arise out of nowhere. That hell arose from the belief that some people could dominate others. This conflict broke out because it was decided that established rules and principles between nations did not have to be respected.
Millions of people lost their lives because it was decided that some deserved more than others; that people could be divided into better and worse, and that the lives of different people were not equally valuable.
And he added:
Why do we so often forget the real causes of World War II? Perhaps because we encounter so many of the causes that led to World War II in today’s world; because so much of the evil underlying that conflict appears today—not only somewhere in the world, but also here, in our Europe and our country.
Perhaps we have grown accustomed to them, treating them as something normal?
Remembering the victims our country sacrificed during the September Campaign; remembering the victims of the occupation and the concentration camps—why do we react so weakly to evil?! It is time to realize the dangers!
Just as the victims of war gave their lives, so we, mindful of those victims, should do everything in our power to ensure that this horror never happens again. Let us pass on knowledge of its causes to our children and grandchildren; let us respect other people. Let us not break established rules, and let us care not only for ourselves but also for our community: the county community, the national community and the European community. Then such a war will never happen again.
Retired Major Jacek Nesler:
79 years ago, September 1, which should have been a day of joy and hope for all Poles, was brutally interrupted by the German invader.
A state’s independence can never be defended without sacrifices, but Poland paid far too great a price in the years 1939–1945. Today, standing here as a representative of veterans’ organizations, I want to say: we remember this sacrifice—the sacrifice of the Polish Soldier and the dedication of the citizens of the Republic of Poland. Let us remember the losses and the struggle, the pain and the death.
Let us remember, because those who took part in these events are passing away and will no longer be able to bear witness to those times through their lives. Let us remember precisely so that future generations will not have to sacrifice their lives in this way.
There was also a prayer, led by Rev. Capt. Michał Zieliński of the 10th Armored Cavalry Brigade in Świętoszów; the Roll Call of Remembrance, read by Second Lt. Łukasz Więckiewicz of the 23rd Silesian Artillery Regiment in Bolesławiec; and a ceremonial volley.
One of the most important elements of the ceremony was the laying of flowers at the monument to the Soldiers of the 2nd Polish Army. Flowers were laid, among others, by delegations of veterans, Siberian deportees, uniformed services and local government officials.
Honor and glory to the heroes!