The county celebrations of November 11 began with a lecture by Dariusz Stefaniak of the Witelon State University of Applied Sciences in Legnica. The lecture was held in the conference room of the county office. The speaker discussed Poland’s path to independence: from the Kościuszko Uprising, through the years of the partitions, to the restoration of sovereignty in 1989.
“The conviction, reinforced by writers and poets, of the special role of the Polish nation, as well as the idea of the ‘bulwark of Christianity,’ was favorable in some circumstances, but at times seriously limited the development of Poles,” Stefaniak emphasized.
The county head, Cezary Przybylski, also spoke: “The Polish nation plays a special role in the history of Europe. The year 1918 is not the only proof of these words. In recent days, we have had the opportunity to follow celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, which began the process of emerging from oppressive communism. The blow that brought about the fall awaited by Europe came from the Polish ‘Solidarity’ movement.”
That day also featured a concert performed by students of the Youth Cultural Centre and the State Music School in Bolesławiec. The office’s conference room resounded with music by, among others, Johann Sebastian Bach and Claude Debussy.
Around noon, units of the 23rd Silesian Artillery Brigade and the color guards of veterans and Bolesławiec schools marched from the county office headquarters to Bolesławiec’s Market Square, where the Independence Roll Call of Remembrance was read and a ceremonial salvo was fired. “We live in Poland, a country that was the starting point for great changes in European history. We are Poles, compatriots of those who, disregarding their own interests and comforts, suffered in the struggle for the independence of our country and our families. We are here today to pay them tribute and show them respect,” Cezary Przybylski said during the ceremony.
The county celebrations of Independence Day concluded with a Mass at the Church of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ. The service was celebrated by 23rd Silesian Artillery Brigade chaplain Sławomir Szelągowski and Rev. Andrzej Gidziński.
(information from the County Office/ii)