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Polish, German presidents mark 80 years since Warsaw Uprising

02.08.2024 16:20
Poland's President Andrzej Duda and his German counterpart Frank-Walter Steinmeier jointly commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising in the Polish capital on Thursday.
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Polands President Andrzej Duda (right) and Germanys Frank-Walter Steinmeier (left) attend an event to mark the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.
Poland's President Andrzej Duda (right) and Germany's Frank-Walter Steinmeier (left) attend an event to mark the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.Photo: Marek Borawski/KPRP

The two leaders met at the city's Belvedere Palace, where Duda expressed his appreciation for Steinmeier's visit, highlighting its significance for Polish-German relations.

“This visit is of great importance to Poles," Duda said, addressing Steinmeier. "I am grateful for your presence yesterday at the Warsaw Uprising Monument and today at the commemoration of the Wola Massacre victims."

Duda said in a social media post that the 1944 revolt "remains deeply relevant to Warsaw residents and all Poles."

He added: "It attracts national attention, with people coming from all over to honor those who sacrificed their lives in the struggle."

German embassy honors Warsaw Uprising fighters

Meanwhile, the German embassy in Warsaw observed the anniversary by lowering its flags to half-mast, paying tribute to both the victims and the valor of the fighters.

German Ambassador Viktor Elbling said on social media that this gesture was made "in mourning and in honor of the victims of German brutality."

He added: "We pay tribute to the bravery of the Warsaw Uprising fighters."

The anniversary commemorations, which began on Thursday morning, marked the start of the Warsaw Uprising on August 1, 1944, the largest resistance operation in German-occupied Europe. 

The 80th-anniversary commemorations, which began this morning, mark the start of the Warsaw Uprising on August 1, 1944, the largest underground operation in occupied Europe.
Thursday's commemorations marked 80 years since the start of the Warsaw Uprising, the largest resistance operation in German-occupied Europe during World War II. Photo: Marek Borawski/KPRP

'I ask for forgiveness:' German president

Speaking in Warsaw on the eve of the anniversary, the German president said: "No word seems strong enough to describe this brutality. So I want to say only one sentence. But it comes straight from the heart, and I say it with all seriousness: Right here and right now, I ask for forgiveness."

While in the Polish capital for the anniversary, Steinmeier met with a group of veterans on Wednesday.

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Source: IAR/PAP/Facebook.com/Kancelaria Prezydenta RP

Click on the audio player above for a report by Radio Poland's Marcin Matuszewski.