The Polonia Rediviva (Poland Revived) fête was held at the presidential palace in Warsaw, state news agency PAP reported.
The Polish president told the audience: “Today’s meeting is important to me because it concludes, in a symbolic way, the National Celebration of the 100th Anniversary of Poland Regaining Independence.”
Poland regained independence on November 11, 1918, the day World War I ended, after 123 years of partition by Russia, Austria and Prussia.
The celebrations took place between 2018 and 2022 to commemorate events and honour people who played a key role in Poland’s reemergence and consolidation as an independent country, officials said.
Duda noted that ceremonies took place throughout the country and were "spread over several years, just as Poland regained independence over several years, to make everyone realise that it was a struggle for the state, for enabling it to function.”
Duda thanked "the organisers of commemorative events in so many cities and towns” for “engaging in dialogue with the youth, who ... learned about their own history and paid homage to national heroes.”
‘Great responsibility towards future generations’
The president said: “Often we lack confidence in ourselves, take a distanced view of our achievements, of everything that we possess, that we have managed to build.”
He added: “Yet we are a lucky generation, because we’ve been living in a free, sovereign and independent Poland for 34 years now.”
“We can safely say that over hundreds of years, our ancestors had not experienced such a marvellous time as the one we have created together and are benefiting from at the moment,” Duda told the gathering.
He stressed: “It’s our great joy, our accomplishment and our great responsibility towards future generations.”
During Monday’s event, Duda handed out Centenary Medals to citizens who had made a special contribution to the country’s sovereignty, independence, cultural identity and prosperity in recent years, officials told reporters.
(pm/gs)
Source: IAR, PAP, prezydent.pl