WARSAW — Sirens let out a long, mournful wail and people and traffic stood still on the streets of Warsaw on Friday as Poland commemorated the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, a revolt against Nazi Germany that ended tragically for the Poles. On Aug. 1, 1944, thousands of poorly armed young city residents rose up against the German forces to try to take control of Warsaw ahead of the advancing Soviet army. They held on for 63 days in the city before being forced to surrender. Almost 200,000 fighters and civilians were killed in street fights and in German bombings. The Nazis expelled the survivors and set the city ablaze. President Bronislaw Komorowski joined hundreds of the surviving insurgents for a series of ceremonies that honored the heroic struggle that remains a source of pride for the Poles. Komorowski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk laid wreaths at a black stone obelisk in a military cemetery in the day’s main observance. Thousands of people of all ages also turned out for the ceremony held on the exact hour — 5 p.m. — when the uprising began. In a longstanding tradition, people in Warsaw and many other cities stood still for a moment of homage when sirens sounded at the hour. Earlier Friday, Komorowski laid flowers on the graves of the revolt’s commanders, and in another observance residents sang songs written by the insurgents.
Posted on: Thu, 22 Jan 2015 06:52:11 +0000