- Steinmeier and Duda honor victims of the Warsaw uprising
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Polish President Andrzej Duda laid wreaths together at a monument in the Wola district. This area was the site of severe German war crimes just days after the uprising began on August 1, 1944. As a deterrent, soldiers there killed approximately 30,000 Polish civilians in a matter of days, burning their bodies.
"People were dragged out of their homes, their homes were burned down, they were shot on the streets, and their bodies were burned," said Duda, referring to the Wola massacre. In total, around 200,000 Polish men, women, and children were killed during the 63-day uprising against German occupation. The Polish Home Army had attempted to liberate their capital from German occupation.
Duda called it a symbolic moment that the Federal President was participating in the commemoration of the Warsaw Uprising. Steinmeier stood silently before the wreath and then knelt to adjust the ribbon. In a speech the previous evening, he had asked for forgiveness for the atrocities committed by Germans. Simultaneously, he called on Germans and Poles to work together for a common Europe and to support Ukraine. Steinmeier also held a political meeting with Duda.
During the speech, President Duda highlighted the Wola massacre in Poland, a horrifying event where German soldiers killed thousands of civilians. Following the commemoration, Steinmeier and Duda worked on strengthening their nations' relationship and advocated for unity in Europe, particularly in supporting Ukraine.
