President Andrzej Duda commemorates 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany
Duda was joined on Saturday by the President of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the presidents of the Visegrad Group – Milosz Zeman of Czechia, Zuzana Czaputova of Slovakia and Janos Ader of Hungary – in commemorating their countries’ collective struggles to overcome communism.
On November 9, 1989, border crossings along the 156-kilometer fortification system dividing east and west Germany were opened, effectively ending the Cold War and communism in Europe.
In a related post on facebook, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki emphasized “there would have been no fall of communism in Europe” without the efforts of the Solidarity movement in Poland.
During his trip, President Duda also visited the former concentration camp in Sachsenhausen, where he laid flowers to commemorate the tens of thousands of Poles, Polish Jews, and Polish citizens of other nationalities who were tortured there between 1936-1945.
Source: PAP
In celebration of Polish Independence Day on November 11th, concerts and parades are scheduled around Poland and Trójmiasto.
In Gdańsk, the 17th annual Parada Niepodległości will begin at 9:30am, starting at Podwale Staromiejskie and finishing at Długi Targ at 11:15, where participants will join some 700 communities across Poland in singing the Polish national anthem. Last year’s parade featured some 30,000 participants, including nearly 100 institutions, organizations, associations and companies. After the parade, residents are invited to Park Reagana at 2pm to plant 101 trees in commemoration of 101 years of Polish independence.
A smaller parade in the city of Sopot at 11am will feature antique cars, fire trucks, and decorated cyclists. The parade will begin in front of the Fire Brigade building and end at Plac Zdrojowy, where a family festival will take place until 1:30pm.
The 12th annual Independence Day Parade in Gdynia will begin at noon at the PKP Railway Station and be led by Marshal Józef Piłsudski. Following the parade, residents can view live reenactments of the interwar life of Gdynia and later attend a period-themed interwar dance party from 4-5:30pm at the former Bankowiec building.
In Warsaw, President Andrzej Duda will take part in the ceremonial changing of the guard in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and lay flowers at the monuments of the Fathers of Polish Independence: Józef Piłsudski, Roman Dmowski, Ignacy Paderewski, Wincenty Witos, Wojciech Korfanty and Ignacy Daszyński. He will close out the day by inaugurating the „We Play for Independence” concert as part of the second annual Independence Festival.
Source: PAP, trojmiasto.pl
In preparation for tomorrow’s festivities, Tricity residents of all ages are invited to participate in the eighth annual singalong of Polish patriotic songs on Długa Street this evening.
The “Wspólne Gdańskie Śpiewanie Pieśni Patriotycznych” or “Collective Singing of Polish Patriotic Songs” will feature songs which “create a sense of national belonging” and celebrate the spirit of Polish independence. Songs range from Polish hymns from the Middle Ages to World War II classics like “The Red Poppies of Monte Cassino” as well as “Mury,” the unofficial anthem of the Solidarity movement.
The songs will be performed by a choir of students, graduates, teachers, and parents from STO II primary school in Gdańsk, with lyrics broadcast on large LCD screens for the audience to sing along.
The “Collective Singing of Polish Patriotic Songs” will begin at 5pm near Dwór Artusa on Długa street in the center of Gdańsk. Residents of all ages are encouraged to participate, regardless of singing ability.
Rugby fans experiencing withdrawals after last weekend’s dramatic World Cup final are invited to watch Tricity’s finest today at the 60th Rugby Derby in Gdynia.
Lechia Gdańsk, one of the oldest and most successful rugby teams in Poland, will face off against younger rival Arka Gdynia at 3pm today at the National Rugby Stadium in Gdynia.
In honor of Independence Day, both team captains will be wearing red and white armbands and the game will be preceded by the playing of the Polish national anthem. Admission is free for fans and the match will also be broadcast live on Polsat.
The last Tri-City Derby took place in April, with Lechia dominating Arka 48:8 (29: 3). Both teams are hoping Sunday’s matchup will help improve their Ekstraliga rankings and break a string of recent defeats, particularly in the case of the Bulldogs, who have yet to score a victory.
Source: Trojmiasto.pl
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cool, with a slight breeze from the southwest, and a high of 9 degrees Celsius or 48 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperatures will be slightly cooler tomorrow, with sunshine and mostly clear skies forecast for Independence Day.
Elizabeth Peck
