At 4:45 am this morning, bells and sirens sounded to commemorate the anniversary of the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany 82 years ago today on September 1, 1939.
The pre-dawn assault on the Polish military depot on Westerplatte marked the official beginning of WWII, one of the most horrific and deadly chapters in modern European history.
In honor of those who died resisting the German invasion, the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk will be open to visitors from 6 am to 6 pm today, and admission to all exhibitions will cost only one złoty.
Additional commemorative events are being held at various locations around the city throughout the day. A solemn mass and interfaith prayer will be held at the square for the Defenders of the Polish Post Office at noon, followed by a screening of the film „Free City” or Wolne Miasto at 3 pm. The film uses archive footage to show the Free City of Gdańsk on the eve of the outbreak of the war and the first tragic day when a group of employees heroically defended the facility for 12 hours.
The day will end with a laying of wreaths and a musical performance by the Capella Gedanensis choir at 5 pm at the WWII cemetery in Zaspa, followed by the musical show “7 × Westerplatte” at 8:15 pm on the square in front of the Museum of the Second World War.
More information on today’s events is available >>>HERE
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Radio Gdańsk has partnered with the Museum of the Second World War to launch a unique 6-part segment on World Heritage Battlefields.
The first segment of the program will focus on the events at Westerplatte and will be broadcast simultaneously on the Radio Gdansk English Service online and on DAB and also live-streamed on the website of the Museum of the Second World War website. For more details on this special program and how you can listen in, visit https://lekcje.muzeum1939.pl/#/
Source: Radio Gdańsk English Service
EU officials have accused Minsk of aggression against Warsaw via efforts to push migrants across the shared Polish-Belarusian border.
As reported in the New York Times, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson claimed that the standoff between Poland and Belarus „is not a migration issue, but part of the aggression” of Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko “toward Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia, with the aim to destabilize” the European Union.
In response to the crisis, the Polich Council of Ministers asked President Duda on Tuesday to declare a 30-day state of emergency in two regions along the border after the Polish Border Guard said hundreds of illegal crossings had taken place this month.
The proposed state of emergency would give authorities broader powers to monitor and control people’s movements in the proposed 3km buffer zone.
Polish authorities continue to face criticism from human rights groups for not accepting migrants and for denying those at the border adequate medical care. Warsaw says they are the responsibility of the Belarusian authorities.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, Radio Poland
Team Poland won two more medals at the Tokyo Paralympic Games yesterday, taking the country’s total medal haul so far to 15.
Handcyclist Renata Kałuża took the bronze in the women’s time trial event, while shot putter Lucyna Kornobys secured a silver for the Polish team. Kornobys was beaten only by China’s Zou Lijuan, who set a new world record of 9.19 meters.
Earlier in the week, Polish powerlifter Marzena Zięba took the bronze in the women’s over 86 kg event, with a lift of 140 kilograms.
Poland has so far won 15 medals at the Tokyo Paralympics, including three gold, four silver, and eight bronze. The Paralympics are set to wrap up next Sunday, September 5.
Source: Radio Poland
Weather
Today will be partly cloudy and cool, with winds coming in from the northwest and very little chance of rain. Temperatures will peak around a high of 18°C, or 65°F, cooling off overnight to a low of 12°C or 54°F. There will be a slight chance of rain early tomorrow morning, with more sun and slightly warmer temps set for Thursday and Friday.
Elizabeth Peck/ua
