On May 8, 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender, bringing World War II in Europe to an end, although the American-Japanese conflict was still ongoing. According to Moscow time, it was already May 9, which explains the discrepancy in commemorations. In Bydgoszcz, this date is observed with particular reverence, as the city is considered one of the significant victims of World War II.
During today’s ceremonies at the Old Market Square, it was strongly emphasized that with May 8 and the fall of Nazism, freedom did not arrive, because the Red Army imposed its own order here imposed its own order here. When speaking about the heroes of the war, the names of those who were murdered after the war for questioning Soviet rule were also mentioned.
“This terrible World War II brought enormous losses to the world: 21 million soldiers and 38 million civilians lost their lives. There were also immense material and civilizational losses,” said Eugeniusz Andrzejewski from the Bydgoszcz branch of the Polish War Invalids Association. “According to historians, around 133,000 of our soldiers returned to families in the Republic of Poland, but as disabled veterans.”
Around 200 of them are still alive today. The culmination of the Bydgoszcz commemorations was the reading of the Roll Call of the Fallen and a ceremonial gun salute. The ceremonies concluded with the laying of wreaths at the Monument to Struggle and Martyrdom, which commemorates the tragedy of World War II.
Od 2009 roku związany z lokalnymi mediami. Specjalizuje się w tematach dotyczących infrastruktury, polityki regionalnej oraz funkcjonowaniu samorządów.
