Warsaw Uprising 77th Anniversary – At 17h, today, the capital remembered the heroes!

Today at 17h, Rondo Dmowskiego

Today, is an important day for Varsovians. At 17h, the 77th Anniversary of the Godzina W “‘W’ Hour” Warsaw remembered the heroes who fought against nazis during the Warsaw Uprising.

Today, at 17h. Warsaw stopped for one minute to remember the heroes who fought against Nazi horror. Cars, public transports, people stopped for one minute and city sirens and churches bells rang for one minute. An emotional moment to live at least once in a lifetime.
The best spots, Dmowskiego roundabout, where several hundreds of people gathered, red and white smokes were lit and chants were sung. Another great place was the banks of the Vistula on the right side of Poniatowski bridge, where boats gathered and blew their foghorns, white and red smoke have been lit.

OFFICIAL PAGE OF THE EVENTS

On this day, 77 years ago, at 17h, the Warsaw Uprising began. The Polish Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK), the dominant force in the Polish resistance fought against the nazis from this date till October, 2nd 1944, and the total defeat of the Home Army by the Nazis Forces.

After two months of fights, 85% of Warsaw was destroyed, 16 000 resistant were killed on fights or executed, between 150 000 and 200 000 civilians died. 2 months after the end of the uprising, nazis forces abandoned the city.

Every year, Varsovians gathered in several parts of the capital to celebrate the heroes of the uprising. The two main points are the Rondo Dmowskiego next to the Palace of Culture and Science and the Rotunda and the Vistula. On the Rondo Dmowskiego hundreds of people often thousands and a group of bikers gathered with flags and red flares. At 17h, the sirens alert of the city ring, dozens of motorcycle powered their engines at the same time and people light their red flares, and then after 1-minute people sing in tribute of the Warsaw Uprising Heroes. In the Vistula, dozens of boats light red flare and ring their foghorn. This year, the church will take part of the celebrations by ringing their bells.

I advise people to attend this celebration once in your life, the smoke and the noise make this very ephemera moment very special and even overwhelming.