Polish president lays wreaths honoring founding fathers on Independence Day
On Monday, Polish President Andrzej Duda commemorated the National Independence Day by laying wreaths at monuments dedicated to Poland’s Founding Fathers along Warsaw’s Royal Route.
Poland’s Andrzej Duda.PAP/Paweł Supernak
Duda paid tribute to the legacy of Wincenty Witos, Ignacy Jan Paderewski, Ignacy Daszyński, Roman Dmowski, Wojciech Korfanty, and Józef Piłsudski.
Later in the day, President Duda awarded state honors at the Belweder Palace. Among the recipients of the Order of the White Eagle were Professor Ryszard Legutko, a political commentator, and Professor Henryk Skarżyński, founder of the World Hearing Center in Kajetany. Other honorees included musician Włodzimierz Nahorny, former Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski, and Chairman of the Katyn Committee Andrzej Melak.
At noon, President Duda participated in a ceremonial changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Celebrations across Poland include the main anniversary event in Warsaw’s Piłsudski Square, a patriotic concert at the Temple of Divine Providence titled „From Polish Mountains to Freedom,” and the Independence March through the capital. The day will also feature the “United Independence” concert at the Warsaw Citadel and the 16th Independence Concert at the Warsaw Uprising Museum.
Poland’s National Independence Day, held on November 11, commemorates the 1918 transfer of military command to Józef Piłsudski, marking Poland’s reemergence as a sovereign state. Established in 1937, the holiday was banned in 1945 during the Communist era and reinstated in 1989. Since then, November 11 has been a public holiday, celebrated nationwide.
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Source: PAP
