On November 4th, we invite you to participate in the funeral ceremonies of the Defenders of Westerplatte. For their conviction, fight and heroism. Years later, our duties towards these Polish soldiers will be fulfilled; their memory, respect, and finally their funerals.
The discovery by archaeologists from the Museum of the Second World War of the graves of the defenders of Westerplatte has a special dimension, one that is not only scientific, but also - and perhaps above all - social and patriotic. The heroic defense of the Polish outpost in September 1939 became a symbol of steadfastness and courage in the fight against evil, and so are the heroes themselves - characters embodying the best qualities of soldiers, citizens and Poles.
The unwavering conviction of these soldiers from Westerplatte, still present in our social consciousness and consolidated in Polish culture, is an important indicator of morality and of making the right choices for more and more generations of Poles. The inability to honour the fallen heroes from their graves has meant that the history of the defense of the peninsula has been somewhat incomplete, unfinished. In the case of the fallen defenders, the paradigm deeply rooted in culture, which requires the deceased to be dignified, has not before now been completed.
The discovery of the remains of the Polish soldiers, their personal identification and the ceremonial funeral - this is our duty to the defenders as heroes, and also simply as the dead. The significance of this undertaking cannot be overestimated for us as a community, both in the symbolic and historical spheres.
