The story of World War II can’t be told without Westerplatte

The Director of the Museum of the Second World War, Dr. Karol Nawrocki, and his staff participated in the official commemorations of the 78th anniversary of the outbreak of World War II at the monument to the Defenders of the Coast at Westerplatte.Those who took part in the ceremony included Prime Minister Beata Szydło; Minister of National Defence Antoni Macierewicz, the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Witold Waszczykowski; the head of the Ministry of Interior and Administration, Mariusz Błaszczak; Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy, Elżbieta Rafalska and the Speaker of the Senate, Stanisław Karczewski.

Prayers for the fallen were given by Metropolitan Archbishop Sławoj Leszek Głódź. The President of Gdansk Paweł Adamowicz also made an address. Then there was the Remembrance Appeal, after which a salvo of honour was given.

“It was here, in Gdansk, at Westerplatte, 78 years ago that the first battle of World War II took place. It was here that the nightmare unleashed by Nazi Germany began, which absorbed tens of millions of human lives all over the world, and Poland was subjected to a cruel German occupation for six years,” said Prime Minister Beata Szydło.

We are here today to pay tribute to Polish soldiers. We have been doing this for years to commemorate their heroism and to commemorate the victims of this greatest war in history. Honour and glory to all Polish soldiers fighting for the freedom and independence of our homeland. Honour and glory to the heroes of the September campaign. Honour and glory to the soldiers of Westerplatte,” stressed the Polish Prime Minister.

On this special day at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk, the temporary exhibition "Westerplatte in 7 Scenes" has now opened, presenting items from the first stage of archaeological research at Westerplatte. The Director of the Museum of the Second World War, Dr. Karol Nawrocki, opened the exhibition.

“Every historical event, every armed conflict has its symbolic beginning and symbolic end. On 1 September 1939, the Germans began their anti-Polish campaign, not only military but also civil, that had been programmed in the 19th century,” said the museum director.

In terms of our awareness, and nurturing our memory, there is no time for divisions, no time for unnecessary discussions and conflicts, because we share a common cultural code and a very important part of which everything that is encapsulated in the word "Westerplatte"," added Dr. Karol Nawrocki.

The inauguration of the exhibition was attended by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, Minster Jarosław Sellin; the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction, Minister Kazimierz Smoliński and the Vice-Governor of Pomerania, Mariusz Łuczyk.

It would seem that everything has been said about Westerplatte. It turns out, though, that there are new things to say about it, new things to discover, and today this exhibition, I think, proves it,” said the Deputy Minister of Culture, Jarosław Sellin He stressed that the continuation of this research is a necessary element for the development of a detailed reconstruction project of the Monument of History, the Battlefield of Westerplatte.

The first visitor to the Westerplatte in 7 Scenes exhibition was the Head of the Westerplatte and the War of 1939 Museum, Mariusz Wójtowicz-Podhorski

One of the elements of the event was the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Museum of the Second World War and the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People's Republic in Warsaw. The parties declared that they would cooperate in substantive and promotional areas. The agreement was signed by Dr. Karol Nawrocki, Director of the Museum of the Second World War in Gdansk, and Jacek Pawłowicz, Director of the Museum of Cursed Soldiers and Political Prisoners of the Polish People's Republic in Warsaw.

"The story of the heroes began at Westerplatte and the Polish Post Office in Gdansk. This struggle, unfortunately, ended very often in arrest in Mokotów," said the Director of the Museum of Cursed Soldiers.

After the ceremony, Director of the Museum of the Second World War, Dr. Karol Nawrocki, laid flowers under the plaque commemorating the first victim of World War II, the scoutmaster Jan Ożdżyński. He also commemorated the memory of the Fallen Postmen, placing a wreath at the monument to the Defenders of the Polish Post Office in Gdansk.