“Every one of these victims thought the same thing.” 49 coffins during an extraordinary funeral

On Wednesday, the funeral ceremony of 49 soldiers and activists of the Polish independence underground - victims of the communist regime - takes place at the Osobowice Cemetery in Wrocław. The ceremony is attended by, among others: President Karol Nawrocki.

The president on "a substitute for hell on earth"

If humanity, civilization could experience even a substitute for hell on earth, a system of contempt, hypocrisy, cruelty, lies and the death of innocent people, it was thanks to the communist system. A system that is responsible for the death of nearly one hundred million people around the world. Extremely dangerous because it has a great ability to adapt to subsequent challenges and changes around the world - emphasized the president.

He noted that when the communist system adapts, "the content of evil, cruelty, contempt for values ​​remains the same, only the form changes." He also emphasized that this system, which "infects the hearts and minds of subsequent world leaders, politicians, dictators and criminals, is never satisfied solely with the death of its victims." He does everything to destroy the graves and the truth about those he murders, to kill their memory, he added.

"To pay tribute to our national heroes"

Nawrocki noted that during Wednesday's ceremony, "we meet to, above all, pay tribute to our national heroes and bow before their beautiful lives." He also pointed out that, on the one hand, they are victims, but on the other - heroes of the fight for freedom, sovereignty and independence of our homeland.

These are often soldiers, those who fought in both the Home Army and the National Armed Forces, the National Military Union, the underground Polish Army and other organizations - he recalled.

The president emphasized that "after 1945 they were in the same war that began in 1939." Yes, after 1945 they were still faithful to their oath. They were still fighting for a free, independent and sovereign Republic of Poland, he emphasized.

“Today we are witnessing this.”

He also referred to the words of Col. Łukasz Ciepliński alias Plow, from a secret message from the death row: "I ask - will our sacrifices not be in vain, will unfulfilled dreams rise from the graves...? I believe - they will not, dreams will rise, the son will replace the father, the homeland will regain its independence."

I think that each of these 49 victims thought the same way as Łukasz Ciepliński "Pług", that this death would not be in vain, that they were ready to fight because they believed that Poland would be free and that unfulfilled dreams would rise from their graves. Today we are witnessing this, emphasized Karol Nawrocki.

Victims of communist repression

The remains of victims of communist repression were found during exhumation works carried out for years by the Institute of National Remembrance at the Osobowice Cemetery in Wrocław. Fields 81A and 120 of this necropolis are former prison quarters where, in the years 1948–1956, they were secretly buried, among others. soldiers of the anti-communist independence underground - people executed and died in Prison No. 1 at ul. Kleczkowska and died in Prison No. 2 at ul. Sądowa in Wrocław.

In 2023, the Institute of National Remembrance, in consultation with the Wrocław Commune and the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Office, took action to tidy up both fields and create a war headquarters there for steadfast soldiers and other people who fought for Poland's independence.