Polish and German presidents bowed their heads during a military tribute in Warsaw on Thursday, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising of 1944. This solemn homage honored Poles killed by Nazi Germany in the revolt in a bid to take the capital back from the German occupiers. The tribute took on added significance following news of the passing of 106-year-old Barbara Sowa, the uprising's oldest surviving insurgent, earlier that morning.
As ceremonies continued, the city planned to come to a standstill with sirens sounding to honor the insurgents. Taylor Swift, performing in Warsaw, advised fans not to panic upon hearing the sirens. Polish President Andrzej Duda and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to the Wola Massacre, where thousands of Warsaw's civilians were killed by German forces from August 5 to August 12, 1944. Duda described the atrocities, saying, "They were led out of their homes, and...shot in the streets, and their bodies were burned."
The Warsaw Uprising, launched by the clandestine Home Army on August 1, 1944, aimed to liberate the capital before the Soviet Army's arrival. The Nazis responded with overwhelming force, leading to 200,000 Polish deaths and the near-total destruction of Warsaw. Today, the uprising remains a poignant symbol of Polish resistance and sacrifice for freedom, particularly against Russian oppression. (This story was generated by Newser's AI chatbot. Source: the AP)
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