On 9 May 2016 more than ten surviving History Witnesses arrived at the Stutthof Museum as honorable guests to take part in commemoration of the 71st anniversary of KL Stutthof liberation. The ceremony was attended also by representatives of the state authorities and central offices, several churches, the local authorities, the diplomatic corps, the armed forces, the police, the Border Guard, the State Fire Service, the Prison Service, and the forest services.
In addition, a large group of pupils, students, teachers and scouts were also present. Amongst the attendants there was also the President of the Parliament of the State of Bremen, Mr. Christian Weber, who opened an exhibition by Olaf Schlote titled ‘In Memoria’.
The setting of the celebration was provided by the Guard of Honor and the Military Band of the Polish Navy, and by the winners of the 8th War, Concentration Camp and Patriotic Poetry Declamation Contest organized by the Poviat of Wejherowo. Those present were greeted by the Director of Stutthof Museum, Mr. Piotr Tarnowski. In his speech he highlighted the roles of all those conveying a common message: never to forget and to tell others to remember; those forming a REMEMBRANCE COALITION. Next, the floor was taken by Ms. Maria Kowalska, a former prisoner, who during the Warsaw Uprising belonged to the “Baszta” (Tower) Home Army Regiment. After the surrender of Mokotów, she was imprisoned in the Dulag 121 transition camp in Pruszków. Despite assurances that the insurgents had the rights of prisoners of war, she was imprisoned in KL Stutthof.
The Director of the Stutthof Museum read an address to the commemoration attendees from the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, Ph.D. Letters from Minister Jarosław Sellin, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage, and from Minister Jan Józef Kaszprzyk, Head of the Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression were also read.
Representatives of five denominations said together a prayer for the victims of the Stutthof camp. As each year, a Roll of Honor was read, a honorary salute was fired, wreaths and bouquets of flowers were laid, and candles were lit at the Combat and Martyrdom Monument.
Source: stutthof.org
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