Poland marked the 86th anniversary of the outbreak of the Second World War with a dawn ceremony at Westerplatte in Gdańsk, where President Karol Nawrocki called for war reparations from Germany.
The commemoration began at 4.45am — the time the German battleship Schleswig-Holstein opened fire on the Polish Military Transit Depot on 1 September 1939 — with sirens, the national anthem and the raising of the flag. A Peace Flame was lit, soldiers read the Roll Call of the Fallen, and an artillery salute was fired.
President Nawrocki told attendees that “to build a partnership with our western neighbour based on truth and good relations, we must finally settle the issue of reparations from the German state, which, as President of Poland, I unequivocally demand for the common good.” He framed the claim within a wider security context, describing Poland as a frontline state on NATO’s eastern flank that “needs justice, truth, and clear relations with Germany — and it needs reparations.”
The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Speaker of the Sejm Szymon Hołownia, and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, alongside ministers, MPs and local officials. Before the main events, the President laid flowers at the Cemetery of Polish Army Soldiers on Westerplatte, accompanied by the Prime Minister, the Speaker, the Defence Minister and the head of the National Security Bureau.
In his address, Mr Nawrocki said he expected the Government to reinforce his position in international forums. “I believe the Prime Minister and the Polish Government will strengthen the President’s voice on the international stage and we will build our truly safe future together with our western neighbours.” His remarks come less than a month after his inauguration on 6 August, following a run-off presidential election.
The commemoration followed established protocol at Westerplatte. After the anthem and flag raising, a generational relay lit the Peace Flame; scouts read the “Westerplatte Message”; and a shared prayer was recited. The ceremony included a series of 12 artillery salutes. Wreaths were later laid at the Monument to the Defenders of the Coast.
During the event the President presented state decorations to ten archaeologists for their work on the Westerplatte battlefield site, awarding the Cross of Merit. The distinction recognised recent seasons of excavation that have recovered artefacts and human remains of defenders. Among those decorated was Filip Kuczma, head of the archaeological department at the Museum of the Second World War in Gdańsk. In April, during the opening of the exhibition “Memory Written in the Soil. Archaeology of Westerplatte,” Mr Kuczma said that the remains of at least three defenders may still await discovery, identification and burial.
The President also paid tribute to the archaeologists’ contribution to “restoring dignity” to the fallen, noting that recent finds include components of a Polish field gun used during the first day’s defence, as well as personal effects and printed material that document daily life on the peninsula before and during the siege. Previous research seasons located the position of a Polish field gun known as the “Putilovka” and unearthed human remains believed to be those of defenders.
The question of reparations has been a recurring theme in Polish–German relations. Warsaw’s most recent comprehensive assessment of material and human losses was published in 2022, and successive Polish administrations have argued that communist-era decisions did not legally extinguish claims. Berlin’s position has remained that the matter is closed under past agreements and the post-Cold War settlement. Diplomatic efforts in 2022–24, including a formal note to Germany and appeals at the United Nations, did not shift the German Government’s stance.
Today’s message from Gdańsk places the issue formally on the presidential agenda. Mr Nawrocki’s intervention signals continuity with earlier Polish demands while tying them to current security concerns and Poland’s role on NATO’s eastern flank. The presence of the head of government and parliamentary leaders at Westerplatte underscored the state character of the commemoration, though any future steps on reparations would require legislative and diplomatic initiatives managed by the Cabinet and foreign ministry.
Westerplatte remains a central site of national remembrance. The initial German bombardment and assault on 1 September 1939 marked the beginning of the war in Europe; the garrison’s week-long resistance has come to symbolise early Polish defence. Annual ceremonies at the site feature military honours, addresses by state leaders and civic participation, linking historical memory with contemporary policy. This year’s observance, set against war on the EU’s eastern border and debates over historical accountability, placed both remembrance and policy in the foreground.
Civilian victims of Nazi Germany (estimates): Poland 5.47–5.67 million; Russian SFSR ~7.2 million; Ukrainian SSR ~5.2 million; Byelorussian SSR ~1.67 million. Figures include deaths from executions, deportations, forced labour, famine and disease linked to occupation policies. Estimates vary by source and methodology.
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