- Title: 96-year-old Polish veteran recalls the 1944 Warsaw Uprising
- Date: 31st July 2024
- Summary: WARSAW, POLAND (JULY 16, 2024) (REUTERS) (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) 96-YEAR-OLD WARSAW UPRISING SURVIVOR, ANDRZEJ FRYDRYSZAK, SAYING: REPORTER ASKING: "What did you think when the uprising start?" FRYDRYSZAK: "Finally! Finally. We had ... you know ... it is a huge thing for a 16-17-year-old boy to hold the gun in their hands. It was during the gatherings ahead (of the uprising).
- Embargoed: 14th August 2024 10:17
- Keywords: Poland Warsaw Uprising Warsaw destruction World War Two veterans
- Location: WARSAW, POLAND
- City: WARSAW, POLAND
- Country: Poland
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA006212526072024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Andrzej Frydryszak was 16 years old when he first held a gun in his hand. The survivor of the Warsaw Uprising, now 96 years old, recalls that moment 80 years ago and how he felt as the Warsaw uprising 'finally' happened, but the tragic consequences it also had.
The Warsaw Uprising began on August 1, 1944. Occupied by Nazi Germany, Poland rebelled against their oppressor in a struggle that lasted for 63 days and resulted in the near total destruction of the city. Some districts were completely levelled, once home to 1.3 million people, fewer than 1000 remained by the end.
The then teenager Frydryszak told Reuters how he vividly remembers how full of hope he felt as a young boy, fighting for his country. “It was something terribly beautiful, terribly beautiful because the poverty was enormous. You need to take into consideration our whole life before the uprising."
The polish government at the time was in exile in London, and the polish people had suffered five years of an exceptionally cruel occupation. While Warsaw was burning the Home Army (AK) was trying to coordinate its efforts and futilely waiting for outside help. Soviet troops, who could have potentially aided Poland were stopped by Stalin, letting the unbridled destruction continue.
Frydryszak warned however against making a “patriotic theatre” of the Uprising, especially in times like these there is a "thin red line" he said, and that young people should above all learn to appreciate their freedom and the possibilities a free Europe gives them.
Many efforts have been made in Warsaw to keep people aware of their history and show the scale of the destruction, the Warsaw Uprising Museum draws hundreds of thousands of visitors yearly with it's innovative film “City of Ruins” one can see an accurate and detailed representation of post-war Warsaw.
Warsaw was destroyed by German forces and later rebuilt on its ruins under communist rule. As deputy director of the Warsaw Uprising Museum, Pawel Ukielski says: “for the identity, local identity, this is the most important moment in history." All inhabitants of the polish capital were killed or forced to flee, he said.
Today Warsaw is home again to nearly 2 million people. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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