REMEMBRANCE CONNECTS

Stare Łysogórki, Mieszkowice (PL)

The military cemetery of the 1st Polish Army in Stare Łysogórki is a place of silence and contemplation on the Oder, where history and landscape merge. The necropolis commemorates the dramatic endeavours of the soldiers who fought shortly before the end of the Second World War.

The military cemetery of the 1st Polish Army in Stare Łysogórki, also known as the Siekierki military cemetery, is one of the most important places of national remembrance on the Oder. The necropolis is the final resting place for soldiers who crossed the Oder and took part in the Berlin Operation in 1945.

Some 1,977 soldiers of the 1st Polish Army who lost their lives in one of the most difficult operations of the Second World War on the Eastern Front - during the crossing of the Oder and the further fighting towards Berlin - rest here.

The cemetery was laid out on a square plan and is divided into regular plots with characteristic Grunwald cross monuments, which symbolise the bravery and sacrifice of Polish soldiers. The centrepiece of the necropolis is a monumental memorial by sculptor Stanisław Lewiński, which was unveiled in 1961. It depicts a woman with a child as well as floating sails and swords, symbolising the sacrifice, hope and hardships of the military crossing of the river.

The Oder River, which the soldiers of the 1st Polish Army crossed under enemy fire, became not only a natural border in 1945, but also a symbolic gateway leading to the final victory. Crossing it meant overcoming the last major obstacle on the way to Berlin and the end of the suffering of the war on Polish soil.

Every year in April, on the anniversary of the crossing of the Oder, ceremonial commemorations of the fallen soldiers are held at the cemetery. War veterans, representatives of the military, local authorities, schoolchildren and residents of the region take part in these events to commemorate those who fought for the freedom of their homeland.

Together with the nearby Museum of Engineering Weapons History of the 1st Polish Army, the cemetery forms the centrepiece of the National Memorial Area on the Oder - an area that links memorials, monuments and museum exhibitions from Czelin to Cedynia. It is a place of contemplation, history and education and at the same time an important point on the region's historical and natural history trail.

The story about the place of remembrance will follow shortly.

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(Language: Polish)

History trail war events 1945