Poland commemorates victims of WWII German war crimes

Commemorative events are being held across Poland to honor victims of German war crimes during World War II. In Marki, local authorities, students, and residents gathered at the National Memory Square to mark the 84th anniversary of the executions of Pawiak prisoners. These killings occurred on October 16, 1942, as a brutal retaliation for the Home Army’s ‘Wieniec’ diversionary action, which aimed to disrupt Warsaw’s railway hub.

Simultaneously, the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN) is conducting its 18th annual ‘Light a Candle of Remembrance’ campaign. This initiative involves various regional branches of the IPN, including offices in Gdańsk, Bydgoszcz, Poznań, Łódź, and Katowice. Participants, including local officials and scouts, visit sites of mass killings such as Barbarka to light candles at graves and monuments. The campaign focuses on victims of Operation Tannenberg and the ‘Intelligenzaktion,’ which targeted Polish leaders and local communities in 1939.