Polish, Slovenian presidents unveil war memorial in Gorlice
Polish and Slovenian Presidents Andrzej Duda and Borut Pahor unveiled a memorial on Wednesday to Slovenian soldiers fallen in the First World War at a war cemetery in Gorlice, southeastern Poland.
In their addresses at the cemetery, which houses graves of Austro-Hungarian, German and Russia soldiers fallen in the May 1915 Battle of Gorlice, both state heads stressed that peace was not granted forever, and pointed out that although World War One brought freedom to countries like Poland and Slovenia, the price was the blood of Poles and Slovenians fighting in other countries' armies.
Duda observed that Polish-Slovenian comradeship in arms during the First World War was a binding point in both peoples' history.
"Poland's and Slovenia's freedom was born of the blood of our soldiers, spilt together on the theatres of the First World War. Neither the Slovenians nor we Poles had a country then. We fought arm in arm, but in the Austro-Hungarian army, which was not ours," Duda said. He added that it was necessary to preserve the memory of the First World War and its "terrible hecatomb" for future generations.
Concluding his speech, Duda paid tribute to the memory of Slovenians and Poles who laid down their lives in World War One, and appealed to God to bless both countries.
"Hail and glory to the Slovenian and Polish soldiers, to the heroes of World War One. I want to call out loudly: may God bless free, sovereign and independent Poland, may God bless free, independent and sovereign Slovenia, for which they laid down their lives," the Polish head of state said.
Pahor warned against taking peace for granted, observing that it had to be nurtured daily. This, he said, requires avoiding hate speech, showing respect for others and resolving conflicts peacefully. In this context, Pahor quoted former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano's words at a World War One centenary in the Slovenian city Nova Gorica, where he admonished that, "peace is not only the absence of war, peace is founded upon bonds of friendship, solidarity and cooperation."
Pahor also thanked Duda for Poland's help in erecting the Gorlice memorial, and gave hisa assurance that the Polish president's presence at its unveiling "a great honour" for him.
According to historians, the May 2-5, 1915, Battle of Gorlice, in which combined Austro-Hungarian and German forces together with the Polish Legions broke through Russian lines in Western Galicia, was the biggest and most decisive clash on the First World War's eastern front. (PAP)
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