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The celebrations of the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Stalag 344 Lamsdorf – an account
Again, like every year, on 17 March we met in front of the Monument of Martyrdom of Prisoners of War, so that on the occasion of the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Stalag 344 Lamsdorf we could honour the memory of the victims and also to manifest a warning against repetitiveness of mechanisms of violence and consequences of actions which – if not stopped in time – lead to tensions or even wars.
The ceremony started at noon. The numerous group of guests, colour guards, military honour guard of the 91st Logistics Battalion of Komprachcice as well as the Representative Band of Land Forces from Wrocław gathered in front of the Monument.
On behalf of the organizers, that is the Museum and the Commune of Łambinowice, the gathered were welcomed by Dr Anna Wickiewicz, who – later on – also led the celebrations. The first to take the floor was Dr Violetta Rezler-Wasielewska, Director of the Museum, then Vice-Voivode Sławomir and the representative of the POWs’ families, Chris Watson-Johns, son of British RAF pilot, Ian Watson-Johns, who was detained at Stalag 344 Lamsdorf for over three years. A moving moment came with the inter-denomination prayer dedicated to the victims. It was said by the Rev. Lt. Kamil Mróz as a representative of the Roman-Catholic Army Chaplaincy, Father Mitrat Grzegorz Cebulski of the Orthodox Ordinariate of the Polish Armed Forces in Wrocław Garrison, the Rev. Lt. Col Sławomir Fonfara of the Parish of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Opole and Musa Czachorowski representing the Muslim Religious Union in Poland.
The Remembrance Roll Call and the honorary salute that followed stressed the military character of the ceremony. It was ended – to the accompaniment of drums – by laying flowers and lighting candles. Among the participants who expressed their remembrance of the victims of Stalag 344 Lamsdorf through this gesture was Helena Kamerska, a woman-soldier of the Home Army and Warsaw Insurgent, representatives of the state and local authorities, diplomatic corps of France, Germany, Romania, Serbia and Italy, clergy, uniformed services, many institutions and organizations, schools and inhabitants of Łambinowice and the environs.
We thank all who took part in the ceremony.
