WARSAW, Poland – On the 70th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, Poland is honoring the fighters and victims of the rebellion against Nazi Germans by laying wreaths, sounding sirens and singing insurgent tunes.
On Aug. 1, 1944, thousands of poorly-armed city residents rose up against the German forces to try to take control of the city ahead of the advancing Soviet army. They held on for 63 days before being forced to surrender. Almost 200,000 people were killed. The Nazis expelled the survivors and set the city ablaze.
President Bronislaw Komorowski laid flowers Friday at the graves of the revolt's commanders and will attend other ceremonies during the day.
The Warsaw Uprising was a taboo subject until the fall of communism in 1989. It has been honored ever since.