Piotr Wojtczak, Poland’s Ambassador to Luxembourg;
Credit: Embassy of Poland in Luxembourg
Poland is celebrating its National Independence Day today, Friday 11 November 2022, commemorating the anniversary of the restoration of Poland's sovereignty in 1918 from the German, Austro-Hungarian and Russian Empires.
Józef Klemens Piłsudski, a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (1918–1922) and First Marshal of Poland (from 1920), was appointed Commander in Chief of the Polish forces on 11 November 1918, and later in the day proclaimed Poland as an independent state. The holiday was constituted in 1937.
In Poland, the National Independence Day celebrations include a military ceremony performed in Piłsudski Square, and the laying of wreaths by the President and the Chief of the General Staff, amongst others, in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in honour of the millions of men and women who perished for Poland.
On the occasion of this year's Polish National Independence Day, Chronicle.lu reached out to Piotr Wojtczak, Poland’s Ambassador to Luxembourg, who said: "11 November is one of the dates that remind us, the Polish people, how important the memory is. A nation that loses it ceases to be a nation and becomes merely a collection of people temporarily inhabiting a given territory. It is thanks to the memory of our common origin and heritage as well as the heroic efforts to preserve it that our country did not disappear from the map, despite the imperialist ambitions of the neighbouring countries".
Ambassador Wojtczak recalled that the professional, social and artistic activities of the Polish community in Luxembourg, the eighth largest group of foreign nationals in the country, not only constantly remind the Polish community of their homeland but also prove that the strength of a nation goes beyond the territory it inhabits. Speaking about Luxembourg-Poland bilateral relations, Ambassador Wojtczak highlighted that the 100th anniversary of bilateral relations was celebrated last year, in 2021, and a website, polacy.lu, dedicated to a common past and present was created.
Reflecting on the current geopolitical situation in Europe, Ambassador Wojtczak said: "It is particularly important to emphasise the huge, unwavering involvement of the Polish community in initiatives to help Ukraine – both in the collection and transport of essential supplies and hosting the refugees, as well as in the organisation of academic and cultural events". He mentioned that in Luxembourg, one such event is a photo exhibition called "Portrait(s) d'une résistance – Ukraine 2004-2022" in Clervaux, which will soon be opened in Luxembourg City as well. He added: "We might be tempted to say that these actions are patronised by the first Polish ambassador to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Władysław Sobański, who was, after all, vice-president of the Red Cross during the First World War". This year, "the National Independence Day therefore gains a new dimension: it reminds us how much can be achieved through courage and determination in the fight for values if we want to remain what we are", he emphasised.
Poland’s National Independence Day celebrations in Luxembourg this year include a concert by the Kapela Niwińskich band, as part of the Polish Culture Festival, on 11 November 2022 at 19:00 in the Vantage Bar at 163 Rue de Beggen, 1221 Luxembourg.
According to the National Registry of Natural Persons, there were 6,131 Polish nationals (including multiple nationality holders) residing in Luxembourg as of 1 October 2022. Of the 6,131 Polish nationals in Luxembourg, 2,125 (35%) were living in Luxembourg City, followed by Walferdange (203), Hesperange (181) and Esch-sur-Alzette (177). Polish nationals are resident in all the 102 municipalities of Luxembourg.
