11th November - The Independence Day

Although we weren't here at Poland on the particular day, we couldn't miss to mention the Polish Independence Day, what takes place in the calendar at 11th November. Of course it is an official public holiday and a day-off, and all around cities people are gathering for celebrations (and sometimes demonstrations too). 

Origin of the day is 11th November 1918, that day after 123 years the 3-parts-divided Poland regained its independence, before that it was in Austrian, Russian and German hands. The Polish Military Organization’s secret departments' including demobilized soldiers and legionnaires disarmed the Germans in Warsaw and more other Polish towns. The Government appointed Józef Pilsudski as chief commander over the Polish forces and 3 days later the complete control was in his hands - he formed the new centralized government which published its most important key measures on 21th Nov, for example they called new parlamentary elections, made up agricultural reforms and introduced more favorable conditions for workers.

The day was announced as national holiday in 1937, but from 1939 till '89 it was removed as an official celebration day, and it was restored after communism.

On this day of course we could see Polish flags at many places, not only on buildings, but on public transportation vehicles too. At Warsaw the celebration is at several places, including the Pilsudski's square, where at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier they do an official change of guards accompanied by the government officials. On every day basis the change of guards is just a routine that is a normal picture of Warsaw (the guards change every hour or so).

According to what I read, unfortunately the day is also a good occasion for various political groups to divide that nation even more during marches and events that usually take place during that day. This year, the radical right-side took pretty much attention by burning the flowered rainbow what stands at Plac Zbawiciela (the Saviour Square) that is taken by them as a symbol of lesgay movements. Breaking street-parked cars' glasses, throwing petards and pieces of pavement while fighting with the police. Also this year they attacked the Russian embassy and people with different views. The reaction to such behavior we witnessed yesterday at Nowy Swiat Street, where there was an event demonstrating against radicals. Meanwhile during the last few days there was a United Nation's climate conference taking place at Warsaw. Around 10 000 visitors arrived from 200 countries, so obviously these people had to be scared sometimes, seeing what was happening.

But anyway, our Hungarian friends were reporting appreciations about the commemoration at the Unknown Soldier's tomb and the gatherings, what they saw at Warsaw downtown. Good for them that they were somewhere else than the radical folks during the day.