- The world has always known that war is fought by soldiers. But a brutal, massive attack on sleeping, unarmed people, on women and children, on an undefended city, has always been considered an act of absolute barbarism in history. The Germans began the war by deciding to brutally crush the Poles by attacking women and children - said the Polish President.

He also stressed that Poland's tragic history should serve as an example for future generations:

- There is an important lesson to be learned from World War II: never again can we afford to be defenseless when imperialism is born or reborn right next to us!

During the ceremony, President Andrzej Duda placed flowers at the monument commemorating the bombed synagogue on Sienkiewicza Street and at the monument commemorating the bombing raid on Wieluń's All Saints Hospital on 1 September 1939 on J. Piłsudski Street in Wieluń.

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For years, the tragedy of Wieluń – the first bombed city during World War II – remained unknown to a wider audience. The heroic defense of Westerplatte has been embedded in the collective consciousness as the first and one of the most important elements of the defense war of 1939. Wieluń, however, may be regarded as a symbol of crimes committed by the German army against civilians. At the time of the attack, no military units were stationed in the city, and there were no air defense posts either.

In the morning of 1 September 1939, German bombers launched several attacks on the city. As a result of the Luftwaffe attack, more than 75 percent of buildings were destroyed, including the All Saints hospital marked with Red Cross signs. It is estimated that from several hundred to two thousand people were killed and hundreds were injured. Huge human losses and material damage caused a mass exodus of those inhabitants of Wieluń who managed to survive the raids.