This is not Improv Everywhere. This is not a flash mob. This is a real thing that happens every single year in Warsaw, Poland.
Today marks the anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising, a pinnacle event in 1944, wherein the Polish resistance Home Army fought to liberate its country from Nazi reign.
But the Germans prevailed Oct. 2, killing nearly 200,000 civilians as they maintained control over the Polish capital.
Every Aug. 1 since, the people of Warsaw have taken a collective minute out of their day to pay homage to the fallen heroes that fought for freedom. For one minute, everybody in Warsaw stops in their path and raises a flag, or looks at a countryman, or simply reflects.
Last year’s 60 seconds were captured by Wojtek Jezowski and converted into a gripping video—linked to the Warsaw Uprising Museum—that does as much to showcase Warsaw’s natural beauty as it does to spotlight the pride and respect that a nation can have for its history.
Correction: An earlier version of this story stated that the Polish resistance liberated the country from Nazi reign on Oct. 2. We regret the error and thank Tumblr user the-lady-midday for bringing it to our attention.
Photo via YouTube
