Polish-Lithuanian cooperation stands as a valuable anchor amid today’s challenges and a hopeful foundation for the future, stated President Andrzej Duda during a Sunday visit. Polish and Lithuanian leaders gathered in Pszczelnik, in the West Pomeranian Voivodeship, to pay tribute to Lithuanian airmen who lost their lives 90 years ago.
Long live independent Lithuania, long live independent Poland
In Pszczelnik, President Andrzej Duda and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda joined a ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of the fatal crash involving Lithuanian pilots Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas.
The homage to the brave airmen who perished in service to their homeland echoed the solemn mood of the day. The call for the enduring sovereignty of both nations was clear as the presidents reflected on the past and the responsibilities of the present.
Duda expressed a firm belief that unity between the two nations will endure for decades and, God willing, for centuries.
They all died in the service of their country
He recalled how on the anniversary of the tragedy Lithuanians around the world celebrate the bond of Lithuanian unity. The Polish people, he noted, understand the sentiment well as they stand before the memorial in Pszczelnik. Pride in the remarkable achievements of compatriots and gratitude for their patriotic devotion blend with reflection on a fate that took a difficult turn.
The president also remembered the Polish aviators Franciszek Żwirko and Stanisław Wigura, who perished in a 1932 air crash. He underscored that all of them died while serving their homeland and carrying out national tasks. From these acts of devotion, leaders draw inspiration to strengthen sovereignty, security, and the agency of their states and nations.
Flight toward immortality
The Lithuanian pilots planned a New York to Kaunas route aboard the aircraft Lituanica. They departed from New York on the morning of July 15, 1933, marking the anniversary of a joint Polish-Lithuanian victory at Grunwald. After more than 37 hours of flight, disaster struck late on July 17, near Kundham in what was then Germany, close to their intended destination. The plane crashed, claiming the lives of both pilots when they were less than 400 miles from Kaunas. The wreckage and the pilots’ remains were discovered the following morning.
In a sense they fell just short of the finish line, beginning a saga that turned into a symbol of honor for their homeland and a beacon of freedom and perseverance, noted the Lithuanian president in Pszczelnik.
Grateful for the memory of these Lithuanian airmen, he urged the sharing of their example to inspire cooperation and to celebrate the victories achieved together.
Steponas Darius and Stasys Girėnas left New York not primarily to set records but to lift spirits among Lithuanians worldwide. They aimed to demonstrate that no challenge is insurmountable and to spread the message of a nation restored and rising in the era of modern aviation, Nausėda observed.
He added that Darius, a well-known figure in Lithuania, was a living legend of public life and a pioneer in many sports, including the country’s favorite game, basketball, highlighting the pilots’ lasting legacy in the national myth of Lituanica.
The Lithuanian leader emphasized that the deaths of Darius and Girėnas deeply shocked Lithuanians and remains a touchstone of national memory, reflected in a museum near the monument to the aviators and a shared heritage visible in Poland as well.
What caused the tragedy
The exact causes of the crash remained undetermined. Weather and a possible technical malfunction were among the suspected factors. The airmen were laid to rest in Kaunas, and their memory was celebrated through the years by placing their likenesses on national currency and naming hundreds of streets after them. They became patrons of numerous schools, too, as part of a broader effort to honor their legacy.
Even though Lituanika flew without modern radio navigation, it stood out as one of the era’s most precise flights. The pilots also earned recognition for delivering mail from America to Europe by air, a remarkable feat at the time.
Source notes accompany this account to reflect the documented history of the events and the enduring significance of the flight in both nations.
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