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Taylor Swift made sure her Polish fans knew what loud sirens they may hear during her Warsaw concert on Thursday. The singer is performing three times in the capital city beginning August 1st, but that date is a somber anniversary that the entire nation marks each year.
August 1, 1944, was the day Polish resistance fighters finally launched their uprising against the brutal Nazi occupation that had gripped their nation in its iron-fisted clutches for five successive years. The ill-armed civilians rose in revolt, which lasted over two months. The Soviet forces stood nearby, never coming to aid as promised. Eventually, more than 200,000 Polish lives were lost as the Germans razed the city in retribution.
The Warsaw Uprising heroes are still remembered in Poland to this day. Part of the annual remembrance includes alarm sirens that will ring out at the exact hour the revolt began back in 1944. Swift is set to take the stage in the evening, and her fans already inside the stadium by about 5 p.m. will hear the sirens blast. Both Swift and the local news would like to keep the fans—most of whom are traveling from afar—to their calmness and respect towards this very serious moment. Sirens give tribute to those giving all in their struggle for Polish independence with memorabilia.
Although excited for the show, Swift wants her Swifties to be aware of the meaning of that anniversary date. She would have the fans remain in a state of quiet, with dignity while Poland pays homage to the heroes of the 1944 uprising. It was a reminder of the costs endured on the road to freedom.
