Speech by Dutch Minister Boswijk at exposition of Stanislaw en Stasinek Sosabowski

Speech | 09-04-2026

Ladies and gentlemen,
dear friends from Poland and the Netherlands,

Professor Sosabowski, thank you for your words.

And thank you for your efforts to keep alive the story of your great-grandfather, General Stanisław Sosabowski, and of your grandfather, Stasinek.

For helping to ensure that their sacrifice,
and the sacrifice of so many Polish soldiers,
receives the recognition that it should always have had.

Because for a long time, the efforts of General Sosabowski and his men were overlooked.

But eventually their contribution received the recognition it deserved.

In 2006, Her Majesty Queen Beatrix awarded the Military Order of William to the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade,
and posthumously the Bronze Lion to General Sosabowski.
And last year, the British government finally accorded official recognition too,
by unveiling a plaque on the Polenplein in the village of Driel, where the Polish brigade fought with distinction during the Battle of Arnhem.

Justice can come late.
But it still matters when it comes.

Because recognition of acts of bravery is not only about correcting the past.
It is also about showing the next generation what kind of courage deserves to be remembered.

And that is exactly what this exhibition does.

It helps us to get to know Stanisław Sosabowski better.
But it also introduces many of us to a much lesser-known story:
the story of his son, Stasinek.

While his father was fighting here, in the Netherlands…
Stasinek was fighting in Warsaw.
In a very different battle, but for the same freedom.

One of the panels tells us that when he received his orders for the Warsaw Uprising, he knew exactly what that meant.
He said:
“It read like a death sentence. None of our unit had any illusions; we were convinced that not only our days but those of the entire city were sealed.”
And yet he went.
Knowing what it would cost.
That is where it begins.

And there is another quote in this exhibition that stays with you.

It says something essential about General Sosabowski as a commander. About the kind of leadership he believed in.
His own words were these:

“In all the exercises and activities I took a prominent part, so that nobody could turn and say: it is alright for him to give the orders, he doesn’t have to carry them out.”

That is real leadership.

Leadership by example.
Leadership that earns trust.
Leadership that does not hide behind rank.

It was that spirit that shaped the 1^st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade.

The Brigade was formed for the liberation of Poland and the men of the brigade trained hard.
But in September 1944, while Warsaw was burning, they were sent to the fields and orchards around the village of Driel in the Netherlands.

They fought for a freedom that was not their own.
For people they did not know.
And they paid a heavy price.

Two years ago, the last Polish veteran of the Battle of Arnhem passed away. His name: Bolek Ostrowski.

His words were simple and concise,
yet almost impossible to fully comprehend:

“The effort for freedom, it must be done, it is worth it.”

That is perhaps the most fundamental lesson of this exhibition.

Freedom is precious.
Freedom is costly.
And freedom asks something of us.

The bond forged here between Poland and the Netherlands did not fade away after 1944.

It lives on in remembrance.
But also in cooperation.

Today, Dutch F-35s are based in Poland to help protect NATO’s eastern flank.
In 2025, our countries signed agreements to deepen defence cooperation, including in the defence industry.
And we are cooperating together ever more closely on military mobility.
Because we know that in times of crisis, speed, logistics and trust between allies are essential.

So this exhibition is not only about the past.
It is also about the present.

And it brings us to a question every generation must answer for itself.

As General Sosabowski stood at the door of his aircraft, flying over Driel, he asked himself:
Have I done my job well?

That question is now our question.
Have we done what is required to preserve freedom?
To honour sacrifice?
To stand by our allies?

Ladies and gentlemen,

This exhibition does more than tell a story.
It shows us what leadership looks like.
What courage looks like.

In General Sosabowski.
In Stasinek Sosabowski.
In the men of the 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade.

My sincere thanks to everyone who made this exhibition possible.

To our Polish friends: thank you
for your courage back then,
and for standing with us today.

Thank you.