THE historic connection between Scotland and Poland has been in the news as Edinburgh marks the 70th anniversary of Polish forces arriving in Leith to fight alongside the Allies in the Second World War.
I have recently returned from an official visit to the beautiful city of Krakow where we spent a busy few days discussing how to take forward the recently renewed partnership agreement between our two cities.
Almost twice the size of Edinburgh, K
rakow is a bustling and increasingly world-facing city, working hard to promote itself to the rest of the globe.
The link began in 1995 when the previous Edinburgh District Council led an EU-funded project to assist with the management and conservation of Kazimierz – the former Jewish quarter of Krakow, which later became the setting for the film Schindler's List.
The project involved much dedication from the planning departments in both cities and the local conservation trusts.
The flights were packed travelling there and back, showing that the long-established links between Scotland and Poland are well and truly flourishing. Indeed, our vibrant Polish community continues to play an important role in the life of this city.
Many of the people I met in Krakow were of a generation too young to remember the great number of Polish soldiers who were in Edinburgh during the Second World War.
I was brought up in Marchmont, an area of town where Polish soldiers settled after the war. A commemorative plaque in Arden Street recalls that the eminent Polish General Stanislaw Maczek, Commander of the 1st Polish Armoured Division, once lived there.
One of the foremost tank commanders of the Second World War, he excelled in breaking through the German Panzer divisions and creating havoc behind enemy lines.
My own ten years in the armed services gave me an insight into the sacrifices made and the risks taken by our service personnel. As Squadron Leader Chaplain in the Royal Air Force, I witnessed at first hand the astonishing courage and dedication shown by the troops. And as Lord Provost, I have also visited many of our Reserve Forces Units, meeting the brave men and women who serve alongside the regular armed forces in war zones and take exactly the same risks as they do.
Tomorrow, on Remembrance Sunday, people the length and breadth of Britain will pay tribute to all those who have fought and died – and who continue to do so – in order to keep this country safe.
It is vital that in so doing we are not only remembering the courage of our own countrymen and women, but also that of those of all nations who joined us in the war effort, and whose cherished legacy lives on in our thriving cosmopolitan city.
George Grubb is Lord Provost of Edinburgh