Martial Law in Poland, Dec. 13th, 1981 - 25th anniversary

[Switek]

remeber that Sunday as it was yesterday, very cold, cloudless with a lot of snow... I was 12 that day... for kid from small town it was day without TV and perspective that It wouldn't be need to go to school... I remeber my mom crying. My dad was an officer of Polish People Army I could see him at Dec 24th at Christmast eve... I was witness of collapse of morale of many my dad's colleagues and his own doubts. I know that It was a painful day for all Poles - the results of divisions made that day are alive today...

Let me share with you with with some pix from period of long night of Martial Law in Poland (1981-1983). Rest in Peace all fallen patriots who sacrificed their lives...

Martial law in Poland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Broadcast of Wojciech Jaruzelski declaring martial law (December 13, 1981)


ZOMO units in Poland (1981)


ZOMO units in Poland (1982)

The period of martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983 when the government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life. The phrase in Polish is "Stan Wojenny", which translates literally as "state of war". The country remained at peace for the duration, however democratic movements (such as Solidarity) were banned and their leaders, including Lech Wałęsa, imprisoned. The institution of martial law is believed to be responsible for a number of deaths. Those responsible claim about a dozen fatalities, while a parliamentary commission from 1989-1991 arrived at a figure of more than 90 deaths[1].

As part of the crackdown, media and educational institutions underwent "verification", a process that tested each employee's attitude towards the regime and Solidarity. More than 2,000 people lost their jobs. Solidarity was banned. Its leaders were arrested overnight. Full censorship and a six-day working week were re-imposed. The coal mines were placed under military control and military courts were established to set long jail sentences for those spreading "false information"[2].

Even after martial law was lifted, a number of restrictions remained in place for several years that drastically reduced the civil liberties of people living in Poland. Martial law also had severe economic consequences: the members of the government instituted major price hikes (calling them economic reforms), as a result of these hikes, the income of the population fell in real terms by approximately 20%, with some estimates being much higher[3].

After the downfall of Communism in Poland in 1989, members of a parliamentary commission determined that martial law had been imposed in clear violation of the country's constitution which had authorized the executive to declare martial law only between parliamentary sessions (at other times the decision was to be taken by the Sejm (parliament). However, the Sejm had been in session at the time when martial law was instituted. In 1992 the Sejm declared that the imposition of martial law in 1981 violated the law [4].

The new governing body in Poland that time was Military Council of National Salvation

I'll post some pictures soon

[Switek]

TVP 13 12 1981 Photograph © Mark Carrot*

Pix made Dec 16th 1981 in Warsaw. Camera was hidden so quality is poor

Warsaw, Feb 1982

Warsaw, March 1982

Warszawa, Easter, April 1982 Photograph © Mark Carrot*

[Switek]

Wujek Coal Mine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Kopalnia Wujek)

Kopalnia Wujek (English: the "Uncle" Mine) is a coal mine in Katowice, Poland. It is a household name in Poland as the place of a massacre of civilians by Communist forces on 16th December 1981. On that day, miners striking against the declaration of martial law in Poland by Wojciech Jaruzelski were brutally dispersed by the Ludowe Wojsko Polskie (communists' army), the Milicja Obywatelska (communists' police) and ZOMO (communists' riot police). Government forces opened fire on the miners, killing 9 and wounding 21 others.
Legal proceedings against the perpatrators continue to this day in Poland.

T-55 captured by workers


wall of Wujek Coal Mine in 1983

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Bialoleka, Iternment Camp for "temporarily internees" May 1982 Photograph © Mark Carrot*

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December 15th 1981. Warsaw
Phot. Leszek Fidusiewicz/Reporte

December 15th 1981, a place near Gdańsk Shipyard
Phot. Leszek Biernacki

December 16th 1981. Pacification Wujek Coal Mine

[nick_ua]

nice. please keep on posting

[daily666]

If I may Switek....

Gen. Jaruzelski is visiting the soldiers on duty during the Martial Law

24.12.1981. An APC (SKOT if I'm not wrong) in Warsaw during the Christmans Eve of 1981

23.01.1982. For the coming weeks all news were broadcasted from the military base in Warsaw, the TV presenters were dressed in Military uniforms.

Soldiers heating themselves up at the Poniatowski Bridge in Warsaw

Armed ZOMO militia

Solidarnosc supporters

Adam Michnik (now a journalist and head of Gazeta Wyborcza- Polish biggest daily newspaper) was captured and placed in jail

16.12.1981. Show of Force in Warsaw

Residents of Paris demonstrated with Poles in front of the Polish Embassy in Paris

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June 28th.1982, Wrocław

[daily666]

[TR1]

i spy a pps-43 in one of the photos.
good pics.

[goat89]

Nice pics! RIP to any fallen.

[Switek]

great pix from Gdańsk, Daily!

Dress rehearsal - pacification of stirke of Fire Brigade High School in Warsaw, December 2nd, 1981

[Switek]

The show begun - begining of Martial Law

[wholagun]

I never figured out the difference between Milicija i Policija. All I know is that in older Polish movies they say Milicija and now it's Policija

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