HiSTORY
On December 13, 1981 the Military Council of National Salvation, which is headed by General Wojciech Jaruzelski, imposed martial law in Poland. On this day, the hopes of millions of Poles were crushed, while the chance of introducing democratic changes was lost for many years. For thousands of people and their families, martial law brought great suffering isolation in internment camps, imprisonment, loss of employment, and numerous other repressions; what is more, tens of innocent citizens lost their lives. History creates our identity. In the modern history of our country there was no other event that affected contemporary reality as forcefully as Martial Law. The experience of the illicit actions of the communist regime and the extremely widespread opposition to the dictatorship is still fresh in peoples minds.
Calendar
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December 15, 1981
The Supreme Council of the Polish Episcopate convened in Warsaw. In its communique it stated that "the bishops consider one of the most important matters to be ensuring that trade unions, and in particular the Trade Union "Solidarity", regain the possibility of acting in accordance with their statutes".
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December 14, 1981
Sit-in strikes and demonstrations were held at numerous plants. According to the official (albeit incomplete) data from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in December 1981 strikes and protests were organized at 199 workplaces throughout the country. Regional Strike Committees were set up in Gdańsk, Wrocław, Białystok, and Świdnik.
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