The martial law is not a very flattering part of the past of our newest country. General Jaruzelski on TVP announcing the introduction was a terrible sight. They even admit the sight of people born like me in the 1990s. It's not all day you see men in uniform talking to us from a glass screen.
That's how the people who agreed to talk to me remembered that day. I promised the people who gave me interviews that I would only usage their names and indicate who they were and where they lived at the time of the outbreak of martial law.
The first individual I spoke to was Andrzej the 1st grader, a resident of Warsaw:
- I was besides tiny and I didn't know what and how, but at home I remember a panic broke out, due to the fact that my parent and grandma survived the war and the sight of the Army and the tanks aroused bad memories – he adds- It started Saturday night on Sunday. precisely in the morning, all over the street al. Liberation were then militia vehicles, WSW, Military. Old (buildings), Nyski (bitches), gaziki and skit at the crossroads. On tv since morning, Jaruzel's message, no another messages, on radio the same only speech and appeal to not move. That Sunday, on my way to church, I saw the ZOMO battering people, and we went home. Our neighbour standing in the window and looking at her got a firecracker with teardrop gas on the window. Many people fleeing Mokotowska respective times, where there was a Solidarity office in Primary School No. 21. There, too, it's done. erstwhile we were kids, we utilized to run around collecting giltz on those firecrackers, even after a while there was inactive gas, then we utilized to brag about who and how much they collected. – Memories collected on 13.12.2023.
Another individual was a resident of the tiny town of Danuta, then a graduate.
- I remember the outbreak of martial law very well, due to the fact that on Saturday 12:12 we were doing class at school and we had 8 hours and we escaped the last one. We were afraid there would be consequences, and here on Sunday morning, the gene. Jaruzelski declared martial law. I'll admit that the stone fell from my heart. However, most of all, I remembered my prom in January 1982. I was waiting for my partner until the last minute, due to the fact that he was in the army, and they didn't truly want to go on leave. The survey area started at 4:00, and he stopped by erstwhile we were set for the polonaza. The organization lasted until 9:00 a.m., then we moved in a couple of couples to our flat and we partyed there till morning. I collected memories on 12.12.2023.
Roman then student of the 1st year of SGGW, surviving in the Warsaw dormitory that period recalls:
- The martial law found me in Plonsk, where I was visiting my parents. That afternoon I returned to Warsaw for my studies. There were no tanks or soldiers in Płońsk, erstwhile I got off the bus in Warsaw, I saw what Stan Wojenny means in practice. The sight of uniforms and armored vehicles impressed me greatly. I got to the dormitory, where we were waiting with the another students for information as to whether the classes would usually take place at 9:30 p.m., we were informed that the studios were suspended and we were to go home. The next morning we got up and wanted to go to the station to get back together. My friend and I were going back to the same place and we were waiting for the bus erstwhile he yet got here, and we got into it. I stood on the last step, incapable to catch myself, due to the fact that in my hands I held suitcases with my belongings and so with fear that I would fall off the bus, we began our journey home. It turned out that you had to change, the bus after passing the central station turned, you had to get off and go to the west station on foot. After arriving, we bought tickets for the first bus to Płońsk. At the dorm, we said goodbye due to the fact that we didn't know if we were going to proceed studying or what would happen. After 3 months, they suspended their studies and we could go back to them. – Memoirs I collected on 13.12.2023.
Bogusław bard and anti-communist activist, Sulejówka resident State of War, says:
- I only learned about the outbreak of the State of War at the Mass at 1 p.m., due to the fact that at the time I was in Magdalena in Warsaw at the retreat, and nobody, neither we nor the leading priests watched television, only the priest from outside speaking to us informed us about the announcement of the State of War. I went back to Sulejówka at 11:00 and my mom informed me they were from the militia. So I didn't think much, after curfew, I went to the police station. As I entered, I said, “Let Jesus Christ be praised”, and all the militias have been chorused since they said “for centuries” and at that time the chief left and all these boys got hit. As an anti-government activist (I went to church and was in the Catholic movement) I had to study all day. all time I went to the station, I broke curfew, and I besides carried anti-government flyers to police. – Memoirs I collected on 18.12.2023.
Peter, then 5 years old, a resident of the Legion of Warsaw, recalls these events:
- I didn't realize much of it, but the gentleman's speech in dark glasses dressed in uniform impressed me. I was fascinated to see the military on TV. Although I was sad that there was no teleranx on Sunday morning (at 9 p.m.). A fewer days later, I remember an army on the streets. erstwhile I was 5 years old, I liked playing with soldiers, so erstwhile I saw the army in front of the block, I wanted to go out and look at them, but due to the fact that no of my friends always came out, my mom told me not to. After a fewer days I saw through the window that the boys from another apartments went out to look, so I asked again if I could leave and my parent answered with a dense heart “you can, only if I call you to come home.” After a while, I was downstairs, and with a fistful of kids, we watched the tank and patrols. After any time, we began to get closer, but the parents watching us through the windows called us to order. erstwhile I got home last night, I was so excited that I told my younger brother and mom, my dad was gone, he was assigned to the unit. For me, as a small boy, the fires in metallic baskets were besides interesting, where the heat was warm, and the military allowed us to add to the fire. I collected memories on 21.12.2023.
Krystyna, then on maternity leave of 27 years, resident of Chodakov (now the territory of Sochaczew) recalls these events:
- We heard that russian troops were standing on the border of the Polish People's Republic of USSR, and that Gen. Jaruzelski was obliged to calm the moods in Poland, due to the fact that if not, they would enter. He announced the State of War to avoid it, which most Poles did not believe, due to the fact that the people knew that if Moscow decides something, it does not ask anyone anything. On December 13, 1981, Teleranek was abruptly removed from the vision, after which all programs, on the screen snowed, until the speech was delivered by Jaruzelski. Tanks, armored vehicles and soldiers in field uniforms appeared on the streets on Monday. They were without food, without drinking, and they were burning at the coke ovens. The locals gave food, hot drinks and blankets, or warm clothing to keep the soldiers from getting cold. The horror was terrible due to the fact that no 1 knew what was going on. You had to have a pass to your place of residence, queues were in stores to get basic products. Journalists dressed in military uniforms gave russian propaganda to Poles, praising Jaruzelski's moves.- I collected memories on 26.12.2023.
Danuta, then worker of the Meera Mechanical and Precision Plant She's 25 years old, Chodakov's flat remembers these days like this:
- It was restless before, due to the rumors of those who did not like the government and how the workers were treated. In November, my parent and younger sister, Renata, moved to the worker block at Chemitex. On the night before, dense equipment was heard, as it later turned out, it was military vehicles. On the morning of 13 December we were amazed by the snowy tv screen, after any time Jaruzelski's announcement about the introduction of the War State began. Phones are off. Everyone was very amazed and wondered what had to happen in the larger cities, since even in Chodak people were arrested. Military and ZOMO appeared on the streets. On Monday, I had to go to work in Błonia, and the curfew was 8:00 to 6:00. I left my flat around 5.20 and had to get a certificate from the workplace, what hours I was employed and where I work. At work, everyone was very upset about the situation and we organized rallies. I came home and my mom and I went to see a friend's parents to let them know Grażynanka was staying on the premises. Mrs. Lucynka brought hot tea and milk at the primary school to the frozen soldiers. My sister Ala, who was then surviving with her husband and daughter Ania in Gdańsk, due to the fact that it was very dangerous to be pregnant, without any permission, she went on her way to her household home. The military who checked the passes on the train saw that the sister was pregnant and with a tiny kid they turned a blind eye to the deficiency of a paper and allowed her to go on. due to the fact that the meat on the store shelves did not appear, we were supplying it illegally. For this intent we went to Aunt Marysa surviving close the Iron Wola and carrying a bag of respective kilograms of meat we returned home by bus, then the police control came in, we were very scared, but the militia did not care about the luggage. – Memoirs I collected on 26.12.2023.
It is clear from my memories that my interlocutors were sympathetic to the military, otherwise with the police. They all felt that they were just following orders. Should we settle martial law? Of course, it's just that we shouldn't justice privates, and generals, and unfortunately, those buried with honors lie in merit quarters.
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