Student Committee of Solidarity
Encyclopedia
The Student Committee of Solidarity was a student group created in Kraków in 1977 whose purpose was opposition to the Communist government in Poland. The committee was formed in the aftermath of the murder of Stanisław Pyjas, a student activist, probably killed by members of the communist Secret Services.
The funeral of Pyjas turned into a student demonstration in the streets of Kraków (later called the "Black Procession
"), the largest of its kind in Kraków since the March events of 1968.
In the autumn of 1977 similar committees formed in other cities; Warsaw
, Gdańsk
, Poznan
and Wrocław, as well in Szczecin
in 1978. The student organizations were generally associated with the Komitet Obrony Robotnikóws (KOR) and carried out their activities mostly, but not exclusively, in academic settings. Where it proved possible, students associated with the committees also supported workers' organizations. The committees printed underground newspapers, organized petitions regarding living standards in student housing and demanded the replacement of communist controlled student groups by independent ones. Another purpose of the committees was to report on the kind of abuses by the communist Secret Services that had led to Pyjas' murder. In a more or less spontaneous ways, the Student Committees of Solidarity led to formation of Independent Students Unions, particularly by 1980.
Many activists of the committees later, after fall of communism in Poland, became well known public figures, among others; Bronisław Wildstein, Bogusław Sonik, Liliana Batko-Sonik, Lesław Maleszka, Róża Thun
, Ludwik Dorn
, Magdalena Modzelewska, Elżbieta Majewska, and Jacek Rakowiecki
The funeral of Pyjas turned into a student demonstration in the streets of Kraków (later called the "Black Procession
Marching
See also: Loaded marchMarching refers to the organized, uniformed, steady and rhythmic walking forward, usually associated with military troops.Marching is often performed to march music, and often associated with military parades....
"), the largest of its kind in Kraków since the March events of 1968.
In the autumn of 1977 similar committees formed in other cities; Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Gdańsk
Gdansk
Gdańsk is a Polish city on the Baltic coast, at the centre of the country's fourth-largest metropolitan area.The city lies on the southern edge of Gdańsk Bay , in a conurbation with the city of Gdynia, spa town of Sopot, and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the...
, Poznan
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
and Wrocław, as well in Szczecin
Szczecin
Szczecin , is the capital city of the West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland. It is the country's seventh-largest city and the largest seaport in Poland on the Baltic Sea. As of June 2009 the population was 406,427....
in 1978. The student organizations were generally associated with the Komitet Obrony Robotnikóws (KOR) and carried out their activities mostly, but not exclusively, in academic settings. Where it proved possible, students associated with the committees also supported workers' organizations. The committees printed underground newspapers, organized petitions regarding living standards in student housing and demanded the replacement of communist controlled student groups by independent ones. Another purpose of the committees was to report on the kind of abuses by the communist Secret Services that had led to Pyjas' murder. In a more or less spontaneous ways, the Student Committees of Solidarity led to formation of Independent Students Unions, particularly by 1980.
Many activists of the committees later, after fall of communism in Poland, became well known public figures, among others; Bronisław Wildstein, Bogusław Sonik, Liliana Batko-Sonik, Lesław Maleszka, Róża Thun
Róża Thun
Róża Maria Gräfin von Thun und Hohenstein , usually shortened to Róża Thun, is a European Parliament Member from Poland. A member of the Civic Platform, she started her term in 2009...
, Ludwik Dorn
Ludwik Dorn
Ludwik Dorn is a Polish conservative politician, former Deputy Prime Minister and member of Sejm elected on November 5, 2007.From October 31, 2005 to February 7, 2007 he was Minister of Interior and Administration, resigned after conflict with the Prime Minister Jarosław Kaczyński...
, Magdalena Modzelewska, Elżbieta Majewska, and Jacek Rakowiecki
External links
- Collection of photographs from an exposition on the 30th anniversary of formation of organization http://www.flickr.com/photos/opengallery/sets/72157594440866196/