This museum is a dedication to, and indeed a memorial, to the events surrounding 16 December 1981, known as the 'Pacification of Wujek.' Shortly after Martial Law was declared in Poland on 13 December 1981 by General Wojciech Jaruzelski, workers at the famous Wujek mine went on strike and were immediately met with a brutal show of force, which left nine dead.
The museum's exhibits tell this story in specific detail - including the tank used against striking miners and a scale model showing the clashes between miners and the militia, but also the story of the Solidarity movement and the larger Polish struggle for freedom during the communist period. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, guided tours led by miners who actively took part in the 1981 protests are conducted in Polish; on other days, explore the exhibit on your own or with a regular guide. For English-speaking guides, contact them in advance.
The museum's exhibits tell this story in specific detail - including the tank used against striking miners and a scale model showing the clashes between miners and the militia, but also the story of the Solidarity movement and the larger Polish struggle for freedom during the communist period. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, guided tours led by miners who actively took part in the 1981 protests are conducted in Polish; on other days, explore the exhibit on your own or with a regular guide. For English-speaking guides, contact them in advance.
