Monument of Poznan's June 1956

Monument of Poznan's June 1956

The monument is located on Adam Mickiewicz Square, at St. Martin Street. The idea for this monument was suggested in autumn 1980. The project by sculptor Adam Graczyk and architect Włodzimierz Wojciechowski won the contest. It consists of two 21-metre tall steel crosses, joined with a knot-tied arm and a sculpture of an eagle's head. On the left-side cross there is the date of 1956, commemorating the protests, and on the right-side cross there are the dates of workers' later protests from other Polish cities: 1968, 1970, 1976, 1980 i 1981. On the left one can also read the main mottos of the Cegielski Factory workers of 1956: We want God, We demand freedom, law and bread.

The monument was erected in record time and was ready to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the events, unveiled two days before the anniversary, 26th June 1981. The monument memorializes the workers' protests which began with a strike in Cegielski Metallurgical Factory, later turning into a spontaneous protest of the Great Poland's people against the totalitarian system. About one hundred thousand people went out to the streets in a rally which took place on Mickiewicz Square. The demonstrations which spread around the city, were bloodily suppressed by the squads of the People's Regular Army and the corps of Internal Security. Several dozen were killed, among them a 13-year-old boy, Romek Strzałkowski, who has become a symbol of the Poznan 1956 events.