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Freedom Collection

Interviews with Zbigniew and Zofia Romaszewski

Interviewed October 3, 2024

MS. ROMASZEWSKA: I think people come together whenever a historical moment arises, in which everyone at the same time is fed up with a specific thing, and is thinking along the same lines – when fairly large groups of people begin to think the same thoughts. In this instance, it was plain as day that the communists had horrendously beaten to a pulp these people, especially in Radom, perhaps to a greater extent than in Ursus [Radom and Ursus were locations of the most intense 1976 protests against rising prices in Poland]. And that they had absolutely unthinkable nerve to be still talking about the workers and peasants as holding political power in our country. So I think at the same time everyone just reached that conclusion. And there are always a few groups who are more invested, are more interested in public and political life.

And I think that those young people who at the time were members of the clubs of Catholic intelligentsia, because these were primarily with whom we collaborated, and who traveled with us to Radom, they decided that after classes or whatever, you know, people would come to the homes of those families where somebody was in jail, and bring them assistance. The way the assistance was arranged, or an attorney, or if they had traveled to Warsaw we would arrange for a place where they could stay, help them do errands – would take them to appointments with an attorney, you would arrange for some direct assistance to the families themselves, we would even bring clothing for the children, someone would buy some things for them. We had no inkling how dire the poverty was in the city of Radom, it was absolutely incredible.

MR. ROMASZEWSKI: Material aid – very important.

MS. ROMASZEWSKA: Exactly, material aid was critically important.

MS. ROMASZEWSKA: You know, any movement can become organized and be effective when it has some form of protection. What I mean is, when people are able to organize in such a way, where there is a component of empathetic solidarity, protection, and where people know that, so to speak it is one for all and all for one – that you yourself would go to prison for another – that is very important.