Today's martial law anniversary is fading in Poles' collective memory

On Dec. 13, 1981, General Wojciech Jaruzelski, head of the then ruling Communist party (PZPR), imposed martial law in Poland, but, according to a recent survey, the anniversary is slowly fading in Poles' collective memory. The survey found that over 40% of high school students do not know the historic Dec. 13 date. However, there are also several dozens of people who hold demonstrations each year in front of Jaruzelski's home on the night of Dec. 12. Another issue is the prosecution of people responsible for the killings, which occurred during martial law. On December 16, 1981, Communist militia (ZOMO) shot dead several miners in the "Wujek" coal mine. The trial of the murderers began in 1993, but ended with no convictions. In 1998 an appeals court ordered the trial be resumed, which has yet to be concluded. (Zycie, p.1)