Black Thursday (Czarny czwartek)

WEDNESDAY, 24th December 1969

Oh! All right? Ok., go! Go quickly!

The first one who will see the star - shout! Romek, wear your hat!

Come! Come here! I'll show you something!

Look! Santa is here!

Daddy is the Santa! Daddy is the Santa!

Romek!

You will get the rod!

- Uncle! - What?

- Come quickly! Daddy is the Santa! - Come on Gabryśka! Daddy is the Santa?

- Good evening! Who will give me a kiss? - Good evening!

So sweet! So cold!

- Mariola, give me your hand. - You're freezing!

Romek! Come Romek!

Come, come!

We stood for a while with Romek but... I have the most important things.

- Next year Christmas Eve will be at our place. - No, Leon.

Why not?

- We got a flat in apartment block. - Really?

Yes! Hot water, central heating, close to work!

Oh, bro!

Bro! Such a news!

We have to celebrate!

Here it is!

Have you lost your mind? It's Christmas Eve!

You're right, Honey.

Children come here!

- Come here. - The same for you!

Best wishes, honey!

All the best!

Bruno, that everything is all right at the new place.

Stefa...

11th of December 1970

the Politbiuro of the Central Committee of the United Polish Worker's Party

under the leadership of Władysław Gomułka

introduced a huge price increase for meat and other groceries.

The decision about the price increase was announced.

BLACK THURSDAY Janek Wiśniewski fell

MONDAY 14th December 1970

Bruno, you promised to take the laundry to the drying room.

I forgot.

And again is all on my head.

- Good morning! - Good morning!

A piece of salceson and half a kilo of lard.

- 22 zloty. - How much?

It's 22.

- It increased so much! - It is not me who decides about the price increase!

Not only it's all so expensive but also there is nothing to buy!

If our husbands don't do anything with that, I won't let mine to our bed!

Me neither! He can do whatever he wants! And you'd better listen!

- Goodbye! - What for you? - A piece of kaszanka and some bones.

GDAŃSK Voivodship Committee of the United Polish Worker's Party

Kids, open the door!

Daddy!

- Did you behave well? - Yes!

- Was your mother angry? - A little bit. - Very angry! Hello!

Dad!

I see that Bolek came back from the cruise.

- Yes, I'm back. Good morning, Bruno. - Good morning.

- You're spoiling my kids. - I have something for you, too.

- I just have to finish unpacking. - All right.

Stefa, I am not working tomorrow. The port stopped.

What happened?

In Gdańsk, shipyard workers strike in the streets There were some fightings.

- You haven't heard anything? - They didn't say anything on the radio.

And probably they won't say.

It is because of these Gomułka's price increase.

Everything is so expensive!

What are they doing? What kind of Christmas is it going to be?

Stefa, everything will be all right.

Now we will buy new furniture, we will pay off the flat.

I will buy the cab.

Yes, I will be a taxi driver. You will see how wealthy we will be!

Look what we got from Bolek.

Ham.

- Make me a sandwich. - No, no, no, the ham is for Christmas.

But look what is for dinner.

- Where did you get the money? - The lodger payed his rent for December.

Such things!

Great!

- It is for you. - No, I cannot.

- Romek will find it. - Come one, it is only a pen.

No.

All right, but at least...

- have a beer. All the best. - Thank you.

Are you staying with us for Christmas?

They are talking that all cruises will be cancelled.

Nobody knows nothing.

- I don't know how it is gonna to be. - All right.

But if you stay, you are welcome to spend the Christmas Eve with us.

Thank you very much.

TUESDAY 15th December 1970

Give us bread!

Give us bread! Give us bread!

Get me the Voivodship National Council, chairman Bejm.

JAN MARIAŃSKI

The president of the Presidium of the City National Council

Bejm.

I have few thousands people in the streets.

The shipyard, the port... What am I supposed to do?

Do whatever you want to clear the air.

But don't promise anything!

Give us bread! Give us bread!

Give us bread! Give us bread!

Introduce yourself!

My name is Jan Mariański.

I am the president of the Presidium of the City National Council.

Give us bread! Give us bread! Give us bread!

Let me say something!

Come here! Come here!

Come here! Come here!

Come here!

That is what I offer.

Choose your representatives. I will talk but not to all of you.

- We have already heard that! - Choose your representatives!

- Słodkowski! - Here!

- Go! - Walas!

Come! Come!

Kozłowski!

I'm coming!

- We are with you! - Give us Sławek Grześkowiak!

We are with you!

Mariola!

Hello Bruno!

- Hello! - Hello!

Hello!

- Come! Going for a walk? - Sure, I have day off.

- I don't want to stay at home. - There are some unrest in Gdańsk.

Militia and army divisions are in the streets.

- Good morning Józef! - Good morning.

My friend from Gdańsk visited me. He talked to a soldier who said

that they had come here to fight with the hitlerites.

Gdynia joined in.

I will go to see. I'll come to you in the evening to tell you.

All right.

Come!

Do you want something like this?

I have no authorization

to proceed any combining negotiations.

We understand that but we need to find a solution.

I can only be an intermediary in handing over your demands.

But remember - do not destroy the city.

This is polish city.

My name is Hulsz Edmund. I am from Dalmor.

We need a reassurance that our strike is official and legal.

You can see that I concede it.

But remember, the soviet armada may be flowing here now.

The board is not so far away and they can shoot.

Consider what you are doing.

Let's talk. What are your demands?

When we lived near Sierakowice, he was coming back from the night shift,

was sleeping three hours and was going back to work.

Sometimes, where there were no trains,

he was not coming home at all and was sleeping at the train station.

Now, Mr Bolek, everything has changed.

The way to work is short, only two train stops.

We only have to pay off the apartment, buy new furniture.

Do you want some more tea?

Thank you, Mrs Stenia, but I have to go.

We are preparing the New Years's Eve party at the ferry.

- Lot's of work. Thank you! - Goodbye.

All right, slowly.

Look!

Up...

Look over there! There!

That is where Dad goes to work.

And there we will go... when the weather is warmer.

We have signed up the agreement!

Our strike is officially legal!

President Mariański promised that

he would get our demands over to the deputy prime minister Kociołek.

Including the one of the most important demands.

An adjustment of the workers' salaries

to the level of the price increases.

Vivat!

Where's Daddy?

He is lost!

Bruno!

Bruno! You and your jokes!

Come here, baby.

Make us some food, we are hungry. Great! Bravo!

GDYNIA Polish Navy headquarters

- Hello! - Hello!

I am looking for the City Committee secretary. I heard he is hiding here.

They are all at fifteen. The first secretary is in Gdańsk.

He is subbed by Legucki who is very scared.

Have you heard what happened in Gdańsk?

I know about the street fighting.

Voivodship Committee of the party is on fire.

Hello.

Hello.

Comrade secretary can we talk?

You wanted to talk to the bandits without any authorization?

Mariański, you are finished!

GDAŃSK Voivodship Committee of the United Polish Worker's Party

GDAŃSK Board room of the Voivodship National Council

Please.

ALOJZY KARKOSZKA First secretary of the Voivodship Committee Comrades, let's start. There is no need to present, but please let me.

of the United Polish Worker's Party There is comrade Zenon Kliszko with us today.

The member of the Politbiuro of the Central Committee of our Party.