Jacek Kaczmarski I About Freedom

When dense clouds of smoke were already emerging from the building of the Provincial Committee, shortly after 3:00 p.m., only a few dozen militiamen were sent from the Provincial Headquarters of the Citizens' Militia, located about 200 meters away, to disperse the gathered people. This irresponsible, tragic decision was made by the leadership of the KW PZPR, which, together with its first secretary, took refuge in the Militia building.


[...] One and a half hours later, the army's relief arrived; the use of firearms, also by militiamen, unblocked the besieged buildings and dispersed the crowd of many thousands. Initially, the series of shots fired, including upward and tracer ammunition, were received by people in disbelief, shouting, "They are shooting the blinds!", While later – when the killed and wounded fell – they chanted "Bandits!", "They are shooting people!". Eleven people were fatally shot within the militia buildings and the WKZZ. Among them was a sixteen-year-old student who happened to be standing near the window in her apartment, opposite the KW MO building. A skot carrier crushed one person. Of the approximately 120 injured civilians taken to hospitals, most were shot and injured. One hundred and seventy minor injured received outpatient care.

It is hard for us to believe today that the described terrible events took place 51 years ago in the place where our Philharmonic stands today. We are adjacent to the described militia building; wounded people crawled along our street and sidewalks. From the window through which a stray bullet fell, you can see the facade of our Philharmonic. Thus, December 1970 became an element of the place's identity. And although today this part of the city has already changed – the Philharmonic building, museum and monument have been built, the facades of the buildings have undergone renovation – underneath them, there is still the truth about the "Republic of Szczecin" – the city of people who loved freedom.

Jacek Kaczmarski (1957-2004), a cult poet and author of songs from the "committed" trend, is commonly associated with the ethos of the first "Solidarity". We will hear his songs arranged by Miłosz Wośka, a composer and author of film music from Szczecin. He creates compositions and arrangements referring to the so-called third trend in jazz music (combining elements of jazz with classical music) and broadly understood illustrative music. He also composes for theatrical productions, animated films, documentaries and short films.