The years 1949-1956 were an exceptionally difficult period in the history of Poland. The government officially announced an alliance of workers and peasants and the working class was the “leading force of the nation”. However, at the same time, excessive defence expenditure and the inefficiency of the socialist economy caused a precipitous worsening of the living conditions of the population.

The entire country had been restless when, in June 1956, Poznań factory workers, mostly from the largest factory in the city, the Joseph Stalin Metal Works (as H. Cegielski—Poznań was then called), sent a delegation to Warsaw to demand an explanation of the situation and an improvement in living conditions. After the delegation returned to Poznań empty handed, work ceased at “Cegielski” on the morning of 28 June 1956. The workers were joined by those at the nearby Rail Rolling Stock Repair Works. They marched on the Voivodeship Committee building of the Polish United Workers Party in the city centre as a huge procession. They demanded explanations and called for improvements in living and working conditions.

Spurious rumours about the delegates being arrested soon began to circulate. This led to street fighting and the situation spiralled out of the control of both those taking part and the city authorities. Shots were fired near the Office of Public Security building in ul. Kochanowskiego and facilities to jam western radio stations were destroyed. The city authorities then called in the army and the riotous centre of Poznań was pacified over the next two days, largely by army and militia forces brought in from other parts of the country. More than 70 people were killed, hundreds wounded and almost 700 arrested during the conflict.

Once the protest was suppressed, a series of show trials of actual and presumed participants was held in autumn 1956. The authorities tried to prove the existence of a conspiracy against the state and socialism in Poznań.