SZUMIŁO, Mirosław. „To Czech and Slovak visitors of Poland“. „Solidarity“ brochure from 1981

The revolution of „Solidarity" in Poland in the years 1980 – 1981 (called in Czechoslovakia the „Polish crisis"), for obvious reasons, aroused great interest among Czechs and Slovaks. The communist authorities, led by Gustáv Husák, reacted with concern to the developments in their northern neighbour. Looking at it through the prism of their own experiences in 1968, they were afraid of extending the „counter-revolution" to their country. The communists, therefore, launched a propaganda campaign in the mass media, the aim of which was to present „Solidarity" in a negative light. In the autumn of 1981, the Council of Independent Self-Governing Trade Union "Solidarity" of the Lesser Poland published an 8-page information brochure in the Czech language: „To Czech and Slovak visitors of Poland", which explained what the „Solidarity" movement really was and corrected the lies of official Czechoslovak propaganda. The brochure was distributed to Czechoslovak citizens visiting Poland. It emphasized the support of Poles for the Czech and Slovak aspirations for freedom.