SK: What does "black Tuesday," the 28th of June, 1956 mean to you? Was it a workers uprising, a fight for freedom, a general uprising?

Izabella Cywińska: It is an event that I am very emotionally attached to - seen from the perspective of years, it changes its' value and its' meaning for Polish history. 25 years ago, I put on a play about June 1956, and we thought of it as a workers' uprising; workers demanding bread and pay raises. Now, when I've gained access to secret police materials in the national archives, I have become convinced that political demands were rising by the hour on that day. Looking a picture of people carrying placards reading "we want free ellections," I've realized that June 1956 was a national uprising for freedom. The uprising helped people see they were not alone and gave hope to their aspirations of freedom. SK: You were taking exams in Warsaw on that day and apparently you requested that your professor ask his questions faster because you wanted to make your way to Poznań. Did you make it? IC: I made it to the outskirts of Poznań, because trains were no longer entering the city.