Kowalczyk brothers

A big celebration for the Służba Bezpieczeństwa and Milicja Obywatelska was to take place at the university in the morning of the following day.

On 8 September 1972 the Voivodeship Court in Opole sentenced Jerzy to death and Ryszard as his helper to 25 years in prison.

Such severe sentences resulted in protests from Jan Józef Szczepański, Wisława Szymborska, Jerzy Szacki, Stanisław Lem, Daniel Olbrychski and Catholic authorities.

On 19 January 1973 the Council of State reduced Jerzy Kowalczyk's sentence to 25 years in prison.

With the rise of Solidarity in the 1980s, pardons were issued and the brothers were freed for good behavior: Ryszard in 1983 and Jerzy in 1985.

Ryszard Kowalczyk (in the middle) and his brother Jerzy (left) in Gdańsk, 18 December 2010. The two other men are Wiesław Ukleja and Andrzej Gwiazda
Plaque at Solidarity Square in Gdańsk