23 September briefing
Fifty years of KOR: when helping workers became a political act
Founded on 23 September 1976, the Workers’ Defence Committee holds an important place in the history of Poland’s democratic opposition.
Original AI-generated illustration: a symbolic scene, not a documentary photograph. Information checked on 23 September 2026.
A founding date
On 23 September 1976, fourteen signatories announced the creation of the Workers’ Defence Committee, known as KOR. Fifty years later, the anniversary recalls a practical commitment: helping workers subjected to repression after the June 1976 protests.
People behind the initials
The events in Radom, Ursus and Płock were followed by punishment and repression. KOR organized solidarity with those affected. Its work helped bring workers and intellectuals together around the defence of rights.
Why revisit it today?
Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance is marking the anniversary. For readers discovering Polish history, KOR shows that opposition to the communist regime was not confined to large demonstrations. Mutual assistance and the circulation of information also mattered.
The movement is an important milestone in the history preceding Solidarność, but should not be confused with that trade union. Telling its story restores the human acts of solidarity behind a date often reduced to three initials. The anniversary offers an opportunity to read that history beyond a simple list of institutions and political leaders.