Monument to the Heroes of the Red Banners in Dąbrowa Górnicza

The Monument to the Heroes of the Red Banners stands on Wolności Square in Dąbrowa Górnicza, near the Basin Palace of Culture. It was unveiled in 1970 to a design by Augustyn Dyrda. It is known mainly for its history after 1989, when residents defended it against demolition.

The monument and its inscriptions

The original inscription read simply "To the Heroes of the Red Banners". The monument was unveiled on 8 November 1970. The object is entered in the list of National Memorial Sites of the Silesian Voivodeship.

Defence against being blown up

In 1990 it was planned to blow the monument up, as happened to many similar objects after the change of system. The residents did not allow it: they painted it, dedicated it to Jimi Hendrix and guarded it day and night. An inscription appeared on the monument with a dedication to Hendrix and Kurt Cobain and the slogans "Make love not war" and "War is over". It survived in this form until 2006.

A new plaque and further disputes

In 2006 the councillors decided on a new plaque: "To the heroes of the red banners. To the people of Dąbrowa. To the makers of the history of the struggles for national and social liberation". It was unveiled on 1 May 2006, and the monument was cleaned. In 2012 a bench with a figure of Jimi Hendrix was placed nearby. In 2018, after a position taken by the Institute of National Remembrance in favour of demolishing the monument, several hundred people protested again and painted the plinth.

Practical information

• Location: Wolności Square in the centre of Dąbrowa Górnicza.
• The monument stands in an open space, with no opening hours.