Investigations into claims of the execution of Polish People’s Army (LWP) soldiers during the aftermath of the 1956 Poznań Uprising have concluded without supporting evidence, according to a prosecutor’s statement.
In the days following the June 1956 clashes, rumors spread among Poznań residents that dozens of soldiers were executed at the Ławica camp for allegedly refusing orders to open fire on demonstrators. Witnesses interviewed during the investigation recounted hearing about these alleged killings but had no direct knowledge or specific details about the soldiers or their purported burials.
Extensive exhumation and archeological efforts were conducted between 2006 and 2024, including at sites near Leszkowo, Biedrusko, and a former military unit in Poznań. None of these investigations uncovered evidence to confirm the existence of graves or any mass executions of soldiers related to the uprising.
The prosecutor emphasized that there are no conclusive indications of such crimes being committed and thus the inquiry into these specific allegations has been closed. This marks the first procedural decision regarding the events of the Poznań Uprising.
The broader investigation into the June 28-29, 1956 uprising, during which 58 people were killed as workers protested against oppressive conditions and Soviet influence, remains ongoing, with a final report expected by the end of the year.