%0 Journal Article
%T Wojna na znużenie. NOW-a a aparat przemocy 1982–1989
%A Sowiński, Paweł
%J Wolność i Solidarność
%V 2017
%R 10.4467/25434942WS.17.004.13117
%N nr 10
%P 62-81
%K Poland, communism, social movement, underground publishing, secret agents
%@ 2082-6826
%D 2017
%U https://ejournals.eu/czasopismo/wolnosc-i-solidarnosc/artykul/wojna-na-znuzenie-now-a-a-aparat-przemocy-1982-1989
%X 
	NOW-a Publishers versus Polish Secret Service, 1982–1989

	This article contributes to the history of the biggest Polish underground publishing project during the communist period. Sowinski argues that NOW-a publishers, though attacked by the police, was not destroyed. One of the main reason for this was the resilience of the grassroot activists energised by external support from Polish émigré circles in the West. Author also seeks causes of NOW-a success as underground book producer in the strategy of limited police harassment of the late stage of communist dictatorship. After martial law had been lifted in 1983 the Polish authority avoided to take major operations against opposition, i.e. massive crackdowns and imprisonments. Instead, the regime developed more subtle methods of policing the illicit book circulation. However, what constantly hampered the police effort to penetrate the NOW-a network was a lack of solid intelligence. The article offers a deep insight into the police investigation, agents reports as well as provides with fresh statistic on independent publishing and the police counterattacks.