place

1982 seizure of the Polish embassy in Bern

1982 crimes in Switzerland1982 in Poland1982 in international relations20th century in BernAttacks on diplomatic missions in Switzerland
Attacks on diplomatic missions of PolandConflicts in 1982Diplomatic incidentsHistory of BernPoland–Switzerland relationsSeptember 1982 events in EuropeSiegesTerrorist incidents in Switzerland

The 1982 seizure of the Polish embassy in Bern, Switzerland was a politically and financially motivated hostage situation. The embassy was seized by a group of four Polish exiles, led by a former employee of the Służba Bezpieczeństwa (SB) security service, Florian Kruszyk. After seizing the embassy and taking 14 hostages, the group made several broad political demands including the abolition of martial law in Poland. They also requested several million Swiss francs, threatening to destroy the embassy with explosives if their demands were not met. The group's financial demands, and Kruszyk's previous conviction for an armed robbery involving hostage-taking, led some experts to cast doubt on the group's motives being primarily political. After intensive negotiations, a Swiss elite Stern anti-terror squad raided the embassy, freeing the hostages without a shot being fired. The raid took place around 36 hours after the siege had begun.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article 1982 seizure of the Polish embassy in Bern (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors).

1982 seizure of the Polish embassy in Bern
Elfenstrasse, Bern

Geographical coordinates (GPS) Address Nearby Places
placeShow on map

Wikipedia: 1982 seizure of the Polish embassy in BernContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 46.93815 ° E 7.46246 °
placeShow on map

Address

Elfenstrasse
3006 Bern (Stadtteil IV)
Bern, Switzerland
mapOpen on Google Maps

Share experience

Nearby Places