The historical re-enactment of the Strike of Female Spool Tenders is one of the most spectacular outdoor events in Żyrardów, aiming to immortalise a crucial workers strike from 1883. For years the spectacle is being organised by “Fundacja Fabryka Feniksa”. It is an attempt at a faithful reconstruction of the 19th – century factory settlement reality, bringing the residents and tourists closer to the dramatic lives of the bygone workers.
Strike of Female Spool Tenders of 1883, a return to the past…
The event is known for its attention to historical detail and dynamic action. One of the key elements of the re-enactment are realistic scenery, costumes prepared both for the working class and the management who oversaw the factory, battle scenes with a Cossacks company and the tsar’s military forces, freedom speeches against the tsardom with the sound of gunshots in the background. The Strike of Female Spool Tenders had often woven together traditional reconstruction with modern presentation methods. To this day a wide variety of projects have been done, reconstructions based on stories of female spool workers who took part in urban processions, multimedia projects and reconstructions following fictional narratives. This initiative, which is part of the September celebration of European Heritage Days became part of Żyrardów’s identity for good.
Join the re-enactment group
Re-enactment of the Strike of Female Spool Tenders gained favour with the public not by accident. It’s a social, intergenerational project, involving around 200 resident-extras, acting out the roles of workers and factory management. Recruitment for the re-enactment group is open year round Interested persons please contact us here fundacjafabrykafeniksa@gmail.com.
Fundacja’s educational efforts are completed by a 2013 movie “Strajk Szpularek – Historia
Prawdziwa” [eng. Female Spoolers Strike – A True Story] which analyses in depth the reasons and
proceedings of this historical revolt.
Watch “Strike of Female Spool Tenders – True Story”
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