# Drzymała's wagon (1908)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1908-drzymala-s-wagon
Location: Greater Poland

Barred by Prussian law from building a house on his land, peasant Michał Drzymała lived in a circus wagon, becoming a symbol of resistance to Germanisation. Within the broader Partitioned Poland period: Without a state, Poles preserved their nation through uprisings, emigration, Romantic literature, 'organic work' and modern political movements, while facing Russification and Germanisation. At this point in the timeline (1908), the governing authority was Nicholas II (King of Poland (Tsar of Russia)). Last tsar; Russian control of the Kingdom of Poland ended when Warsaw fell to German forces in August 1915. Drzymała's wagon mattered because collective action by ordinary people challenged those in power and changed Polish society. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Drzymała's wagon mattered because collective action by ordinary people challenged those in power and changed Polish society.

Ruler at the time: [Nicholas II](https://poland-history.com/rulers/nicholas-ii)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Michał Drzymała](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micha%C5%82_Drzyma%C5%82a)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Drzymała's wagon](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Drzyma%C5%82a%27s+wagon)
- [Wikipedia — History of Poland (1795–1918) (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Poland_(1795%E2%80%931918))