The Office for War Veterans and Victims of Oppression is the main institution dealing with the matters of Veterans of struggles for independence and Victims of Oppression in Poland. The Office's functions and responsibilities have been defined in legal acts establishing the special status of beneficiaries of the veterans' law. In testimony of its appreciation and gratitude towards all of its citizens who were involved in armed or another form of struggle for independence, and also to recompense those who fell victim to persecution by foreign and domestic totalitarian regimes, free Poland set up in 1991 a special status of veterans of the struggle for independence and victims of political, ethnic and racial oppression.

Main tasks of the Office consist of:

• awarding the status of Veteran of struggles of for independence, Victim of Oppression and person deported to perform forced labor,
• providing the Veterans and Victims of Oppression with help, special care and proper respect,
• spreading the tradition of struggles for independence of Poland.