The tale of the anti-communist democratic opposition in Poland is a wonderful inspiration for many people throughout the world . The Gdańsk Shipyard became a recognisable point on a map of historical peaceful triumphs and the place where dreams came true. Independent self-governing Trade Union “Solidarity” is a Polish trade union, it was founded on 17 September 1980 at the Gdańsk Shipyard under the leadership of Lech Wałęsa. It was the first union trade in Warsaw Pact region which wasn’t controlled by communist party. It had almost 10 million members.
Author: Comisión Mexicana de Filmaciones
Taken from: http://www.flickr.com
Whole history had started in the shipyard, where workers surrounded by ship equipment started to think about their rights, about the future of their offsprings, about freedom. The Gdańsk Shipyard was built in 1945 as a state-owned company. Before that at this place there had been German shipyards, both crushed in the Second World War. During the time of People’s Republic of Poland the factory was called Vladimir Lenin Shipyard in Gdańsk or Lenin Shipyard (1967-1989). The first ship which was produced in this shipyard was named SS “Sołdek”, it was launched in 1947 (it is now preserved as a museum ship). The
company produced not only ship equipment like cargo ships, fishing vessels, scientific ships, torpedo boats, but also trams and trains. It built vessels for the navies of USSR, Poland, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and East Germany.
A protest led by Lech Wałęsa caused changes which led to liberate Poland and destroyed Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The Gdańsk
shipyard and its workers became a very recognisable symbol of solidarity. Trade Union “Solidarity” achieved its goals by using social movement and the methods of civil resistance. As a result of these actions the politicians agreed to the round table talks, which provided a semi-free elections in 1989. Nowadays the Union Trade “Solidarity” is a well-known movement, but it doesn’t have a high position in polish politics and the Gdańsk Shipyard produces transport ships, container vessels, offshore boats and other ship equipment. the Polish nation did not forget about the past of
Trade Union “Solidarity” and the victims sacrifice, and therefore in the city of Gdańsk runs the European Solidarity Centre, which has been opened in 2008 (moderated in 2014).