- I choose Solidarity. 40 years of the Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarity”
- ed. Joanna Lewandowska
- content: photographs and texts
- language of the publication: Polish, English
- type of binding: hardcover
- pages: 400
- size: 25 x 27.5 cm
A richly illustrated album about the genesis, formation and history of Solidarity. The photographs illustrate all of the stages of the formation of the first independent trade union in the communist Eastern bloc. In the album, the reader will also find a record of the union’s activity after Poland regained its independence, as well as paragraphs about the role of Solidarity in the overthrow of communism, about the Polish political transformation and everyday social life.
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The spirit of Polishness was aroused in August 1980 in Gdańsk, Szczecin, Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Dąbrowa Górnicza and many other urban agglomerations, cities, towns… in brief – throughout Poland. The pursuit of freedom inscribed in our national genotype determining the foundations of our national identity, which has been shaped for generations, was reborn in the Poles. The Polishness was reborn. It manifested itself in the ability to unite, when the aim consisted in regaining elementary justice, personal dignity, subjectivity of individuals, building interpersonal solidarity, but first and foremost – regaining equality. The August protests led to self-determination and self-organisation and it bore fruit in the form of the establishment of the Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarność”. It expressed the Poles’ desires and hopes for a better and fairer life.
In 1980, “Solidarność” was a nationwide spurt, which carried away entire generations and whose authority had a strong impact in Central and Eastern Europe. It eventually contributed to the global social and political changes of 1989. “Solidarność” directly influenced the end of the unjust division of Europe introduced as a result of the Yalta Conference. It was an unprecedented phenomenon on a global scale. Until today, there has been no similar mass movement which would be as effective, wise, and organisationally skilful, which would act without bloodshed, whose values would correspond with the peaceful trend of the transformation close to the idea of non-violence (i.e. acting without violence). With the hindsight of 40 years, one must admit that back in August 1980, the execution of the first postulate from the famous list of 21 Gdańsk demands was fundamental. It referred to the establishment of free trade unions. Today, we must pay credit to those who, regardless of the changing times, continue to follow the supreme values which guided the Poles during the August strikes and the entire carnival of freedom. All those who have never turned their back on the trade union’s banner in favour of private careers and non-social objectives. Justice, dignity of labour, personal dignity, freedom, and thus independence, Christian values, social teaching of the Church are the foundations which have been consolidated since the strikes carried out in August 1980. These are the non-negotiable and basic values of the Independent and Self-Governing Trade Union “Solidarność”. They allowed the union to weather the worst times of the martial law, the difficult period of political and economic transformation, and particularly the results of the social changes in the Third Polish Republic which was being born. Today, when we talk about Solidarity spelled with a lowercase and capital “S”, we look at the heroic 1980s and the experience of the entire 40 years with respect and pride. After all, the great history is continued, and the heritage obliges us to keep on going – against all of the adversities that life brings us – precisely because we still are, and will be, free and solidary.
Mateusz Smolana
Director Institute of Solidarity Heritage
