A day to remember
Warsaw is celebrating Solidarity's birthday in its own way with a photo exhibition, "Days of Solidarity", in the courtyard of the Royal Castle. The pictures on display chronicle the 14 days of the Gdansk shipyard strike that ended with workers and communist authorities signing the trade union and political powerhouse into being.
"On this day and at this time 20 years ago, an agreement was signed that opened a new way for Poland," said Bogdan Borusewicz, a witness to the events of August 1980 who opened the exhibition last Thursday.
The Gdansk strike erupted on Aug. 14. Although the immediate trigger was the firing of shipyard worker Anna Walentynowicz, the strike was preceded by about 100 smaller actions that first broke out in Ursus, Sanok and Tarnow.
Erazm Ciolek was there as a photographer. What he remembers most vividly were the strikers. "It was shocking to observe those striking people," Ciolek said. "They were incredibly determined to find a peaceful solution." It was during the strike, he said, that he began to believe Polish society hadn't been irretrievably corrupted and damaged by its years under a communist regime. "The strikers displayed exceptional manners," Ciolek said. "They didn't swear, didn't drink liquor, not even a beer they were great
people."
Beata Milczarek, who was 10 years old when the strike unfolded, may not have Ciolek's first-hand memories, but she has the next best thing. "My husband is much older than me and he actively participated in the Solidarity movement in the 1980s," she said. One thing Milczarek was struck by was the low turnout. "It's strange, but pop concerts, which are organized (in the yard) from time to time attract more people," she said.
Chris Niedenthal, a British national who was in the shipyard in 1980 as a Newsweek photographer, also noticed the lukewarm attendance. "Yes, it's sad, but maybe people are tired of the subject," Niedenthal said. "This is a test for Warsaw."
Like Ciolek, Niedenthal was struck by the atmosphere during the strike. What he remembers most is the fear. "Everybody was scared because nobody knew what would happen," he said. Although he had to leave after just one day, he returned when the strike ended on Aug. 31 and "the whole world was there."
"I feel happy that I was there in the shipyard," Niedenthal said.
The exhibition was put together by Karta, a historical quarterly active in the underground movement. Apart from the photographs, visitors were given a chance to meet Solidarity activists, listen to protest songs, and pick up some of the publications banned under the seldom-mourned communist regime.
The exhibition is being presented in the Royal Castle's yard until Sept. 20.
