Independent Self-govering Trade Union “Solidarity” (NSZZ Solidarność)

TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DARED TO CHANGE IMPOSSIBLE INTO REALITY

The history of great social changes in East and Central Europe has its roots in huge social protests in RWP bloc which lasted throughout the period of is duration. First revolts (Germany 1954, Hungary 1956, Czech Republik 1968, Poland 1970 and 1976) were repressed bloodily and ruthlessly.

Szczecin - December 1970- dockyard workers march towards KW PZPR

Szczecin -December 1970 scale of social protest and riots

Szczecin - December 1970 - demonstrating dockyard workers set fire to edifice KWPZPR on Soldier's Square

The protest in Szczecin’ s shipyard was growing gradually, but unrelentingly. At last, on Thursday morning 17 December 1970, desperate dockyard workers left their place of work and marched towards city center and magnificent edifice of Provincial Party Committee. Riots which were started there ended up with setting fire to the building. After that, the crowd marched to nearby provincial police office, trying to take it by storm. In a short time the situation was dramatic. Bullets reached and killed first participants of demonstration. A few of them were wounded. Policemen and agents of SB were shooting wild. Innocent people died, often - in their own flats where they stayed because of imposed curfew. Real number of victims is still unknown...

Szczecin - December 1970- first riots started near the police office and KW PZPR building on Małopolska street, soon they turned into in open and bloody fights (below)

In the place of this tragedy, in 2005 local authorities built a monument which honoured the memory of December 1970 victims

Szczecin, 11 January 1971 - second strike in Szczecin’s Shipyard, in expectation on arrival of the I st secretary PZPR E. Gierek

Szczecin, December 1970 - one of strike posters

Later, the authorities tried to cover up the December tragedy of Polish coast. Authorities, but not people! In memorable August 1980, when local communities on Polish coast, in Gdańsk and Szczecin effectively opposed to totalitarian power, memory of victims of 1970 returned. The bloody lesson of December 1970 will never be forgotten especially in Gdańsk, Gdynia and Szczecin. These events became a basis for the social resistance movement and massive strikes in Poland in August 1980.

People demanded not only economic changes, as the authorities would expect. For the first time in their postulates they demanded FREEDOM:

Szczecin - August 1980: MKS postulates on the gate of the then A. Warskiego shipyard

August strikes, which were organized all over Poland, started something new. It was something stronger and more determined than communist party. This new social movement was named SOLIDARITY and its characteristic logo, not leaving the shadow of doubt what to one's origin, for 10 years became a thorn and remorse for communists. For the rest of Polish men Solidarity was a hope that the transformations would come and it was only a matter of time...

 

Registered, despite authorities disfavor, INDEPENDENT AND SELF-GOVERNING TRADE UNION SOLIDARITY caused, that words of Jacek Kaczmarski’s ballad: "And walls will collapse, they will collapse, they will collapse and bury old world..." stopped being poet's dream.

Increased energy and hope let Polish men to survive martial law and assassin attempts on union activists. People managed to rebuild structures of independent trade unions as well as cooperating with them associations and social formations. Totalitarian authorities gradually understood that although it was possible to pioneer with bayonets, it was impossible to rule with them. Without respect and confidence they could not govern the society. "Roundtable Talks" and their consequence - elections to contracted Parliament and Senate on 5. June 1989 - despite all complexities of electoral law became a plebiscite really, who people declare for. Poles chose SOLIDARITY.

This name, associated unambiguously with the famous logo of SOLIDARITY and the newest history of Poland and Europe, is perceived as a source of powerful impulse which changed the political map of Central and Eastern Europe and made it “Free Nations Europe”.

Szczecin and its inhabitants brought the significant contribution to all these transformations, especially in their origin - events of the year 1970 and memorable August strikes in 1980.

Invitations to today's ceremony include legendary writer's exchangeable quotation - aviator Antoine de Saint - Exupery:

"...he always looked at his officials, workers, mechanics and pilots, at all of them who helped him with his work with builder’s enthusiasm. He thought about towns of former ages, where people believed that happy islands existed.

They were building a ship to load it with hope. For people to see as their hope gets under sail on offing...

Thanks to this ship everything grows, crosses itself and becomes free. Maybe the aim does not justify anything, but acting saves from death. Thanks to this ship all these men are provided with lives."

Antoine de Saint - Exupery "Night Flight"

Szczecin is a City with inhabitants who knew how to read and bring into action writer’s touching and prophetic words. Above that from hundreds of years our people have been building beautiful and brave ships. Therefore after painful experiences of the year 1970 in memorable year 1980 together with dockyard workers of Gdańsk and the rest of Polish society they built the ship and load it with hope. The ship was named NSZZ "SOLIDARNOŚC" and sailed away through stormy waters of the future. Today we can honour the memory of its Builders and Sailors and write on the wall of our Airport:

“TO THE MEMORY OF THOSE WHO DARED TO CHANGE IMPOSSIBLE INTO REALITY “

Szczecin - Goleniów, 22 April 2006 r.