The city of Gdańsk in Poland has been shaped by trade, conflict and a workers’ movement Solidarity that helped end communism in Europe. Gdańsk, sitting at the mouth of the Vistula River, was founded over a thousand years ago and grew rich as a trading city. Over centuries it has shifted between Polish and German control. After World War I it became the Free City of Danzig and in 1939 the German attack on nearby Westerplatte marked the start of World War II. Gdańsk was rebuilt after 1945 and is now one of Poland’s key port cities.
The Fahrenheit Thermometer Monument commemorates
Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit, the physicist born in Gdańsk who invented the
mercury thermometer and the Fahrenheit temperature scale.
St. Mary’s Church (Bazylika Mariacka) is one of the
largest brick churches in the world and a defining feature of Gdańsk’s skyline.
In August 1980 strikes at the Lenin Shipyard
in Gdańsk, led by Lech Wałęsa, created Solidarity which was the first
independent trade union in the Soviet bloc.
It grew into a social movement of 10 million people, survived martial
law and negotiated talks in 1989 which paved the way for democratic change in
Poland.
Our day ended in the Observation Lounge on board ship with beautiful views of the sunset.
No comments:
Post a Comment