Lech Wałęsa's Wall, Gdansk
By 1980 the Polish economy had been in severe crisis for five years. When the government drastically increased food prices again, the public mood in the country started boiling over with resentment about the poor living and working conditions.
Growing tensions resulted in eruption in the early hours of 14 August 1980 when Anna Walentynowicz, a 51-year-old crane driver at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, was fired for her political stance. In a swift response to what they saw as unjust, the other shipyard workers went out on strike demanding both her reinstatement and pay rise.
The man who led the opposition movement was Lech Wałęsa, a former electrician at the shipyard who had previously been sacked by management, too, and for the same reason.
Towards 11 o’clock in the morning that same day, amid the events threatening to jeopardize planned protests and to endanger his activist colleagues, Wałęsa, locked outside the shipyard, climbed over the wall in order to assume leadership of the strike and to prevent further escalation.
This scaling of the wall became legendary and turned it into a symbol of the idea of freedom in Poland. The section of wall on Robotnicza Street over which Wałęsa had climbed into the closed shipyard was cut out and placed on display next to a section of the Berlin Wall between the shipyards and railway station, where it proudly stood until being destroyed by a car crashing into it. Currently rebuilt, the wall fragment stands outside of the Solidarity headquarters, a short walk from the shipyard gates.
Growing tensions resulted in eruption in the early hours of 14 August 1980 when Anna Walentynowicz, a 51-year-old crane driver at the Lenin Shipyard in Gdansk, was fired for her political stance. In a swift response to what they saw as unjust, the other shipyard workers went out on strike demanding both her reinstatement and pay rise.
The man who led the opposition movement was Lech Wałęsa, a former electrician at the shipyard who had previously been sacked by management, too, and for the same reason.
Towards 11 o’clock in the morning that same day, amid the events threatening to jeopardize planned protests and to endanger his activist colleagues, Wałęsa, locked outside the shipyard, climbed over the wall in order to assume leadership of the strike and to prevent further escalation.
This scaling of the wall became legendary and turned it into a symbol of the idea of freedom in Poland. The section of wall on Robotnicza Street over which Wałęsa had climbed into the closed shipyard was cut out and placed on display next to a section of the Berlin Wall between the shipyards and railway station, where it proudly stood until being destroyed by a car crashing into it. Currently rebuilt, the wall fragment stands outside of the Solidarity headquarters, a short walk from the shipyard gates.
Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Gdansk. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.
Lech Wałęsa's Wall on Map
Sight Name: Lech Wałęsa's Wall
Sight Location: Gdansk, Poland (See walking tours in Gdansk)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Sight Location: Gdansk, Poland (See walking tours in Gdansk)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:
Walking Tours in Gdansk, Poland
Create Your Own Walk in Gdansk
Creating your own self-guided walk in Gdansk is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Solidarity Union Walking Tour
For decades, the word 'Solidarity' (Polish: Solidarność) has been synonymous with the city of Gdansk. The peaceful Solidarity revolution, started here in the August of 1980, marked the outset of the fall of communism not only in Poland but also throughout Eastern Europe.
Stemmed from the country's first free labor union born out of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard (now the Gdansk... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
Stemmed from the country's first free labor union born out of strikes at the Lenin Shipyard (now the Gdansk... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.8 Km or 0.5 Miles
Gdansk's Historical Churches Tour
Gdansk has a long history of Catholicism, hence the abundance of spectacular churches here. Let's delve into some of the most impressive temples that grace the cityscape and see what they are.
Saint John's Church, a Gothic masterpiece, stands tall in the heart of Gdansk. It dates back to the 14th century and features impressive brickwork and intricate details. Its towering spire is a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Saint John's Church, a Gothic masterpiece, stands tall in the heart of Gdansk. It dates back to the 14th century and features impressive brickwork and intricate details. Its towering spire is a... view more
Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 1.6 Km or 1 Miles
Gdansk Introduction Walking Tour
The most probable source for the name, "Gdansk" seems to be "Gdania", the ancient name of the river Motlawa. Gdansk began with agriculture and fishing and trade with Pomerania in the 9th century. It was annexed by Mieszko, Duke of Poland, in 975.
The center of town was the Long Market, with its craftsmen. German merchant settlements grew by St Nicholas Church. Gdansk joined... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles
The center of town was the Long Market, with its craftsmen. German merchant settlements grew by St Nicholas Church. Gdansk joined... view more
Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.2 Km or 1.4 Miles