Founded in 1980 as a trade union in the Gdańsk Shipyard, Solidarity became a leading social force in the defeat of communism in Poland and throughout its region, the Polish Cultural Institute in New York says.
Poland’s communist government was eventually forced to negotiate with the Solidarity-led opposition, resulting in the country’s landmark elections of June 4, 1989.
This marked a crucial stage in the history of Poland and led to a democratic transition throughout Central and Eastern Europe, culminating in the demise of communism and the fall of the Iron Curtain.
The Polish Cultural Institute in New York says it has organized two special events—in partnership with the Polish Consulate General and the New York-based Contemporary Posters gallery—to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Solidarity and the signing of Poland’s milestone 1980 August Agreements.
On August 31, at 7:30 p.m., the facade of the Polish Consulate General in New York will be illuminated with Solidarity's logo to visually commemorate the 40th anniversary of the August Agreements and to honour the former Eastern bloc’s first non-communist free trade union, the institute says.
Meanwhile, an online exhibition of posters from New York’s Contemporary Posters gallery is available on the institute’s social media platforms through August 31.
The exhibition traces the birth of organized resistance to communist dictatorship in Eastern Europe, while also highlighting the achievements of Polish poster artists.
For more information, visit the institute’s social media sites: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram; and its website.
(gs/pk)
Source: instytutpolski.pl