Today marks the 43rd anniversary of the signing of the historic Gdańsk Agreement, which ended the August ’80 strikes and created the first independent trade union in the communist Eastern bloc.
The „Solidarity” movement and trade union later paved the way for the eventual collapse of communist regimes throughout Europe.
President Andrzej Duda paid tribute to those who „won freedom without weapons in their hands” yesterday during commemorations at the Szczecin Shipyard. During the unveiling ceremony for the Monument to the Heroes of January ’71, Duda praised the „generation of my parents, supported by the generation of my grandparents” who collectively „gave us… a free Poland, a truly free Poland, in which we decide for ourselves.”
Events celebrating the birth of „Solidarność” in Gdańsk and the 35th anniversary of the protests of May and August 1988 kicked off at 10:00 this morning in the historic Sala BHP in Stocznia, accompanied by the traditional opening of shipyard gate No. 2 at 11:00 a.m.
Additional commemorations are set for sites around Gdańsk, including the monument in Przymorze to Pope John Paul II and US President Ronald Reagan at 2:00 p.n. and the memorial to Anna Walentynowicz in Wrzeszcz at 3:00 p.m.
The main celebration will be held at 4:00 p.m. at Plac Solidarności in Gdańsk, ending with the laying of flowers near Gate number two of the Gdańsk Shipyard and a march to the Basilica of Saint Bridget, where a solemn mass will be celebrated at 5:00 p.m.
A full list of events is available >>>HERE.
Source: Radio Gdańsk
Bells and sirens will sound at 4:45 tomorrow morning to commemorate the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany on September 1, 1939.
The pre-dawn assault on the Polish military depot in Westerplatte 84 years ago marked the beginning of WWII, one of the most horrific and deadly chapters of the 20th century.
Commemorative events will be held at various locations around Trójmiasto, beginning with a traditional morning ceremony at Westerplatte at 4:45 a.m. followed by a tribute to the defenders of the Polish Post Office at noon.
Special buses from various neighborhoods in Gdańsk will depart early tomorrow morning to reach Westerplatte between 3:40 a.m. and 4:00 a.m., in time for the traditional morning ceremony.
Detailed bus timetables are available >>>HERE and >>>HERE.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, gdansk.pl
As part of today’s „Święto Wolności” or „Freedom Day” celebrations, the European Solidarity Center will host the current United States Ambassador to Poland, Mark Brzezinski, for an honorary ceremony this evening.
Brzezinski will accept the Medal of Gratitude on behalf of his parents, the Polish-born diplomat and political scientist Zbigniew Brzezinski and the art historian and sculptor Emilie Benes Brzeziński.
The Medal of Gratitude (Medal Wdzięczności) is annually awarded to those who, „in the spirit of Solidarity’s ideals, defend universal human rights and strengthen peace in the world by building good relations between nations.”
The ceremony will take place at 4:00 p.m. today at the European Solidarity Center and will also be broadcast live >>>HERE.
Source: Radio Gdańsk, ECS
Raków Częstochowa tied FC Copenhagen 1-1 before a packed stadium in Denmark last night, but the draw was not enough to propel the Polish champions out of the Champions League qualifiers.
Their solid performance in the qualifiers, however, earned Raków a spot in the group stage of the Europa League, with a lottery draw set for Friday at 1:00 p.m. in Monaco.
Source: PAP
The Polish women’s volleyball team was defeated by Türkiye last night 3-0 (23:25, 22:25, 18:25) in the quarterfinals of the EuroVolley tournament in Brussels.
Despite putting in a reportedly impressive quarterfinal performance with a tight score in the first two sets, the White and Reds were unable to overcome their Turkish rivals.
Poland finishes the tournament in fifth place, with Turkey, Italy, Serbia, and the Netherlands set to face each other in the semifinals tomorrow.
Source: PAP, eurovolley.cev.eu
Poland’s world No. 1 Iga Świątek has advanced to the third round of the women’s singles competition at the US Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in New York.
Swiątek beat Australian Daria Saville 6-3, 6-4 yesterday and is set to face Kaja Juvan of Slovenia tomorrow.
Fellow Poles Magdalena Fręch and Magda Linette were knocked out of the tournament yesterday, with Hubert Hurkacz facing off against Jack Draper of the UK today at 17:00 CEST.
Source: Polskie Radio, wtatennis.com, atptour.com
Weather
Today will be mostly cloudy, with a good chance of rain showers in the afternoon and a light breeze from the southwest. Temperatures will be slightly warmer than yesterday, with an afternoon high of 20°C or 68°F, dropping to a low of 11°C or 51°F overnight. Similar weather is expected tomorrow, with a chance for some sun and warmer weather over the weekend.
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