There is simply a debate in Gdańsk about the future of a street named Lech Kaczyński. The public consultation on the name change initiated by the city authorities was controversial. The case became the subject of public discussion, involving various environments, including the Institute of National Memory and the Society of “Food”, which prepared an open letter.
The Gdańsk authorities, by decision of the City Council, began consultations on the change of the name of Lech Kaczyński Street. Alternatives would be the names ‘Dąbrowwszczak’ or ‘White Manor’. The president of the IPN, Dr. Karol Nawrocki, powerfully opposed this initiative. In his speech he emphasized that Lech Kaczyński was a symbol of Poland's independency and hero of Solidarity. His tragic death in the Smolensk disaster, according to Nawrocki, even more solidified his place in the past of the country.
During the gathering with the youth, the president of the IPN reminded that Lech Kaczyński held many crucial public functions, including being the president of Poland, Minister of Justice and prof. of the University of Gdańsk. He pointed out that changing the street name was a deficiency of respect for the common history.
Letter open to the president of Gdańsk
The debate was besides attended by the Association of “Houriness”, represented by its president, Czesław Nowak. In an open letter to the president of Gdańsk, Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, hypocrisy was abandoned in the approach to commemorating people who deserved Poland. Nowak pointed out that Lech Kaczyński as an activist of “Solidarity” and advisor to the Free Trade Unions played a key function in the fight for freedom and democracy. The letter besides criticised the choice of proposed fresh street names, resembling their communist pedigree.
Czesław Nowak stressed that decisions specified as a proposal to change the street name lead to erosion of the memory of people who deserve Polish freedom. He suggested that city authorities should take action consistent with declarations made on historical occasions, specified as the martial law anniversary.
Read more: PO councillors want to liquidate Lech Kaczyński Street in Gdańsk
Memory of Lech Kaczyński and social divisions
The case of Lech Kaczyński Street in Gdańsk shows a wider problem of social polarization around the issue of historical memory. Both IPN and local communities call for designation of Kaczyński's historical importance to Poland. In turn, the city authorities emphasise the request for open discussion on this issue.
Decisions concerning public space, especially in the symbolic city for the Polish past of Gdańsk, are seen as a test for the ability to build a national community, alternatively than deepening divisions.
L I S T O T W A R T Y
to the president of Gdańsk Aleksandra Dulkiewicz
Madam President!
On 13 December 2024, on the 43rd anniversary of the martial law, laying flowers at the Shipbuilding Gate No. 2, you said: “The decision of Wojciech Jaruzelski did not break the spirit of people fighting for freedom. Gdansk – the city of “Solidarity” – remembers those who paid a advanced price for our future. Let their courage remind us of the importance of caring for freedom and democracy all day.”
Madam President! This sentence, of course, is right – due to the fact that Gdańsk and its inhabitants in their vast majority remember or at least – those, later born – are aware of the drama we remember all year on 13 December. However, this statement, just in your mouth and surrounded by officials of Gdańsk City Hall, is false. due to the fact that are the present "City of Solidarity" people doing everything to remember those who paid a advanced price at the time?
This November, at the initiative of the benevolent Your clubs, the City Council adopted a resolution on a civilian consultation aimed at changing the name of Lech Kaczyński Street to "Dąbrowszczaków" or "White Manor". All councillors of the current coalition voted in favour of the resolution. The rational voices of the MPs Kacpra Plażyński and Kazimierz Smoliński and the Councillors of Law and Justice did not help. I remember six years ago defending the names of Lech Kaczyński Street, which was introduced by the then Pomeranian voivode under the Public Space Decommunisation Act. I remember that at that time no of the inhabitants of Przymorz, gathered at my block no. 34, knew who these "Dąbrowwszczacci" were, or volunteers for our war in Spain.
It would be the same now. Following the recording from the gathering area of the City Council, I was convinced that the councillors who voted for this resolution did not know about it either. I expected that you or the president of the Council would respond and remind the communist pedigree of the Dąbrowszczaks, as well as possibly what a miserable alley in Gdańsk was erstwhile this White Court. specified full substantively justified intervention would cut this absurd provocation in the bud. But nothing like that happened...
And yet it is – again! and again in the reign of your formation in our city – an attack on memory, and in a sense a good name, a man who was 1 of those you spoke so beautifully of at Gate No. 2. due to the fact that before Lech Kaczyński became president of Poland and before he died on work for her, he was a sacrificial man of “Solidarity” – an underground activist of the 1980s, a associate of his Regional Coordination Commission in Gdańsk, and even before that a courageous lawyer – an advisor to Free Trade Unions, without whom “Solidarity” and our current freedom would not be.
On 15 December at the pier in Brzeź, the candidate for president of the Republic of Poland, the president of the IPN, Dr. Karol Nawrocki met young people. 1 associate asked how he assessed attempts to remove president Lech Kaczyński's street from the city space. "Lech Kaczyński is simply a symbol of Polish independency and 1 of the heroes of Solidarity". His tragic death in the Smolensk disaster added to his permanent history. Rejecting his commemoration in Gdańsk is simply a deficiency of respect for the common history. Besides, I would like you to remember that Lech Kaczyński was: president of Poland, Minister of Justice, president of NIK, and prof. of the University of Gdańsk...”
On 13 December each year, on the anniversary of the martial law, all Poles, but especially those of them who want to regulation Poles before they publically say something, should do a brief examination of conscience or that the high-pitched words made are consistent with the preceding actions. If not – you better keep your mouth shut! Which the president and I wish.
Sincerely,
Czesław Nowak, president of the Association “Food
Gdansk councillors in the years 1998-2006
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