Gdańsk, the Shipyard: this is where a movement was born that had a happy ending for the people of Poland and Europe alike. We won back freedom for our country without bloodshed, through dialogue. The European Solidarity Centre (ECS) was established on this very site to preserve the memory of Poland’s greatest civic achievement: the victory of Solidarity.
The ECS is a modern cultural institution, far more than just a museum. Our permanent exhibition commemorates the Solidarity revolution and the fall of communism across Europe. THE SHIPYARD, an exhibition on people, industry and city, complements this narrative. The ECS is also home to an education centre, a research centre, an archive, a library and a media library. The wealth of programming keeps the ECS buzzing year-round with events for children, families, young people, former opposition activists, Ukrainians and Belarusians fighting for freedom, culture seekers, those hungry for knowledge and human connection, and anyone eager to put civic engagement and solidarity into practice . . .
The nearly one million visitors who come to the ECS every year are proof of just how welcoming and compelling this place is. The legacy of August 1980 remains a wellspring of civic energy, while the ethos of Solidarity is as relevant and inspiring as ever, especially now, in these troubled times. Come over to the ECS and let’s be here together because we fill freedom with meaning anew every day—this is by no means a closed chapter in history.
Magdalena Mistat
Acting Director, European Solidarity Centre