The Institute of National Remembrance stands ready to finance another plaque honoring Anna Walentynowicz, and it will not be the acts of vandals that decide whether the Solidarity legend is visible in public space, said Karol Nawrocki, the president of the Institute of National Remembrance, in an interview with PAP. The plaque dedicated to the legend of Solidarity had already been removed from the facade of a tenement house, under circumstances that have not yet been clarified.
A plaque honoring Walentynowicz was damaged
The plaque honoring Anna Walentynowicz has been taken down from the facade of a tenement house on Grunwaldzka Street in Gdańsk, not far from the place where she lived. Residents of the Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz district informed people on social media about the incident.
The Police Press Officer for Gdańsk, Subinspector Magdalena Ciska, told PAP that the report about the destruction of the sign emerged on one of the internet portals. The police promptly addressed the case, detailing the circumstances of the event.
Investigators have inspected the area, talked to people who may have information about the incident, and checked the surroundings for surveillance cameras that may have recorded the act.
She added that efforts are ongoing to piece together what happened and to gather any possible evidence.
The Institute of National Remembrance is prepared to fund a new plaque
The Institute of National Remembrance, represented by its president Dr. Karol Nawrocki, recalled that Anna Walentynowicz is regarded as the Mother of Solidarity, a central icon of NSZZ Solidarity. Nawrocki stressed that the removal of the plaque is still under investigation and noted that this is another troubling incident in Gdańsk. He referenced past cases, including two separate destructions of the exhibition titled You woke us up, we will defend you, which stood in front of the NSZZ Solidarity headquarters in Gdańsk.
Nawrocki observed that negative emotions in relation to key figures of twentieth century history often reappear in the city of Gdańsk.
On behalf of the Institute, he stated that the organization is prepared to fund another plaque honoring Anna Walentynowicz and emphasized that vandalism will not determine whether the Solidarity legend receives public commemoration.
The plaque honoring Anna Walentynowicz was officially unveiled on April 8, 2011, marking a public act of recognition for her role in the labor movement.
Additional context has circulated in media about other vandalism incidents in Gdańsk, including a papal exhibition and a separate display about John Paul II, which have drawn attention from police and observers alike and raised questions about protection of historical memorials.
Sources covering the事件 point to ongoing conversations about how communities remember their history and how local authorities respond to acts of vandalism that touch on national memory.
In summary, the Institute of National Remembrance expressed readiness to support a new memorial for Anna Walentynowicz, asserting that the fate of public remembrance should not be dictated by vandalism but by a shared commitment to honoring important icons of Solidarity and Poland’s history.
Source reporting in national media has highlighted the need for continued vigilance and a respectful approach to preserving historical memory in public spaces.