At the ceremony that took place on Friday evening at the Polish Baltic Philharmonic, Fryderyk Chopin in Gdańsk, he participated, among others, Institute of National Remembrance president Karol Nawrocki, the jubilarian’s family, friends, Pomeranian MPs and local PiS politicians.

President of the National Memorial Institute, Karol Nawrocki, said that when “Solidarity” was born in August 1980, Czesław Nowak, along with his friends from “Solidarity”, fought for the cross at the Westerplatte cemetery.

Nawrocki added that Czesław Nowak and his friends from the “Dignity” Association also decided to erect a monument to John Paul II and US President Ronald Reagan in Gdańsk. “Without these two, communism would not have collapsed and we all know that” – emphasized the president of the Institute of National Remembrance.

“Today, thanks to the Museum of the Second World War, this cross has been integrated into the war burial chamber at Westerplatte, but without this struggle the guardian of Westerplatte’s memory, witness and participant of historical events, guardian of Westerplatte’s memory – Czesław Nowak, the cross that soldiers deserve Poland, that’s not going to happen,” said Nawrocki.

Nawrocki added that Czesław Nowak and his friends from the “Dignity” Association also decided to erect a monument to John Paul II and US President Ronald Reagan in Gdańsk.

“Without these two, communism will not collapse and we all know that” – stressed the president of the Institute of National Remembrance and explained that “John Paul II fought for the good name of the Catholic Church, serving God and Poland in clashes with the communist system, having the good of the church in his heart and then reacts to all the things that might bother him.” “The great president of the United States of America Ronald Reagan said that communism’s place is in the dustbin of history” – said Nawrocki and thanked Czesław Nowak for his activities in the opposition and later, in an independent and independent Poland.

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A joint monument to John Paul II and Ronald Reagan was unveiled in Gdańsk

Czesław Nowak received flowers from guests and did not hide his emotions at the ceremony prepared by the National Memorial Institute. “I always feel the closeness of friends. I don’t move forward. When I walk, I always look to see if anyone is behind me, because the most important thing is whether you are going in the right direction,” said Nowak and confirmed that he has many friends, many of whom he had already buried.

During the benefit, Andrzej Kołakowski performed patriotic songs.

Czesław Nowak was born in 1938. From 1960 he worked for the Gdansk Port Authority, e.g. as a crane operator. Since 1998, after the transformation, he has been an employee of the Gdansk Port Authority. He took part in a workers’ strike during the events of December 1970. During the events of August 1980 he organized a strike at the port, then joined the Independent Labor Union “Solidaritas”. In the 1980s he edited the independent magazine “Portowiec”.

In 1982, he was arrested and sentenced by the Naval Court to 4.5 years in prison and 4 years of deprivation of civil rights.

From 1989 to 1991, he was a member of the 10th term of the Sejm on behalf of the “Solidarity” Citizens Committee, in 1991-93 of the Central Treaty list. In 1994, he became president of the “Dignity” Association, which he co-founded. In 1998-2006, he was also a member of the city council of Gdańsk. (PAP)

Author: Krzysztof Wojcik

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