A plaque was unveiled at the gate of the Gdansk Shipyard at a ceremony marking the awarding of the European Heritage Label to this historical place. It was here that the beginnings of the European transformations took place and it was only natural that it should be remembered as part of Europe's history.

The idea of the European Heritage Label came out in 2005 from the French Ministry of Culture. Its purpose is to indicate places, cultural property, monuments, natural or urban sites, tangible and intangible property that play a key role in understanding of European culture , tradition and history. Among the recipients of the label in Poland are the Wawel Castle and Cathedral in Krakow, the eastern city of Lublin and the historic town of Gniezno. The label in Gdansk was received by representatives of the European Solidarity Center and as Maciej Lukaszewicz from the Center says it was only natural that the historical gate nr. 2 of the Gdansk shipyard should also be among the honoured sites.

The label for gate nr. 2 of the Gdansk shipyard, the very gate over which Lech Walesa, future Solidarity leader , jumped to join the striking shipyard workers of 1980 comes at a very important time. The year 2009 is a year of commemorations in Poland one of the events being the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism , which had its beginnings on the site of the Gdansk shipyard.

The European Solidarity Ceneter is planning a series of events commemotrating the 20 years of the fall of communism such as the meeting of European leaders with youth in the summer this year or a a musical devoted to the strike of the Gdansk shipyard of 1980.

Click on the audio icon to listen to the report by Agnieszka Bielawska.