When, on the night of December 12 to 13, 1981, the hopes that the „Solidarność” movement had raised all around the world were crushed by tanks, thousands of people went out to protest in the streets of Paris, New York, Brussels or Rome, but also in Montreal. Tokyo and Mexico.
No one knew what exactly happened in Poland. Soon the first photos, testimonies and information were to arrive: thousands of people arrested and imprisoned, tanks and soldiers in the streets, deaths, strikes and demonstrations, mail and telephone conversations checked.
The feeling of indignation and revolt quickly turned into concrete actions: letters and petitions sent to the Polish authorities, committees of aid and support for Poland and Solidarnosc, vans (soon: convoys of trucks) on the roads to the East with humanitarian aid packages to the suffering Poles.
The ’80 summer strikes and the formation of “Solidarnosc” had sparked a wave of interest and sympathy for Poland. Thousands of people (journalists, trade unionists, researchers, associative activists, etc.) observed the situation with hope. Some personally went to Poland to discover this strange country (although gray and poor) and to provide their support. A country which, since John Paul II’s visit to his native country in 1979, was no longer considered to be "one of the countries of the Soviet bloc". Poland aroused great emotions and questions.
When on December 13, '81 General Jaruzelski decided to lock up thousands of activists and advisers of the NSZZ “Solidarność” union in prison, at least as many “Friends of Solidarność” came forward. No less determined and faithful, only some of them being members of the prohibited union.
20 years ago, thanks to the management of the daily "Rzeczpospolita", we dedicated a site to them.
For years, I have tried to "save from oblivion" their stories. I am not alone - fortunately. In 2005, the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs commissioned me to prepare an occasional album illustrated with archival photos, entitled "Solidarność & SOLIDARITY". Together with Andrzej Jagodziński (and a group of associates), we quickly obtained personal testimonies of 100 people important for Solidarity from abroad. Prof. Lech Majewski provided the book with a beautiful graphic design.
When in the spring, in the midst of the epidemic, the Polish Ministry of Culture launched a “culture on the Net” program, I applied and… I obtained a three-month scholarship, I created a page special on FB.
Today, I have the great pleasure of launching a real website
I invite you to visit it, complete it and improve it….
Marcin Frybes
Urodzona w 1956 w Londynie; irlandzka dziennikarka I naukowiec, pracownik Trinity College w Dublinie.
(1930 – 2011): działacz związkowy, polski polityk i dyplomata. Uczestnik Powstania Warszawskiego. W 1946 wyemigrował do Belgii, gdzie w 1953 r. uzyskał doktorat z prawa na Uniwersytecie w Louvain. Od 1954 pracował w Sekretariacie Generalnym Międzynarodowej Konferencji Chrześcijańskich Związków Zawodowych.
Ur.12.07.1955; angielski historyk, dziennikarz i komentator. Profesor European Studies na Oxford University. W latach 1960-1990 związany z tygodnikiem „The Observer” (m.in. jako korespondent w Polsce).