Anna, our guide, (I may not have the spelling exactly right) felt like someone we could have adopted into our family—she genuinely just wants to make people happy. We were originally scheduled for 9:00 a.m., but because of the cold we pushed it to 11:00. This particular tour wasn’t even on her standard list, but at our request she tailored it perfectly: in four hours, she walked us through the Solidarity movement and the broader history of Gdańsk and Poland. She did a beautiful job, using maps and her deep knowledge (she mentioned having a background in business). She explained how Poland, at various times, effectively ceased to exist as an independent state, was later controlled by outside powers, and after World War II became part of the Soviet sphere as a communist state. She described life under martial law in the early 1980s, when people were restricted in movement, subject to surveillance and interrogation, and faced shortages of food and basic goods—many people wearing the same few types of clothing. It was striking to hear this while thinking about how, at the same time, I was in California protesting the Vietnam War and enjoying university life. She then walked us through how Poland broke free from communism in 1989, when a unique political opening allowed the Solidarity movement to push for democratic change. Today, Poland is part of the European Union, but it has chosen not to adopt the euro, allowing it to keep the złoty and maintain independent control over its monetary policy.
