Polish Revival

Poland lies between Germany and Russia and has been invaded and divided many times but has continually re-asserted its independence. In the 20th century alone it has come under both German and Russian rule but was involved in the defeat of both. It is now an independent nation again and member of the European Union. Gdansk is Poland’s most important port, lying on the Baltic and having been part of the Hanseatic League. It was long governed by the Teutonic Knights and was for some time part of Prussia (also known as Danzig), but it is a Polish city that marked two of the 20th century’s most signifi cant events, the fi rst being the opening shots of World War II. The founding of the independent Solidarity union led by Lech Walesa in 1980 following the visit by the Polish Pope John Paul II in 1979 was in retrospect the start of the fall of Communism. Pope John Paul II lived and studied in Cracow during the Nazi occupation and later became Bishop. Cracow lost its medieval position of Polish capital in 1609 and this restricted later development, allowing its ancient centre to remain unspoilt. Much of the wealth of Cracow fl owed from the 1000 years of operation of the Wieliczka Salt Mine whose salt sculptures are a unique feature of the underground caverns. The Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camps, a harrowing reminder of earlier occupation, may be visited.