Trade union founder gives annual Copernicus Lecture

By Aaron Pancharian

For the Daily

Bronislaw Geremek, one of the founders of the Solidarity trade union, an aide to the movement's leader Lech Walesa and a former political prisoner, delivered the annual Copernicus Lecture on Saturday to an audience of several hundred scholars, Polish students and local Polish-Americans.

Capping three days of discussion at Rackham Amphitheatre with leading members of the Polish Solidarity labor movement, Geremek, a member of Polish Parliament and recent foreign minister, revived the lessons and accomplishments of Solidarity.

"Poland is free today, and that is thanks to Solidarity, and there is no doubt about it," he said.

Founded in 1980, the Solidarity movement played a critical role in achieving Poland's transition to democracy and a market economy. But Geremek said on the 20th anniversary of the movement, the memory of Solidarity and spirit of unity in the early days has faded.

He said many Polish youth today don't appreciate the movement's accomplishments because the country has been unable to preserve the memory of conditions under communism.

Many workers today feel they have become victims of the process they set in motion because the benefits of change were not equally distributed in society, he said.

Still, for some members of the audience, just seeing Geremek speak was an emotional experience. "He reminded me of my grandmother," said one University alum of Polish decent who wished to remain anonymous. "When he spoke in Polish I wanted to cry. I wish there were more Polish people in the community who could have been here."

True to his academic roots, Geremek began the presentation by lecturing for more than an hour on the history of Solidarity. Later, in a lively question and answer session conducted partly in Polish, Geremek stressed Solidarity's message that ethics matter in politics.

He used a play on an old Clinton campaign slogan to describe his preference for a social market economy: "Market economy, but don't forget human beings stupid!"

When asked if he had a message for today's students, Geremek said, "It matters to be present in politics. A moral reference should be considered as a priority. Remember, Solidarity is not just a labor union, it is an idea. It sends a message of human sensitivity, to fight against poverty, human exclusion, and the ideology of the class structure."

University of Wisconsin assistant political science Prof. Jason Wittenberg said he thinks Geremek came to the United States not only to revive memories of past achievements but also as an active politician.

"He has both a scholarly agenda and a political agenda," Wittenberg said. "He's fighting to achieve what he considers Poland's place in Europe. And part of that is wooing opinion not just in Europe but in the United States as well."

The annual Copernicus Lecture brings academics to the University to help achieve a deeper understanding of issues relevant to Poland. The lecture is sponsored by the Nicolaus Copernicus Endowment, which began at the University in 1973.