Not many Polish words have had an international career like this one's. In 1980s, the word solidarność accustomed a global audience to Poland's political reality under the communist regime. It also introduced them to the outrageous Polish alphabet and pronunciation.
The word first emerged in August 1980 in Gdańsk's Lenin Shipyard as the name of the związek zawodowy (trade union) NSZZ 'Solidarność', an organisation devoted to defending workers’ rights. However, the organization soon became a massive ruch obywatelski (civic movement). With some 10 million members a year later, it was, according to some, the biggest voluntary civic movement in history.
At the height of its worldwide popularity – which came in the years 1981 to 1983 when stan wojenny (Martial Law) was introduced in Poland (and Solidarność was banned) – the word was on the lips of the greater part of the democratic world, which was looking with hope at the changes taking place in the communist bloc. That’s when the difficult Polish sounds of Ś and Ć were on the lips of the Western establishment, and even Frank Sinatra sang in Polish.
The organisation returned in the late 1980s to pave the way for the peaceful political transformation of 1989.
Solidarity remains a bone of contention in contemporary Poland. For some, it’s a closed chapter of Polish history, embodying a one-time triumph over Communism. For others, it remains an unfulfilled chance for Polish democracy, standing for qualities like sprawiedliwość społeczna (social justice), równość (equality), and wolność (freedom) – which are just a couple of other topical Polish words worth knowing.
Poland Word by Word allows foreigners to familiarise themselves with everyday Polish words by explaining their cultural context and significance. For more pronunciation tips, explore our Foreigner’s Guide to the Polish Alphabet.