4 JUNE 1989 | HIGH NOON

By European Solidarity Centre

Europejskie Centrum Solidarności | European Solidarity Centre

In the Sejm and Senate polls of 4 June 1989, 261 candidates ran under the banner of Solidarity. But how does one overthrow a system without the Internet, with the media still in the hands of the regime?

on 4th of june we will win the election (1989) by unknownEuropean Solidarity Centre

Will we win?

Oppositionists and the people who wanted change in Poland came together in Citizens’ Committees endorsed by Lech Wałęsa. They did not have their own, legal and widely distributed newspapers, while their access to public media was very limited. Solidarity knew that it had to run a campaign that would be effective, going beyond the media, monopolised by the communist authorities. To this end—next to campaign trail, TV and radio shows, and the press—the Citizens’ Committee focused on posters and flyers, pasted and distributed in cities, towns and workplaces.

Photo with a poster (June 1989) by Janusz Bałanda RydzewskiEuropean Solidarity Centre

The father and his son, during an election rally. The kid is Jakub Knera, then 3, grown up to be musical journalist and Gdańsk culture animator / 3 June 1989.

Man distributing posters, Janusz Bałanda Rydzewski, 3 June 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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The distribution of electoral materials from hand to hand gave an opportunity for personal meetings to people who supported Solidarity - recently closely controlled by the communist authorities.

High noon (1989) by Tomasz SarneckiEuropean Solidarity Centre

The Marshal Steps In

Out of the posters and graphic art dedicated to the June 1989 elections, the most identifiable one today is the poster by Tomasz Sarnecki: 'High Noon. 4 June 1989'. It presents the Marshal from the Western 'High Noon', with the movie star Gary Cooper in his most famous role. Instead of a Colt, the Marshal in the poster carries a ballot paper in his hand, with the Solidarity logo pinned at his heart. 

Jane Fonda, Jerzy Kośnik, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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New pictures from 1989 Cannes Film Festival created a buzz around the world. The faces of the Stars Vote Solidarity campaign included Nastassja Kinski, Grace Jones and Bond Girl Carole Bouquet with the Solidarity pin and two fingers raised in a gesture of victory. The campaign was an idea of Jerzy Kośnik, photography correspondent to Cannes. During their visits to Poland in May 1989, the Solidarity movement was supported by the stage stars Stevie Wonder and Yves Montand.

Don't sleep!, unknown, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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Don't sleep! Otherwise they will vote you down, says the slogan.

Election poster, unknown, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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A clever reference to communist propaganda: "PZPR", abbreviation of the Polish communist party, is left by the letter "R", which means "robotnicy" (Polish: workers). This meant that workers, the alleged base of communists, want to get rid of the regime.

Hanna Suchocka (1989) by unknownEuropean Solidarity Centre

Lech’s Team

‘A Photo with Wałęsa’ became one of the icons of the June 1989 election. It was Andrzej Wajda and Bronisław Geremek who came up with the idea to produce a series of election posters in which Solidarity’s candidates to the Polish Parliament would be supported by Lech Wałęsa himself, well-respected as the legendary leader of the democratic opposition.A total of 238 photographs of Citizens’ Committee candidates were taken with Lech Wałęsa, although—as has been determined through research—in several cases, names or pictures happened to be mixed up before printing.

Karol Modzelewski, unknown, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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Here, Karol Modzelewski (1937–2019) is portrayed with Lech Wałęsa. Modzelewski, for example, brought up the name Solidarność (Polish: solidarity) for the movement started by the 1980 strike in the Gdańsk Lenin Shipyard.

Photo with poster, Janusz Bałanda Rydzewski, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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Election poster for the Sejm and Senat, unknown, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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Another example of Lech Wałęsa's authority as well as effigy.

Election party in Tczew (1989) by Jacek AwakumowskiEuropean Solidarity Centre

No Freedom Without Solidarity

The June 1989 elections brought about a decisive victory to the Solidarity opposition centred around the Citizens’ Committee endorsed by Lech Wałęsa. The candidates supported by the Committee won all the seats allocated to contenders not affiliated with the communist party: 35% (161 seats) in the Sejm (lower house of Parliament), as well as 99% of all the seats in the Senate.

Lech Wałęsa voting, Stefan Kraszewski, 4 czerwca 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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Lech Walesa votes on 4 June. The Solidarity leader was afraid of the complicated voting system, which was also an attempt by the communist authorities to make it difficult to support democratic forces.

Pie chart 1989, unknown, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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Mathematicaly absurd, but spot-on portrayal of the feelings after the election. Although the minority, Solidarity supporters as well as representatives felt like they outnumbered communists.

Street in Gdynia, Janusz Uklejewski, 1989, From the collection of: European Solidarity Centre
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Solidarity is back! - a joyful board on one of Gdynia's streets.

Credits: Story

curators: Arkadiusz Bilecki, Jakub Jagodziński
text: Katarzyna Żelazek
translation: Dorota Górak-Łuba
cooperation: Monika Krzencessa-Ropiak, Jerzy Klimczak, Ewa Konkel, Iwona Kwiatkowska

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
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