00:00The historic Gdańsk shipyard, where Lech Wałęsa led strikes that forced Poland's then-Communist government to negotiate the country into
00:09democracy.
00:10Now, private investment is transforming the shipyard.
00:14In one factory Hitler used to build submarines, Montovnia is a hotel, conference center and food court.
00:21So how to preserve the shipyard's legacy?
00:24Adriana Majdzińska and her husband Czesław Podleżny run an art atelier called WL4.
00:31He made his human-shaped sculptures from rusting parts of ships.
00:35We managed to organize it for the last eight years.
00:39There were a few hundred artistic events.
00:42There were no exhibitions, but also concerts, presentations, conferences.
00:49Adriana says thousands have visited, including Wałęsa himself.
00:53But the future is uncertain.
00:55Polish developer Develija signed an agreement to buy the land and build 3,000 apartments.
01:01Of course, we plan and we hope that a new owner, a Polish large developer company,
01:07will be obliged to culture and art.
01:10But it may not happen, so we will have to leave our place then.
01:16The city of Gdansk hopes the art space will survive.
01:20I can't imagine that you can create this part of the city without maintaining the heritage, solidarity and the streets
01:28as a whole area.
01:30Because it is also an element of competition for investors.
01:37WL4 is an extremely important gallery for the functioning of this part of the city.
01:42A PR agency speaking for Develija says it's, quote, too early to comment on the future use of individual buildings.
01:50It says it will work with local authorities while, quote, respecting the character and history of the area.
01:57Obecnie w Polsce zwiększa się już świadomość deweloperów i inwestorów,
02:03że sztuka i kultura są ważnym elementem budujących się nowych osiedli.
02:09Deputy Mayor Grzelak says it will take dialogue, just like the talks that led to democracy in 1989.
02:16The agreement from April 1980 was based on the dialogue.
02:20I am convinced that in this dialogue, as well as the developer,
02:24we will lead to a satisfying solution.
02:27Chris Burns, Euronews, Gdansk.
Comments