A group of bricklayers working on the modernization of the historic main train station in Gdańsk (Gdańsk Główny) discovered a bottle in the wall with a note inside, testifying to the tragic events of December 1970.

According to Railway Supply  magazine citing PKP press service, the unusual find was discovered during the reconstruction of the building of the Gdansk Main railway station, the largest investment of Polskie Koleje Państwowe SA in 2016–2023. The note was written by unknown persons on the form of a postal telegram.

the railway station
Picture: PKP

Contents of the handwritten note (original spelling): “The building burned down on December 14, 1970 during a strike at the Gdansk shipyard. The repair was carried out by a brigade from the Gdansk border. Facade work. Gdansk, January 1971”.

The telegram found describes the events of the anti-communist uprising of the Polish workers. The contents of the note and the form on which it was written show that it is a reminder of the events that took place in December 50 years ago. The strike, which was directly caused by the rise in food prices, was initiated by workers at the Gdansk shipyard. But very quickly other groups of citizens joined the protesters. Law enforcement officers and the army were involved to suppress the uprising, several dozen people were killed, more than 1100 were wounded and several thousand people were detained. During the protests, various public buildings were set on fire, including the train station. These events subsequently led to the creation of the Solidarity movement.

The modernization of the historic Gdańsk Główny railway station is the largest project worth over PLN 100 million implemented by PKP SA within the framework of the Railway Stations Investment Program for 2016 – 2023.

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