Gdansk marks anniversary of Mayor Adamowicz’s death with a special programme

The long-standing mayor of the Polish city was murdered during a charity event three years ago

This week, Gdansk will be marking the third anniversary of the death of late Mayor Pawel Adamowicz. The honorary events will take place from 11 to 16 January, at the European Solidarity Centre and online. After the tragic event took place in the winter of 2019, the institution has announced that every year in January, it will invite residents to talk about matters important to the community.

First winner of the Paweł Adamowicz Award to be announced

Several events will mark the anniversary of the death of Gdansk’s former President (as mayors of large cities in Poland are called) Pawel Adamowicz. Due to the sanitary restrictions in place, they will be limited and broadcast online on the municipal web portal. The events at the ESC include workshops for children, teenagers and adults, artistic installations, while an exhibition of photos of Paweł Adamowicz will be displayed on the facade of the ECS.

On top of this, the first laureate of the Paweł Adamowicz Award for courage and excellence in promoting freedom, solidarity and equality will be announced. The award is given by the European Committee of the Regions in cooperation with the International Network of Refuge Cities (ICORN) and the City of Gdańsk. It seeks to recognise and support the efforts of civic leaders, city leaders, and organisations working at local or regional levels to fight intolerance, hate speech, oppression, xenophobia, discrimination, etc. Causes that Adamowicz was himself a strong proponent of.

Adamowicz, a Gdansk-born lawyer and politician, had been serving as mayor since 1998, before being assassinated three years ago on 13 January 2019. He was stabbed by a visitor during the final of the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity. He later died of his wounds, leaving a widow and two children.

“The memory of President Paweł Adamowicz is still alive. All the more, I encourage all of us to stop for a moment and remember the tragic day of the assassination and the days of mourning and think about things important to our community,” said his successor Aleksandra Dulkiewicz, Mayor of Gdańsk, as quoted on the city website. “Many events can be joined on-site or online. It will be good if the anniversaries of the president's death will not only become a time of emotions but a time to make us better people every year.”