Zbyszek Godlewski | |
|---|---|
 Portrait photo of Janek Wiśniewski on his grave | |
| Born | Zbyszek Godlewski (1952-08-03)3 August 1952 |
| Died | 17 December 1970(1970-12-17) (aged 18) Gdynia, Polish People's Republic |
| Cause of death | Shot |
| Resting place | Elbląg, Poland |
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Zbigniew Eugeniusz Godlewski (3 August 1952 – 17 December 1970) was a Polish man shot dead by security forces during the1970 Polish protests in the city ofGdynia. The event was popularized across the country in the poem and song, known by the name ofBallad of Janek Wiśniewski [pl] (Polish pronunciation:[ˈjanɛɡ viɕˈɲɛfskʲi]).
On 17 December 1970, duringPoland's demonstrations against the Communist regime, the army fired into the crowd of workers emerging from a commuter train inGdynia, under the pretext of preventing an industrial sabotage action. At least 40 innocent people were killed by police. The image of an anonymous young man's body carried on a door panel through the cordons of police and tanks inspired authorKrzysztof Dowgiałło to write the poem about him. The name Janek Wiśniewski was invented by Dowgiałło for the ballad to symbolize an 18-year old worker killed by the military or the militia. Not knowing his real name, the author gave him a symbolic name sounding typically Polish; it proved quite enduring. Later it was established bythe opposition that the man shot dead was named Zbigniew Godlewski and had lived in nearbyElbląg.[1][2][3]
The event was popularized across the country in the poem and song, known by the name ofBallad of Janek Wiśniewski [pl] (Polish pronunciation:[ˈjanɛɡ viɕˈɲɛfskʲi]); the work is also sometimes known asPieśń o Janku z Gdyni (Song about Janek from Gdynia). The text was written byKrzysztof Dowgiałło [pl] and music for the song byMieczysław Cholewa.[4][5] The song, along with the story of Janek Wiśniewski, was popularized when it was performed at the end of the 1981 movieMan of Iron (by actressKrystyna Janda along withJacek Kaczmarski).[4] After the fall of communism in Poland, a major street in Gdynia was named after Janek Wiśniewski and also a street in Elbląg was named after Zbigniew Godlewski.
In 2011, a Polish film about the events of 17 December, titledCzarny Czwartek - Janek Wiśniewski padł ("Black Thursday - Janek Wiśniewski Has Fallen"), was released in cinemas. The title was inspired by a line inPieśń o Janku z Gdyni. The song was covered byKazik Staszewski and used in the film trailer.[1]
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