The following is the text from the open letter from Gdansk mayor Pawel Adamowicz to all who feel an affiliation with the city of Gdansk/Danzig, inviting them to the 5th World Gdansk Reunion on the weekend of the 6th-8th of July 2018. You can find more about it and the full programme here.
Dear Gdańskers,
Dear Guests and Fans of Gdańsk,
When I initiated the World Gdańsk Reunion in 2002, I wanted not only to host a meeting between the people of our city who used to live here and who live here now, but most of all to maintain the sense of community among Gdańskers and to preserve this sentiment for future generations. The May event brought Gdańsk fans from across the globe, while Gdańsk’s hospitality, openness and energy have made the sentimental journey continue to this day.
A lot has been said and written about how special Gdańsk is, about its history and what its people have experienced. To me, Gdańsk and its people always come first. For over twenty years, all things related to Gdańsk and its people have been a challenge to me in the effort for a better tomorrow.
That Gdańsk is a wonderful place is made clear by how more and more tourists and guests come to Gdańsk on a regular basis, looking for inspiration or leisure.
The social and economic transformations in recent years and the growth in mobility among Polish nationals have turned many Gdańskers into a generation of contemporary nomads. These same trends have also made Gdańsk a home to tens of thousands of incomers from Poland and abroad. We, native Gdańskers, always welcome you with open arms! You have the right and privilege to feel at home in Gdańsk!
I want our diverse Gdańsk community to come together and celebrate what unifies us side by side. This is why, following the custom of meeting at the family table, I would like to express how happy I am to invite all of you for the fifth time to the World Gdańsk Reunion on 6–8 July 2018. Let’s make this event a celebration of our community and appreciate how modern Gdańsk has developed. Feel free to take a look at the agenda we have prepared, having in mind both the need to discuss our Gdańsk identity and the great love for the maritime tradition of our city. See you in Gdańsk!
Paweł Adamowicz
