We got hold of some more photos of the Maersk Elba’s historic call at the DCT Gdansk terminal in Poland. Surprise, surprise. They show the famous Lech Walesa on board the biggest boxship to call at a Baltic port. An electrician at the Gdansk (then, ‘Lenin’) Shipyards, Mr Walesa was co-founder of the Solidarity trade union which led peaceful mass protests in the 1980s that were to transform the Polish political and economic landscape. He served as Poland’s president from 1990 to 1995. Similarly, in 2011, Maersk Line has revolutionised Baltic shipping with the introduction of its new generation of container ships. ~Barista Uno
THE MAN AND THE SHIP: HISTORY MADE ONCE MORE
Mr Walesa (second from left) is welcomed by Boris Wenzel, CEO of DCT Gdansk
The 67-year-old Walesa goes on board the 13,092 TEU Maersk Elba
Mr Walesa signs guestbook in the presence of Captain Wojciech Kucz, the master of Maersk Elba
The former activist flanked by DCT chief Boris Wenzel and Maersk Line CEO Eivind Kolding
