The church played its part in the fall of communism, with many citing John Paul II’s visit to Poland in 1978 as a key date in Polish patriotism. In the period of martial law Gdańsk’s St Bridget’s church was used as a sanctuary by leaders of the movement, as was the enormous St Mary’s.

Close to the train station the new town hall (next to Bastion Św. Elżbiety) was once home to the legendary student club, Żak - a hotbed of anti-establishment thinking. This was the site of pro-democracy rallies in 1981, and most recently it served as Lech Walesa’s temporary office. Nowadays Wałęsa can be found holding court inside the Green Gate building.