Henryk Jankowski Statue in Gdansk

Henryk Jankowski was an eminent cleric in Poland renowned for his role in the anti-communist
Solidarity movement during the 1980s. After the fall of communism in the 1990s, he became
famous for his outspoken attitude. During his sermons, he would make political comments and
anti-Semitic remarks that stirred controversy in Poland. After his death in 2010, private donors
sponsored the construction of his statue in front of what had been his parish church. However, in
2018, a woman stated in Gazeta Wyborcza that Jankowski abused her from the age of 12 for
many years. Her statement stirred the controversy around Jankowski’s figure, and at one point,
local protesters dismantled the statue at the time when the Vatican held its abuse summit. In
March 2019, the City Council decided that Jankowski was no longer an honorary citizen and that
his statue would be officially removed.