Walesa wins Golden Hen in Berlin

Roland Jahn (L) and Lech Walesa (R): photo - EPA/John Macdougall

The former Polish president, who is due to turn 69 later this month, won a jury prize in the political category. Previous recipients have included Vaclav Havel and Angela Merkel.

The award was presented by former dissident and journalist Roland Jahn, who currently runs a federal agency in charge of preserving and investigating files of the Stasi, East Germany's former secret police.

Jahn, who was imprisoned in 1982 for brandishing the Solidarity banner, said that Walesa is “a man who wrote history” and “moved Europe,” adding he “symbolises the hope that anything can be achieved, if we don't give in.”

Walesa himself thanked the jury for having “such a long memory” about the Solidarity struggle.

“After us came other nations and we won freedom, which had seemed impossible,” he said.

The Golden Hen Awards (Goldene Henne) include prizes voted for by the media and the public, covering politics, culture, sport and social work. They have been presented in Berlin since 1995, and last night's ceremony was held at the Theater am Potzdamer Platz. (nh)