In 1983 and 1984 when the poster was issued, Solidarity was still an underground organization as a result of the proclamation of Martial Law in 1981. It could not publish officially and had to rely on the underground production of printed materials. In addition, Solidarity was supported by a number of offices in foreign countries which took charge of designing, printing and distributing Solidarity materials outside of Poland. This particular poster, although issued abroad, resembles the unprofessional and low-budget posters which were printed by the Solidarity underground in Poland.

Anna Walentynowicz was called the ‘Mother Courage of Gdansk Shipyard’. The Gdansk Shipyard was where the strikes of August 1980 began and where the Solidarity was established. On August 7th 1980, after 30 years of work, Anna Walentynowicz was dismissed for ‘disciplinary reasons’. The actual motive was her activity in the Free Trade Unions. During the strike the shipyard workers demanded permission for her to come back to work. She was one of the most remarkable Solidarity activists and it is no wonder that she was among those arrested after the proclamation of Martial Law. The poster expresses a demand to set Anna Walentynowicz free.

Solidarity, founded in September 1980, was the first free trade union in an Eastern Bloc country. It became the leading political force opposing the communist regime in Poland. Eventually the Polish Government was forced to negotiate with the Solidarity-led opposition, resulting in semi-free elections on 4th June 1989. This marked a crucial stage in the democratic transformation of Central and Eastern Europe.