The 20th of 21 street lamps installed as part of Mischa Kuball’s Solidarity Grid. It was installed in 2015.

This gift from Poland, an overhanging street lamp with delicate cast iron lace detail, is a gesture of friendship and support for Christchurch, especially during our city’s recovery and rebuild process. Similar style lamps can be found along Sopot’s Pier – the longest wooden pier in Europe stretching over 500 metres into the Baltic Sea.

The link between Pomerania and Canterbury regions goes back to the times of the early settlers and left a significant footprint in the current landscape of our city.

‘It is with great satisfaction that we unveil the Polish lamp given by Sopot, a beautiful city located in the region where the Polish Solidarność was born in 1980. This year we celebrate the 35th anniversary of the movement which started the domino effect in Europe and contributed to the fall of communism. After the peaceful transformation Poland could re-join the European family to enjoy the most prosperous time she ever had. This symbolic gift will remind us of the values that Poles and New Zealanders share such as freedom, for which our nations jointly fought for many times, and solidarity which our New Zealand friends had shown to my compatriots by inviting them and offering shelter in difficult times of WWII and in the 1980s.’

— The Ambassador of the Republic of Poland to New Zealand, Zbigniew Gniatkowski

The Polish city of Sopot is a fashionable resort town popular with tourists and celebrities for its fresh sea air and health spas. Centred between Gdansk and Gdynia (known as the Tri-Cities) on the Baltic Coast, its temperate climate, Art Nouveau architecture and manicured gardens make for a pleasant, calming atmosphere.