This sculpture marked the 1000th anniversary of Gdansk in 1997. The tree is made in metal by the artists Wojciech Schwartz and Leonard Dajkowski and it symbolizes the solidarity between the countries of the world. The stone table near it may say that it was dedicated by Pope John Paul. Gdansk dates its history to 997 when a Bohemian bishop arrived and baptized the inhabitants. It developed as a port over the next centuries. In 1308, the Teutons took over and made it a major trading port and part of the Hanseatic League. In 1454, the locals revolted and pledged allegiance to the Polish king. In the mid 1500s, this was Poland's largest city and the most important center of trade in central Europe. It survived the invasion of Sweden in the 1650s, but was weakened and was taken over by the Prussians in 1793 who were shortly thereafter ousted by Napoleon. In 1815, the Congress of Vienna returned Gdansk to the Prussians. It became part of Germany. After WWI, the Treaty of Versailles made it the Free City of Danzig under protection of the League of Nations. It was a German port under Hitler and the place where WWII started when a German battleship fired shots at the Polish military post of Westerplatte. At the end of WWII, the Germans either fled or were killed and their place was taken by Poles who moved in from the East, Soviet Union.