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The appearance of Poland's trade union "Solidarity" marks a new phase in the evolution of the dissident figure. Following the military backlash and another wave of migration, the "dissident" label could be generalized and applied not to dozens, but hundreds and even thousands of rank-and-file unionists, new independent groups and much younger, often radical oppositionists. The chapter draws on Max Weber's concept of charisma and the theological notion of charism to explain the difference between the individual renown of the early dissidents and the looping effect the dissident figure had on a much broader group of activists. It also discusses the strength and the limits of transnational empowerment, as well as the height of the dissidents' fame before 1989, and the roots of their later decline, which can be found in their 1980s rise to prominence.

DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-22613-8_9

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