▁chain ▁of ▁state - run ▁Pe we x ▁and ▁Bal ton a ▁stores ▁in ▁all ▁Polish ▁cities , ▁where ▁goods ▁could ▁only ▁be ▁bought ▁with ▁hard ▁currency . ▁It ▁even ▁introduced ▁its ▁own ▁ers atz ▁U . S . ▁currency ▁( b ony ▁Pe K a O ▁in ▁Polish ). ▁This ▁par alle led ▁the ▁financial ▁practices ▁in ▁East ▁Germany ▁running ▁its ▁own ▁r ation ▁st amps ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time . ▁The ▁tr end ▁led ▁to ▁an ▁un he alth y ▁state ▁of ▁affairs ▁where ▁the ▁chief ▁determin ant ▁of ▁economic ▁status ▁was ▁access ▁to ▁hard ▁currency . ▁This ▁situation ▁was ▁in compatible ▁with ▁any ▁remaining ▁ide als ▁of ▁social ism , ▁which ▁were ▁soon ▁completely ▁abandoned ▁at ▁the ▁community ▁level . ▁ ▁In ▁this ▁des perate ▁situation , ▁all ▁development ▁and ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁Polish ▁economy ▁slow ed ▁to ▁a ▁craw l . ▁Most ▁vis ibly , ▁work ▁on ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁major ▁invest ment ▁projects ▁that ▁had ▁begun ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁was ▁stopped . ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁most ▁Polish ▁cities ▁acquired ▁at ▁least ▁one ▁inf am ous ▁example ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁un fin ished ▁building ▁l angu ishing ▁in ▁a ▁state ▁of ▁lim bo . ▁While ▁some ▁of ▁these ▁were ▁eventually ▁finished ▁dec ades ▁later , ▁most , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Sz kie let or ▁sk ys cra per ▁in ▁Krak ów , ▁were ▁never ▁finished ▁at ▁all , ▁was ting ▁the ▁considerable ▁resources ▁devoted ▁to ▁their ▁construction . ▁Polish ▁invest ment ▁in ▁economic