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Tadeusz Mazowiecki (; 18 April 1927 – 28 October 2013) was a Polish
author In legal discourse, an author is the creator of an original work that has been published, whether that work exists in written, graphic, visual, or recorded form. The act of creating such a work is referred to as authorship. Therefore, a sculpt ...
,
journalist A journalist is a person who gathers information in the form of text, audio or pictures, processes it into a newsworthy form and disseminates it to the public. This is called journalism. Roles Journalists can work in broadcast, print, advertis ...
,
philanthropist Philanthropy is a form of altruism that consists of "private initiatives for the public good, focusing on quality of life". Philanthropy contrasts with business initiatives, which are private initiatives for private good, focusing on material ...
and politician, formerly one of the leaders of the
Solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...
movement, and the first non-communist Polish prime minister since 1946, having held the post from 1989 to 1991.BBC (corporate author), p. 1 He was the founder and leader of Democratic Union and Freedom Union. Between 1991–2001, he was a member of the
Polish Parliament The parliament of Poland is the Bicameralism, bicameral legislature of Poland. It is composed of an upper house (the Senate of Poland, Senate) and a lower house (the Sejm). Both houses are accommodated in the Sejm and Senate Complex of Poland, S ...
. In the years 2010–2013, he served as advisor to President
Bronisław Komorowski Bronisław Maria Komorowski (; born 4 June 1952) is a Polish politician and historian who was the fifth president of Poland from 2010 to 2015. Komorowski previously served as Ministry of National Defence (Poland), Minister of National Defence ...
. He is the recipient of Poland's highest order of merit, the Order of the White Eagle.


Biography

Tadeusz Mazowiecki was born in
Płock Płock (pronounced ), officially the Ducal Capital City of Płock, is a city in central Poland, on the Vistula river, in the Masovian Voivodeship. According to the data provided by Central Statistical Office (Poland), GUS on 31 December 2021, the ...
, Poland on 18 April 1927 to a Polish noble family, which uses the Dołęga coat of arms.Kopka & Żelichowski, p. 135Pszczółkowski, pp. 1–2 Both his parents worked at the local Holy Trinity Hospital: his father was a doctor there while his mother ran a charity for the poor.Pac, p. 1 His education was interrupted by the outbreak of
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. During the war he worked as a runner in the hospital his parents worked for. After the German forces had been expelled from Płock, Tadeusz Mazowiecki resumed his education and in 1946, he graduated from "Marshal Stanisław Małachowski" Lyceum, the oldest
high school A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
in Poland and one of the oldest continuously operating schools in Europe. He then moved to
Łódź Łódź is a city in central Poland and a former industrial centre. It is the capital of Łódź Voivodeship, and is located south-west of Warsaw. Łódź has a population of 655,279, making it the country's List of cities and towns in Polan ...
and then to
Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...
, where he joined the Law Faculty of the Warsaw University. However, he never graduated and instead devoted himself to activity in various Catholic associations, journals and publishing houses.Friszke, "Koło posłów Znak...", p. 606


Catholic activist


PAX and WTK

Already during his brief stay at the Warsaw University Mazowiecki joined the Caritas Academica charity organisation, he also briefly headed the University Printing Cooperative between 1947 and 1948. In 1946 he also joined Karol Popiel's Labour Party. However, later that year the party was outlawed by the new
Stalinist Stalinism (, ) is the totalitarian means of governing and Marxist–Leninist policies implemented in the Soviet Union (USSR) from 1927 to 1953 by dictator Joseph Stalin and in Soviet satellite states between 1944 and 1953. Stalinism in ...
authorities of Soviet-controlled Poland. Almost all other non-communist organisations soon also became a target of state-sponsored repressions. One of the exceptions was the PAX Association, the only large Catholic organisation supported by the Communist authorities – and supporting the authorities in their conflict with the Catholic clergy.Dudek, p. 181 Mazowiecki joined PAX in 1948, initially as one of the leaders of the youth circles. He openly criticised
Bolesław Piasecki Bolesław Bogdan Piasecki, Pseudonym, alias Leon Całka, Wojciech z Królewca, Sablewski (18 February 1915 – 1 January 1979) was a Polish people, Polish writer, politician and Political Theorist, political theorist. During the war, he was acti ...
's vision of the association and his allegiance to the
Communists Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, d ...
. He nevertheless rose through the ranks of various journals published by the association. Initially, a journalist in the '' Dziś i Jutro'' weekly, in 1950 he became the deputy editor-in-chief of '' Słowo Powszechne'' daily newspaper. In 1952 the conflict between Piasecki and the opposition within the PAX (the so-called Fronda, composed mostly of young intellectuals) led to Mazowiecki being expelled from the daily and relegated to a less prominent role of an editor of newly created ' (''Wrocław Catholic Weekly'', WTK).Dudek, p. 218 Until 1955 he served as the editor-in-chief of that journal, he also remained one of the leaders of the opposition within the association, criticising Piasecki and his associates for their conflicts with the Catholic hierarchy, loyalty to the communist authorities, and lack of democratic procedures within PAX.Dudek, p. 219 For that he was eventually dismissed from the WTK and eventually in 1955 expelled from the association altogether.Dudek, pp. 219 & 222


Involvement in Communist propaganda

Despite criticizing Piasecki, Mazowiecki offered his own support to the Communist authorities, expressed in press articles and other publications. In 1952, he published a
pamphlet A pamphlet is an unbound book (that is, without a Hardcover, hard cover or Bookbinding, binding). Pamphlets may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths, called a ''leaflet'' ...
titled ''The enemy remains the same'' (', co-authored with Zygmunt Przetakiewicz, then editor-in-chief of ''WTK'') imputing an alliance between Polish anti-communist resistance movement and Nazi war criminals.''Jak Mazowiecki zwalczał podziemie'', "Historia Do Rzeczy", issue No. 1/2013
In a press article published in ''WTK'' in 1953, Mazowiecki fiercely condemned Czesław Kaczmarek, then Bishop of
Kielce Kielce (; ) is a city in south-central Poland and the capital of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship. In 2021, it had 192,468 inhabitants. The city is in the middle of the Świętokrzyskie Mountains (Holy Cross Mountains), on the banks of the Silnic ...
. Kaczmarek, groundlessly accused by the Communists of being an American and
Vatican Vatican may refer to: Geography * Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome, Italy * Vatican Hill, in Rome, namesake of Vatican City * Ager Vaticanus, an alluvial plain in Rome * Vatican, an unincorporated community in the ...
spy, was later sentenced to 12 years in prison.


Club of Catholic Intelligence and 'Więź'

Having left PAX, together with a group of his former colleagues Tadeusz Mazowiecki started cooperation with the ''
Tygodnik Powszechny ''Tygodnik Powszechny'' (, ''The Common Weekly'') is a Polish Roman Catholic weekly magazine, published in Kraków, which focuses on social, cultural and political issues. It was established in 1945 under the auspices of Cardinal Adam Stefan Sap ...
'' weekly, '' Po prostu'' journal and the Crooked Circle Club.Friszke, "Opozycja polityczna...", p. 186 While these journals were formally dependent on PAX, they were increasingly liberal and independent. Eventually, during the
Polish October The Polish October ( ), also known as the Polish thaw or Gomułka's thaw, also "small stabilization" () was a change in the politics of the Polish People's Republic that occurred in October 1956. Władysław Gomułka was appointed First Secretar ...
of 1956 Tadeusz Mazowiecki became one of the founders of the All-Polish Club of Progressive Catholic Intelligentsia, the predecessor of Club of Catholic Intelligentsia (KIK), the first all-national Catholic organisation independent of the Communist authorities in post-war Poland.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", p. 39 Until 1963 he served as a board member of KIK.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", pp. 297–298 He was also a founding member of the '' Więź'' Catholic monthly in 1958 and served as its first editor-in-chief.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", p. 51Szporer, p. 259 While relatively independent from the Communist authorities, the monthly was also independent from the Catholic hierarchy, which often led to conflicts with both.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", p. 89Friszke, "Koło posłów Znak...", p. 100 In his texts published in ''Więź'' Mazowiecki, inspired by
Emmanuel Mounier Emmanuel Mounier (; ; 1 April 1905 – 22 March 1950) was a French philosopher, Catholic theologian, teacher and essayist. Biography Mounier was the guiding spirit in the French personalist movement, and founder and director of '' Esprit'', the ...
's
personalist Personalism is an intellectual stance that emphasizes the importance of human persons. Personalism exists in many different versions, and this makes it somewhat difficult to define as a philosophical and theological movement. Friedrich Schleierm ...
ideas, sought intellectual dialogue with members of left-leaning lay intelligentsia.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", p. 70Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", p. 86 Mazowiecki was a friend and confidant of
Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...
.


Politician and dissident

One of the lasting effects of
Władysław Gomułka Władysław Gomułka (; 6 February 1905 – 1 September 1982) was a Polish Communist politician. He was the ''de facto'' leader of Polish People's Republic, post-war Poland from 1947 until 1948, and again from 1956 to 1970. Born in 1905 in ...
's rise to power during the
Polish October The Polish October ( ), also known as the Polish thaw or Gomułka's thaw, also "small stabilization" () was a change in the politics of the Polish People's Republic that occurred in October 1956. Władysław Gomułka was appointed First Secretar ...
1956 was the dissolution of PAX. A group of former PAX dissenters, the "Fronda", along with some of the professors of the
Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (, , abbreviation KUL) is a university established in 1918. History Father Idzi Benedykt Radziszewski founded the university in 1918. Lenin allowed the priest to take the library and equipment of ...
approached Gomułka in 1956. In exchange for their support, Gomułka accepted the creation of Znak Association along with its publishing house, the only such venture independent from the communist government in contemporary Poland. Moreover, a small group of 12 Catholics associated with the Znak were allowed to run in the Polish legislative election of 1957, among them Tadeusz Mazowiecki. While the 12 members of parliament elected that year were formally independent, they formed the first form of opposition to the rule of the
Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other legally permitted subordinate minor parti ...
within the Polish
Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
, dubbed the "MP circle of Znak" (). Mazowiecki remained a member of the Sejm until 1971, serving his
second The second (symbol: s) is a unit of time derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes, and finally to 60 seconds each (24 × 60 × 60 = 86400). The current and formal definition in the International System of U ...
,
third Third or 3rd may refer to: Numbers * 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3 * , a fraction of one third * 1⁄60 of a ''second'', i.e., the third in a series of fractional parts in a sexagesimal number system Places * 3rd Street (di ...
and fourth terms as a member of the Catholic "party".Ost, p. 219 During his parliamentary career, he was an active member of the Commission on Education and the Commission on Work and Social Matters.Friszke, "Koło posłów...", p. 44 As Poland was effectively a
one-party state A one-party state, single-party state, one-party system or single-party system is a governance structure in which only a single political party controls the ruling system. In a one-party state, all opposition parties are either outlawed or en ...
, the role of the token opposition was mostly symbolic. However, some of Mazowiecki's speeches and interpellations made a large impact on Polish society. Such was the case of his critique of the official curriculum of Polish schools underlining the crucial role of
Karl Marx Karl Marx (; 5 May 1818 – 14 March 1883) was a German philosopher, political theorist, economist, journalist, and revolutionary socialist. He is best-known for the 1848 pamphlet '' The Communist Manifesto'' (written with Friedrich Engels) ...
's
historical materialism Historical materialism is Karl Marx's theory of history. Marx located historical change in the rise of Class society, class societies and the way humans labor together to make their livelihoods. Karl Marx stated that Productive forces, techno ...
,Friszke, "Koło posłów...", pp. 46–47 or his isolated protest against the new Assemblies Act, effectively putting an end even to a theoretical
freedom of assembly Freedom of assembly, sometimes used interchangeably with the freedom of association, is the individual right or ability of individuals to peaceably assemble and collectively express, promote, pursue, and defend their ideas. The right to free ...
in Poland.Friszke, "Koło posłów...", p. 50 In 1968 he was the only member of parliament to raise the issue of the brutal suppression of the students' demonstrations during the
1968 Polish political crisis A series of major student, intellectual and other protests against the ruling Polish United Workers' Party of the Polish People's Republic took place in Poland in March 1968. The crisis led to the suppression of student strikes by security forces ...
.Friszke, "Koło posłów...", p. 83 In the aftermath of the bloody quelling of the 1970 protests, in which 42 people were killed by the army and the Citizens' Militia, Tadeusz Mazowiecki unsuccessfully demanded that the matter be investigated in order to find those responsible for the bloodshed.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", p. 116 This and similar acts of questioning the actions of the Communist authorities made Mazowiecki one of the unwanted members of parliament and consequently in 1972 the party did not allow him to run for his fifth term.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", pp. 128–129 Having left the Sejm, Mazowiecki became the head of Warsaw chapter of the Club of Catholic Intelligentsia and one of the best-known Polish dissidents. In early 1976, soon after the publication of the Letter of 59, Mazowiecki initiated a similar letter to the PUWP signed by most members of the former Znak circle.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", pp. 157–159 Although not a member of the
Workers' Defence Committee The Workers' Defense Committee ( , KOR) was a Polish civil society group that was established to give aid to prisoners and their families after the June 1976 protests and ensuing government crackdown. It was a precursor and inspiration for efforts ...
, he supported it on numerous occasions, notably in the aftermath of the June 1976 protests in
Radom Radom is a city in east-central Poland, located approximately south of the capital, Warsaw. It is situated on the Mleczna River in the Masovian Voivodeship. Radom is the fifteenth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest in its province w ...
and Ursus.Friszke, "Oaza na Kopernika...", p. 179Friszke, "Opozycja polityczna...", p. 398 An heir to a long tradition of organic work, on 22 January 1978 Tadeusz Mazowiecki, together with other Polish dissidents, including Stefan Amsterdamski, Andrzej Celiński and
Andrzej Kijowski ::''Not to be mistaken for Andrzej Tadeusz Kijowski, his son.'' Andrzej Kijowski (29 November 1928 – 29 June 1985) was a Polish literary critic, essayist and screenwriter. Biography Kijowski was born on 29 November 1928 in Kraków, Poland. Ki ...
, became one of the founding members of the Society of Scientific Courses, the predecessor of the Flying University.Friszke, "Opozycja polityczna...", pp. 501–502


Solidarity and the fall of Communism

In August 1980, he headed the Board of Experts, which supported the workers from Gdańsk who were negotiating with the authorities. From 1981, he was the editor-in-chief of the '' Tygodnik Solidarność'' weekly magazine.Tagliabue, "Solidarity seems on verge...", p. 1 After martial law was declared in December 1981 he was arrested and imprisoned in Strzebielnik, then in Jaworz and finally in Darłówek. He was one of the last prisoners to be released on 23 December 1982. In 1987, he spent a year abroad, during which he talked to politicians and trade union representatives. Starting in 1988, he held talks in Magdalenka. He firmly believed in the process of taking power from the ruling Polish United Workers' Party through negotiation and thus he played an active role in the Polish Round Table Talks, becoming one of the most important architects of the agreement by which partially free elections were held on 4 June 1989. While the Communists and their satellites were guaranteed a majority in the legislature, Solidarity won all of the contested seats in a historic landslide. The Communists had originally planned for Solidarity to be a junior partner in the ensuing government. However, Solidarity turned the tables on the Communists by persuading the Communists' two satellite parties to switch their support to Solidarity. This would all but force Communist President
Wojciech Jaruzelski Wojciech Witold Jaruzelski ( ; ; 6 July 1923 – 25 May 2014) was a Polish military general, politician and ''de facto'' leader of the Polish People's Republic from 1981 until 1989. He was the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party ...
to appoint a Solidarity member as prime minister, heading the first government in 45 years that was not dominated by Communists. At a meeting on 17 August 1989, Jaruzelski finally agreed to
Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 Polish presidential election, 1990 election, Wałę ...
's demand to pick a Solidarity member as the next prime minister. Walesa chose Mazowiecki as a Solidarity candidate to lead the coming administration. On 21 August 1989 General Jaruzelski formally appointed Mazowiecki as Prime Minister-designate. On 24 August 1989, he won a vote of confidence in the Sejm. He thus became the first Polish prime minister in 43 years who was not either a Communist or a fellow traveler, as well as the first non-communist Prime Minister of an Eastern European country in over 40 years.Baczyńska & Słowikowska, p. 1


Prime minister

On 13 September 1989 during his long
investiture Investiture (from the Latin preposition ''in'' and verb ''vestire'', "dress" from ''vestis'' "robe") is a formal installation or ceremony that a person undergoes, often related to membership in Christian religious institutes as well as Christian kn ...
speech outlining the extensive
political agenda In politics, a political agenda is a list of subjects or problems (issues) to which government officials as well as individuals outside the government are paying serious attention to at any given time. The political agenda is most often shaped by ...
of his nominated cabinet prior to the mandatory
confidence vote A motion or vote of no confidence (or the inverse, a motion or vote of confidence) is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly (usually a legislative body) as to whether an officer (typically an executive) is deemed fit ...
, Mazowiecki grew weak necessitating a one-hour break in proceedings. However, the government was approved by a vote 402–0, with 13 abstentions. Mazowiecki's government managed to carry out many fundamental reforms in a short period. The political system was thoroughly changed; a full range of civil freedoms as well as a multi-party system were introduced and the country's emblem and name were changed (from the
People's Republic of Poland The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
to the Republic of Poland). On 29 December 1989, the fundamental changes in the
Polish Constitution The Constitution of the Republic of Poland ( or ''Konstytucja RP'' for short) is the supreme law of the Republic of Poland, which is also commonly called the Third Polish Republic ( or ''III RP'' for short) in contrast with the preceding systems ...
were made. By virtue of these changes, the preamble was deleted, the chapters concerning political and economic forms of government were changed, the chapters concerning trade unions were rewritten and a uniform notion of possession was introduced.Tagliabue, "Poles Approve Solidarity-Led Cabinet", p. 1 Mazowiecki used enormous popularity and credibility of the Solidarity movement to transform the Polish economy by a set of deep political and economic reforms.Sachs, pp. 44–46 Better known under the name of
Balcerowicz Plan The Balcerowicz Plan (), also termed " Shock Therapy", was a method for rapidly transitioning from an economy based on state ownership and central planning, to a capitalist market economy. Named after the Polish minister and economist Leszek Balc ...
after Mazowiecki's minister of finance,
Leszek Balcerowicz Leszek Henryk Balcerowicz (pronounced ; born 19 January 1947) is a Polish economist, statesman, and Professor at Warsaw School of Economics. He served as Chairman of the National Bank of Poland (2001–2007) and twice as Deputy Prime Minister of ...
, the reforms enabled the transformation of the Polish economy from a centrally-planned economy to a
market economy A market economy is an economic system in which the decisions regarding investment, production, and distribution to the consumers are guided by the price signals created by the forces of supply and demand. The major characteristic of a mark ...
. The reforms have prepared the ground for measures stopping the
hyperinflation In economics, hyperinflation is a very high and typically accelerating inflation. It quickly erodes the real versus nominal value (economics), real value of the local currency, as the prices of all goods increase. This causes people to minimiz ...
, introducing free-market mechanisms and privatisation of state-owned companies, houses and land. The plan resulted in reduced inflation and budget deficit, while simultaneously increasing
Unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is the proportion of people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work du ...
and worsening the financial situation of the poorest members of society. In 1989, in his first parliamentary speech in
Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
, Mazowiecki talked about a " thick line" ('): "We draw a thick line on what has happened in the past. We will answer for only what we have done to help Poland to rescue her from this crisis from now on". Originally, as Mazowiecki explains, it meant non-liability of his government for damages done to the national economy by previous governments.Leszkowicz, p. 1


Later years

In 1991 Mazowiecki was appointed the United Nations Commission of Human Rights Special Rapporteur on the ''Situation of Human Rights in the Territory of the Former Yugoslavia''. In 1993 he issued a report on human rights violations in the Former Yugoslavia and he recommended criminal accountability for the atrocities being perpetrated there. However, two years later Mazowiecki stepped down in protest at what he regarded as the international community's insufficient response to atrocities committed during the Bosnian war, particularly the
Srebrenica massacre The Srebrenica massacre, also known as the Srebrenica genocide, was the July 1995 genocidal killing of more than 8,000 Bosniak Muslim men and boys in and around the town of Srebrenica during the Bosnian War. It was mainly perpetrated by unit ...
committed by the Serb army that year.WŻ, p. 22 A conflict with
Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 Polish presidential election, 1990 election, Wałę ...
resulted in the disintegration of Citizens' Parliamentary Club that represented Solidarity camp. The Citizens' Parliamentary Club was divided into Centre Agreement, which supported Wałęsa, and ROAD, which took sides with Mazowiecki. That conflict lead both politicians to compete in presidential election at the end of 1990. Mazowiecki, who during Solidarity times was an advisor to Lech Wałęsa and strike committee in Gdańsk's shipyard, stood against Wałęsa in the election and lost to him. He did not even join the second round (he gained the support of 18.08% of people – 2,973,364 votes) and was defeated by Stanisław Tymiński, a maverick candidate from Canada. In 1991, Mazowiecki became a chairman of the Democratic Union (later Freedom Union), and from 1995 he was its honorary president. Together with
Jan Maria Rokita Jan Władysław Maria Rokita (, born 18 June 1959) is a Polish liberal conservative politician, a member of the Sejm, the lower chamber of the Parliament of Poland, Polish parliament. He was chairman of the parliamentary club of the Civic Platfor ...
, Aleksander Hall and Hanna Suchocka he represented the Christian Democratic wing of the party. Between 1989 and 2001 Mazowiecki was a representative to the Polish Parliament (first from Poznań, later from Kraków). Mazowiecki was a member of parliament in the first, second, and third term (a member of the Democratic Union), later the Freedom Union. During the National Assembly (1997) he introduced compromise preamble of Polish constitution (previously written by founders of ''
Tygodnik Powszechny ''Tygodnik Powszechny'' (, ''The Common Weekly'') is a Polish Roman Catholic weekly magazine, published in Kraków, which focuses on social, cultural and political issues. It was established in 1945 under the auspices of Cardinal Adam Stefan Sap ...
'' weekly), which was accepted by the National Assembly. In November 2002, he left the Freedom Union, . In 2005, he became one of the founders of the Democratic Party – demokraci.pl – created through expanding the former Freedom Union by new members, especially young people, and few left-wing politicians. He was a leader on the parliamentary list in parliamentary elections in Warsaw constituency in 2005 with 30143 votes. The highest number of votes he gained in
Żoliborz Żoliborz () is one of the northern dzielnica, districts of the city of Warsaw. It is located directly to the north of the Warszawa-Śródmieście, City Centre, on the left bank of the Vistula river. It has approximately 50,000 inhabitants and is ...
district, and the lowest in
Rembertów Rembertów () is a dzielnica, district of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland. Between 1939 and 1957 Rembertów was a separate town, after which it was incorporated as part of the borough of Praga-Południe. Between 1994 and 2002 it formed ...
. Until 2006 he was the leader of its Political Council. Mazowiecki received numerous awards including an honorary degree from the universities in: Leuven, Genoa, Giessen, Poitiers, Exeter, Warsaw and the
Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...
University of Economics. He also received the Order of White Eagle (1995), Golden Order of Bosnia (1996), Légion d'honneur (1997), Srebrnica Award (2005), the Giant award (1995) awarded by ' (''Election Gazette'') in Poznań and Jan Nowak-Jezioranski Award (2004). In 2003, he was elected to the board of directors of the
International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an intergovernmental organization and International court, international tribunal seated in The Hague, Netherlands. It is the first and only permanent international court with jurisdiction to prosecute ...
's Trust Fund for Victims.Amnesty International (corporate author), p. 1 Mazowiecki was a member of the Club of Madrid.Club de Madrid (corporate author), p. 1 He was a supporter of a more united Europe.Dzieduszycka, p. 1 Mazowiecki died in Warsaw on 28 October 2013,Kospa et al., p. 1 having been taken to hospital the previous week with a fever.Ścisłowska, p. 1 Foreign Minister
Radosław Sikorski Radosław Tomasz Sikorski (; born 23 February 1963), also known as Radek Sikorski, is a Polish politician, journalist and statesman who has served as Minister of Foreign Affairs of Poland since 2023, previously holding the office between 2007 and ...
stated that he was "one of the fathers of Polish liberty and independence". He was survived by three sons from his second marriage.


See also

* History of Poland (1945–1989) *
History of Poland (1989–present) From 1989 through 1991, Poland engaged in a Democratization, democratic transition which put an end to the Polish People's Republic and led to the foundation of a democratic government, known as the Third Polish Republic (Polish language, Polish: ...


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


External links


Periodic Reports on the situation in Bosnia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mazowiecki, Tadeusz 1927 births 2013 deaths Politicians from Płock People from Warsaw Voivodeship (1919–1939) Polish Roman Catholics PAX Association members Znak (association) members Democratic Union (Poland) politicians Freedom Union (Poland) politicians Democratic Party – demokraci.pl politicians Prime ministers of the Polish People's Republic Prime ministers of Poland Members of the Polish Sejm 1961–1965 Members of the Polish Sejm 1965–1969 Members of the Polish Sejm 1969–1972 Members of the Polish Sejm 1991–1993 Members of the Polish Sejm 1993–1997 Members of the Polish Sejm 1997–2001 Candidates in the 1990 Polish presidential election Polish Round Table Talks participants University of Warsaw alumni Recipients of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis Recipients of the Order of the Lithuanian Grand Duke Gediminas Knights of St. Gregory the Great Recipients of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary Grand Crosses with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) Polish recipients of the Legion of Honour Polish nobility