Władysław Bartoszewski celebrates his 92nd birthday

K. Bielawski, 16 November 2016
Today, the 19th of February, 2014, marks the birthday of Władysław Bartoszewski. This renowned historian, politician and social activist is ninety-two years old.

His life could make an extraordinary and capturing TV series. As a teenager, he was imprisoned in the concentration camp in Auschwitz. Having been released in 1941, Bartoszewsi became involved with the Catholic Polish Rebirth Front (FOP) and the Home Army. He worked for the Information Department of the Office of Information and Propaganda at the Home Army headquarters, Department of the Interior of the Delegation of the Polish Government in Exile in Poland (Prison and Jewish Affairs Section). In order to help Polish Jews who were facing Nazi extermination, Bartoszewski and other political and social activists founded the Council for Aid to Jews ("Zegota") in December 1942. The Council was financed by the Polish Government in Exile and Joint Distribution Committee. “Żegota” was the only clandestine state-run unit for rescuing Jews in all of Nazi-occupied Europe.

Bartoszewski took part in the Warsaw Uprising 1944.

At the time of the Polish People’s Republic, Bartoszewski was imprisoned and persecuted. He significantly contributed to the creation of democratic Poland. Bartoszewski also played an important role in the process of the Polish-German reconciliation. Polish-Jewish relations were always important to him. As a politician and diplomat, Bartoszewski held many high positions, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the cabinet of the Prime Minister Józef Oleksy. Bartoszewski is still involved in politics and is the Secretary of State in the Chancellery of the Polish Prime Minister.

He is one of the first Poles who was awarded the Righteous Among the Nations medal. Since 1991, he has been an honorary citizen of Israel.

In 1986, he was granted the Commander's Cross with a star of the Order of Polonia Restituta by the President of the Polish government in exile for his work in the field of Polish-Jewish affairs, among other things. In 2001, he was awarded the Great Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for his contribution towards the reconciliation of Germans, Poles and Jews.

He is the author of approx. forty books and over 1,200 articles, primarily about the German occupation, such as “Ten jest z ojczyzny mojej: Polacy z pomoc Żydom 1939-1945” (English title: “The Samaritans: Heroes of the Holocaust”), which talks about Poles who risked their lives to help Jews.

We also would like to contribute to birthday wishes. Happy birthday!