Władysław Bartoszewski to Posthumously Receive Polish-German Honour

Mateusz Szczepaniak, 16 November 2016
This year's Polish-German Award, established by the Foreign Ministers of Poland and Germany, has been posthumously awarded to Władysław Bartoszewski. The honour has been bestowed on Bartoszewski in recognition of his many years' activity towards the betterment of Polish-German relations.

In a joint statement dated 17th September 2015, the Foreign Ministers of Poland and Germany, Grzegorz Schetyna and Frank-Walter Steinmeier, stated that "making the award to Bartoszewski, one of the main architects of Polish-German unity, recognises his immense service in the development of friendly, bilateral relations".

The German Co-Chair of the Committee, Dietmar Woidke, advised that the decision to present the Award to Władysław Bartoszewski was reached unanimously.

The Award will be presented to Bartoszewski's family by the Polish and German Foreign Ministers at a ceremony to be held in 2016. This will coincide with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Polish-German co-operation agreement.

Władysław Bartoszewski passed away in April this year at the age of 93. He was a soldier in the Home Army (AK), a participant in the Warsaw Uprising, a prisoner in Auschwitz and a Righteous Among the Nations. In free Poland, he served as Foreign Affairs Minister, was a columnist, historian, writer and social activist. In his latter years, he served as foreign affairs advisor to the Polish Prime Minister.