100 Notable alumni of
University of Warsaw
Updated:
The University of Warsaw is 21st in the world, 5th in Europe, and 1st in Poland by aggregated alumni prominence. Below is the list of 100 notable alumni from the University of Warsaw sorted by their wiki pages popularity. The directory includes famous graduates and former students along with research and academic staff.
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Frédéric Chopin
- Occupations
- pianistmusicianmusic teachercomposervirtuoso
- Biography
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Frédéric François Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leading musician of his era, one whose "poetic genius was based on a professional technique that was without equal in his generation".
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David Ben-Gurion
- Occupations
- trade unionistpoliticianzionist
- Biography
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David Ben-Gurion was the primary national founder of the State of Israel as well as the state's first prime minister. Born in Płońsk, then part of Congress Poland, to Polish Jewish parents, he immigrated to the Palestine region of the Ottoman Empire in 1906. Adopting the name of Ben-Gurion in 1909, he rose to become the preeminent leader of the Jewish community in British-ruled Mandatory Palestine from 1935 until the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, which he led until 1963 with a short break in 1954–55.
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Jarosław Kaczyński
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1967-1971 graduated with magister degree in jurisprudence
- Occupations
- juristtrade unionistpoliticianactor
- Biography
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Jarosław Aleksander Kaczyński is a Polish politician. He has been the leader of the Law and Justice party (PiS) since 2003. He served as Prime Minister of Poland from 2006 to 2007, and has twice held the post of Deputy Prime Minister of Poland, first from 2020 to 2022, and a second time from June to November 2023.
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Irena Sendler
- Occupations
- resistance fighterclinical nurse specialist
- Biography
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Irena Stanisława Sendler, also referred to as Irena Sendlerowa in Poland, nom de guerre Jolanta (15 February 1910 – 12 May 2008), was a Polish humanitarian, social worker, and nurse who served in the Polish Underground Resistance during World War II in German-occupied Warsaw. From October 1943 she was head of the children's section of Żegota, the Polish Council to Aid Jews (Polish: Rada Pomocy Żydom).
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Janusz Korczak
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1898-1905 studied medicine
- Occupations
- teacherchildren's writerpedagoguepediatricianwriter
- Biography
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Janusz Korczak, the pen name of Henryk Goldszmit, was a Polish Jewish pediatrician, educator, children's author and pedagogue known as Pan Doktor ("Mr. Doctor") or Stary Doktor ("Old Doctor"). He was an early children's rights advocate, in 1919 drafting a children's constitution.
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Henryk Sienkiewicz
- Occupations
- journalistnovelistwriterscreenwriter
- Biography
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Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz, also known by the pseudonym Litwos ( Polish pronunciation: [ˈlitfɔs]), was an epic Polish writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as the Trilogy series and especially for his internationally known best-seller Quo Vadis (1896).
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Zygmunt Bauman
- Occupations
- writeruniversity teacheropinion journalistsociologistphilosopher
- Biography
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Zygmunt Bauman was a Polish-born sociologist and philosopher. He was driven out of the Polish People's Republic during the 1968 Polish political crisis and forced to give up his Polish citizenship. He emigrated to Israel; three years later he moved to the United Kingdom. He resided in England from 1971, where he studied at the London School of Economics and became Professor of Sociology at the University of Leeds, later emeritus. Bauman was a social theorist, writing on issues as diverse as modernity and the Holocaust, postmodern consumerism and liquid modernity.
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Lech Kaczyński
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1967-1971 graduated with magister degree in jurisprudence
- Occupations
- university teacherjuristfilm actorlecturertrade unionist
- Biography
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Lech Aleksander Kaczyński was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he previously served as President of the Supreme Audit Office from 1992 to 1995 and later Minister of Justice and Public Prosecutor General in Jerzy Buzek's cabinet from 2000 until his dismissal in July 2001.
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Menachem Begin
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Menachem Begin was an Israeli politician, founder of Likud and the sixth Prime Minister of Israel.
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Olga Tokarczuk
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1980-1985 studied clinical psychology
- Occupations
- writerdonorlibrettistscreenwriterpsychologist
- Biography
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Olga Nawoja Tokarczuk is a Polish writer, activist, and public intellectual. She is one of the most critically acclaimed and successful authors of her generation in Poland. In 2019, she was awarded the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature as the first Polish female prose writer for "a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life". For her novel Flights, Tokarczuk was awarded the 2018 Man Booker International Prize. Her works include Primeval and Other Times, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, and The Books of Jacob.
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Janusz Korwin-Mikke
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1969 graduated with magister degree in philosophy
- Occupations
- opinion journalistlecturerpoliticianeconomistEsperantist
- Biography
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Janusz Ryszard Korwin-Mikke, also known by his initials JKM or simply as Korwin, is a Polish far-right politician, paleolibertarian and author. He was a member of the European Parliament from 2014 until 2018. He was the leader of the Congress of the New Right (KNP), which was formed in 2011 from Liberty and Lawfulness, which he led from its formation in 2009, and the Real Politics Union, which he led from 1990 to 1997 and from 1999 to 2003. He was the chairman of the party KORWiN until his resignation on 15 October 2022, and from 2019 to 2023 a member of the Sejm, elected from the electoral list of Confederation Liberty and Independence.
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Rafał Trzaskowski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1996 graduated with magister degree in English studies
- Occupations
- politiciantranslatorpolitical scientist
- Biography
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Rafał Kazimierz Trzaskowski is a Polish politician and the current city mayor of Warsaw. He is also a political scientist specializing in European studies.
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Taco Hemingway
- Occupations
- rapper
- Biography
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Filip Tadeusz Szcześniak, better known by the stage name Taco Hemingway (earlier FV), is a Polish rapper, songwriter, and musician.
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Agnieszka Osiecka
- Occupations
- writersongwriterpoetlyricistjournalist
- Biography
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Agnieszka Osiecka was a Polish poet, writer, author of theatre and television screenplays, film director and journalist. She was a prominent Polish songwriter, having authored the lyrics to more than 2000 songs, and is considered an icon of Polish culture.
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Bronisław Komorowski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1971-1977 graduated with magister degree in study of history
- Occupations
- historianpoliticiandissident
- Biography
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Bronisław Maria Komorowski is a Polish politician and historian who served as President of Poland from 2010 to 2015.
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Antoni Macierewicz
- Occupations
- university teacherhistorianjournalisttrade unionistpolitician
- Biography
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Antoni Macierewicz is a Polish politician and the former Minister of National Defence. He previously served as the Minister of Internal Affairs, Head of the Military Counterintelligence Service, and Minister of State in the Ministry of National Defence.
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Quebonafide
- Occupations
- singerrapperrecording artist
- Biography
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Kuba Grabowski, better known by his stage names Quebonafide and Jakub Grabowski, is a Polish rapper, singer and songwriter. He is a member of the duos Yochimu and Taconafide, and the founder of the record label QueQuality. With over 350 thousand albums sold, he is one of Poland's best-selling rappers. His biggest success thus far – the Soma 0.5 mg album, recorded with the rapper Taco Hemingway – has sold more than 150 thousand copies. Also his solo album Egzotyka proved successful, selling over 150 thousand copies. His albums have repeatedly won the status of platinum, gold and diamond records. The rapper has authored such hits as 'Candy', 'Bubbletea' or 'Tamagotchi'. Five-time nominee for the Fryderyk award, with one victory for Soma 0,5 mg in the Hip-Hop Album of the Year category. In 2018, his album Egzotyka was nominated for Empik Bestseller award in the Polish Music category.
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Yitzhak Shamir
- Occupations
- politiciandiplomat
- Biography
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Yitzhak Shamir was an Israeli politician and the seventh prime minister of Israel, serving two terms (1983–1984, 1986–1992). Before the establishment of the State of Israel, Shamir was a leader of the Zionist militant group Lehi, also known as the Stern Gang.
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Roman Dmowski
- Occupations
- diplomatpoliticianwriter
- Biography
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Roman Stanisław Dmowski was a Polish politician, statesman, and co-founder and chief ideologue of the National Democracy (abbreviated "ND": in Polish, "Endecja") political movement. He saw the Germanization of Polish territories controlled by the German Empire as the major threat to Polish culture and therefore advocated a degree of accommodation with another power that had partitioned Poland, the Russian Empire. He favoured the re-establishment of Polish independence by nonviolent means and supported policies favourable to the Polish middle class. While in Paris during World War I, he was a prominent spokesman for Polish aspirations to the Allies through his Polish National Committee. He was an instrumental figure in the postwar restoration of Poland's independent existence. Throughout most of his life, he was the chief ideological opponent of the Polish military and political leader Józef Piłsudski and of the latter's vision of Poland as a multinational federation against German and Russian imperialism.
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Cleo
- Occupations
- pop singerrecording artistsongwriterfashion designer
- Biography
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Joanna Krystyna Klepko, known by her stage name Cleo, is a Polish singer. She represented Poland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2014 in Copenhagen, Denmark along with Donatan with the song "My Słowianie".
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Wojciech Cejrowski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- Studied sociology and archaeology
- Occupations
- sociologistwriterexplorerjournalistphotographer
- Biography
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Wojciech Daniel Cejrowski is a Polish radio journalist, satirist, photographer, traveller, author of books and press publications, artistic director of the Discover World library, member of The Explorers Club.
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Anna Mucha
- Occupations
- actor
- Biography
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Anna Maria Mucha is a Polish actress. She is best known to Western audiences as Danka Dresner in Steven Spielberg's 1993 film Schindler's List. In Poland, she is known for her regular role in the soap opera L for Love (2003–present).
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Krzysztof Ibisz
- Occupations
- actorjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Krzysztof Ibisz is a Polish game show host and television personality. He was a member of Polish Beer-Lovers' Party and a Deputy in the Polish Sejm from 1991–93.
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Kornel Morawiecki
- Occupations
- physicistdissidentuniversity teacherpoliticiantrade unionist
- Biography
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Kornel Andrzej Morawiecki was a Polish politician, the founder and leader of Fighting Solidarity (Polish: Solidarność Walcząca), one of the splinters of the Solidarity movement in Poland during the 1980s. His academic background was that of a theoretical physicist. He was also a member of the 8th legislature of the Sejm, of which was also the Senior Marshal on 12 November 2015. His son Mateusz Morawiecki was the Prime Minister of Poland from 2017 to 2023, as well as a former chairman of Bank Zachodni WBK.
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Ryszard Kapuściński
- Occupations
- writer
- Biography
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Ryszard Kapuściński was a Polish journalist, photographer, poet and author. He received many awards and was considered a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Kapuściński's personal journals in book form attracted both controversy and admiration for blurring the conventions of reportage with the allegory and magical realism of literature. He was the Communist-era Polish Press Agency's only correspondent in Africa during decolonization, and also worked in South America and Asia. Between 1956 and 1981 he reported on 27 revolutions and coups, until he was fired because of his support for the pro-democracy Solidarity movement in his native country. He was celebrated by other practitioners of the genre. The acclaimed Italian reportage-writer Tiziano Terzani, Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez, and Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda accorded him the title "Maestro".
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Witold Marian Gombrowicz
- Occupations
- diaristjuristnovelistplaywrightwriter
- Biography
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Witold Marian Gombrowicz was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937, he published his first novel, Ferdydurke, which presented many of his usual themes: problems of immaturity and youth, creation of identity in interactions with others, and an ironic, critical examination of class roles in Polish society and culture.
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Julian Tuwim
- Occupations
- writerchildren's writerpoettheatrical directorEsperantist
- Biography
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Julian Tuwim, known also under the pseudonym "Oldlen" as a lyricist, was a Polish poet, born in Łódź, then part of the Russian Partition. He was educated in Łódź and in Warsaw where he studied law and philosophy at Warsaw University. After Poland's return to independence in 1918, Tuwim co-founded the Skamander group of experimental poets with Antoni Słonimski and Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz. He was a major figure in Polish literature, admired also for his contribution to children's literature. He was a recipient of the prestigious Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature in 1935.
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Bolesław Prus
- Occupations
- writerprose writerliterary criticphilosopherjournalist
- Biography
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Aleksander Głowacki, better known by his pen name Bolesław Prus ( Polish: [bɔˈlεswaf ˈprus] ), was a Polish novelist, a leading figure in the history of Polish literature and philosophy, as well as a distinctive voice in world literature.
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Krystyna Pawłowicz
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1976 studied jurisprudence
- Occupations
- lawyerjuristpoliticianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Krystyna Pawłowicz is a Polish jurist and political figure. In the years 2007–2011, Pawłowicz was a Justice of the State Tribunal. She was a member of the Sejm (7th and 8th term) and was part of the National Council of the Judiciary. Pawłowicz is a judge of the Constitutional Tribunal since 5 December 2019. She has taught at the University of Warsaw and the School of Public Administration in Ostrołęka.
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Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska
- Occupations
- film producerpolitician
- Biography
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Małgorzata Maria Kidawa-Błońska, née Grabska is a Polish politician, film producer, and sociologist currently serving as Marshal of the Senate. She was Marshal of the Sejm from 25 June 2015 to 11 November 2015 at the end of the Seventh term's composition of the lower house, after which being voted a Deputy Marshal of the Eighth and Ninth term, each time nominated by the opposition party Civic Platform, under the marshalcy of Marek Kuchciński and Elżbieta Witek, respectively.
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Magdalena Ogórek
- Occupations
- historianuniversity teacherhistorian of Modern Agepresenterjournalist
- Biography
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Magdalena Agnieszka Ogórek is a Polish TV presenter and politician. In 2015 she was a presidential candidate of Democratic Left Alliance.
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Adam Michnik
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1964-1968 studied study of history
- Occupations
- writerdissidenthistorianjournalisttrade unionist
- Biography
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Adam Michnik is a Polish historian, essayist, former dissident, public intellectual, as well as co-founder and editor-in-chief of the Polish newspaper, Gazeta Wyborcza.
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Irena Szewińska
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- Studied in 1970
- Occupations
- athletics competitorsprintersports official
- Biography
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Irena Szewińska was a Polish sprinter who was one of the world's foremost track athletes for nearly two decades, in multiple events. She is the only athlete in history, male or female, to have held the world record in the 100 m, the 200 m and the 400 m.
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Jan Karski
- Occupations
- writerjuristteacher
- Biography
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Jan Karski was a Polish soldier, resistance-fighter, and diplomat during World War II. He is known for having acted as a courier in 1940–1943 to the Polish government-in-exile and to Poland's Western Allies about the situation in German-occupied Poland. He reported about the state of Poland, its many competing resistance factions, and also about Germany's destruction of the Warsaw Ghetto and its operation of extermination camps on Polish soil that were murdering Jews, Poles, and others.
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Jan Żabiński
- Occupations
- ethologistzoologistphysiologist
- Biography
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Jan Żabiński and his wife Antonina Żabińska (née Erdman) (1908–1971) were a Polish couple from Warsaw, recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations for their heroic rescue of Jews during the Holocaust in Poland. Jan Żabiński was a zoologist and zootechnician by profession, a scientist, and organizer and director of the renowned Warsaw Zoo before and during World War II. He became director of the Zoo before the outbreak of war but during the occupation of Poland also held a prestigious function of the Superintendent of the city's public parks in 1939–1945. A street in Warsaw is named after him.
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Jan Olszewski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1949-1953 graduated with magister degree in law
- Occupations
- writerlawyerjuristtrade unionistpolitician
- Biography
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Jan Ferdynand Olszewski was a Polish conservative lawyer and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Poland for five months between December 1991 and early June 1992 and later became a leading figure of the conservative Movement for the Reconstruction of Poland.
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Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński
- Occupations
- soldierdrawerrebelwriterprose writer
- Biography
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Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński, was a Polish poet and Home Army soldier, one of the most well known of the Generation of Columbuses, the young generation of Polish poets, of whom several perished in the Warsaw Uprising and during the German occupation of Poland.
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Mariusz Błaszczak
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1995 graduated with magister degree in study of history
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Mariusz Błaszczak [ˈmarjuʂ ˈbwaʂt͡ʂak] is a Polish politician, historian, and local government representative. Błaszczak has served as Minister of National Defence of Poland from 2018 to 2023.
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Tadeusz Mazowiecki
- Occupations
- journalistwritertrade unionistpolitician
- Biography
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Tadeusz Mazowiecki was a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist Polish prime minister since 1946, having held the post from 1989 to 1991.
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Władysław Bartoszewski
- Occupations
- writerprofessordiplomathistorianuniversity teacher
- Biography
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Władysław Bartoszewski was a Polish politician, social activist, journalist, writer and historian. A former Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner, he was a World War II resistance fighter as part of the Polish underground and participated in the Warsaw Uprising. After the war he was persecuted and imprisoned by the communist Polish People's Republic due to his membership in the Home Army (Armia Krajowa, AK) and opposition activity.
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Alicja Majewska
- Occupations
- singer
- Biography
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Alicja Majewska is a Polish singer. From 1971 to 1974, she was a member of the band Partita as vocalist. In 1975, she received the main award at the National Festival of Polish Song in Opole. She was awarded a Grand Prix at the 1980 festival in Rostock, and was honored in Havana (1985). She received the "Gloria Artis" medal.
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Jacek Kaczmarski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1980 studied Polish studies
- Occupations
- guitaristpoetprose writercomposersinger-songwriter
- Biography
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Jacek Marcin Kaczmarski ['jat͡sɛk kat͡ʂˈmarskʲi] was a Polish singer, songwriter, poet and author.
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Jan Brzechwa
- Occupations
- children's writertranslatorwriterpoet lawyerlawyer
- Biography
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Jan Brzechwa, (15 August 1898 – 2 July 1966) was a Polish poet, author and lawyer, known mostly for his contribution to children's literature. He was born Jan Wiktor Lesman to a Polish family of Jewish descent.
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Wojciech Młynarski
- Occupations
- songwriterscreenwriterpoetfilm actortranslator
- Biography
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Wojciech Młynarski was a Polish poet, singer, songwriter, translator and director. A well-known figure on the Polish musical scene, he was most famous for his ballads and what is known as sung poetry, as well as for his collaboration with numerous vocalists and cabarets. He wrote lyrics to more than 2,000 songs, a small fraction of which he sang himself. His songs received a total of 25 "Karolinkas", which are the main awards of the Polish Song Festival in Opole, the most important Polish song festival, occurring annually since 1963. He also composed music to some of his songs. He is considered an icon of Polish culture.
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Kaja Godek
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- Studied English studies
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Kaja Godek is a Polish conservative activist and leader of the foundation Życie i Rodzina. She proposed a law against abortion (Stop aborcji) in 2013 and a law against LGBT marches (Stop LGBT) in 2021. The anti-abortion proposal did not pass the first parliamentary reading while the anti-LGBT proposal did and is to be worked on by parliamentary committees. Presenting her anti-LGBT project in the lower house of Poland's parliament (the Sejm), Godek claimed that LGBT activists pay children to attend their parades.
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Tomasz Lis
- Occupations
- television presenterjournalist
- Biography
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Tomasz Rafał Lis [ˈtɔmaʂ ˈlis] is a Polish journalist and former TV anchor of “TVN Fakty” ("TVN Facts") and “Wydarzenia” ("Events").
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Barbara Nowacka
- Occupations
- computer scientistpoliticianprogrammer
- Biography
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Barbara Anna Nowacka is a Polish politician who has served as the Minister of National Education since December 2023. In October 2015 she became leader of the United Left coalition for the 2015 Polish parliamentary election, bringing together Labour Union, Your Movement, the Democratic Left Alliance, the Greens, and the Polish Socialist Party. Nowacka is the daughter of the late Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Social Policy Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka. Since 2016 she has been the leader of the Polish Initiative.
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Juliusz Machulski
- Occupations
- film directorscreenwriteractorfilm producer
- Biography
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Juliusz Machulski is a Polish film director and screenplay writer. Son of noted actor Jan Machulski, Juliusz became notable for his comedies ridiculing the life in communist-ruled Poland of the 1970s and 1980s.
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Zbigniew Herbert
- Occupations
- writeressayistpoetauthorplaywright
- Biography
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Zbigniew Herbert was a Polish poet, essayist, drama writer and moralist. He is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers. While he was first published in the 1950s (a volume titled Chord of Light was issued in 1956), soon after he voluntarily ceased submitting most of his works to official Polish government publications. He resumed publication in the 1980s, initially in the underground press. Since the 1960s, he was nominated several times for the Nobel Prize in Literature. His books have been translated into 38 languages.
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Leszek Kołakowski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- Graduated with doctorate
- Occupations
- historian of ideasuniversity teacherwriterpedagoguehistorian
- Biography
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Leszek Kołakowski was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, such as in his three-volume history of Marxist philosophy Main Currents of Marxism (1976). In his later work, Kołakowski increasingly focused on religious questions. In his 1986 Jefferson Lecture, he asserted that "we learn history not in order to know how to behave or how to succeed, but to know who we are".
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Kamila Skolimowska
- Occupations
- athletics competitorhammer thrower
- Biography
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Kamila Skolimowska was a Polish hammer thrower. She is best known for her gold medal in the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics, which made her the youngest Olympic hammer champion, as well as for her two medals from the European Championships. Her personal best throw, and former Polish record, was 76.83 metres, achieved in May 2007 in Doha. She died on 18 February 2009 in Vila Real de Santo António, Portugal at the Polish national team training camp.
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Adrian Zandberg
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 2002 graduated with magister degree in study of history
- Occupations
- computer scientisthistorianuniversity teacherpoliticianprogrammer
- Biography
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Adrian Tadeusz Zandberg [ˈadrian ˈzandbɛrk] is a Polish historian, computer programmer, doctor of humanities, and left-wing politician serving as a member of the Sejm for Warsaw I. He is one of the co-leaders of Left Together.
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Krzysztof Zanussi
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1959 studied physics
- Occupations
- film directorwriterscreenwriterfilm producer
- Biography
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Krzysztof Pius Zanussi is a Polish film and theatre director, producer and screenwriter. He is a professor of European film at the European Graduate School in Saas-Fee, Switzerland where he conducts a summer workshop. He is also a professor at the Krzysztof Kieślowski Film School of the University of Silesia in Katowice.
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Jacek Kuroń
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1955-1964 graduated with magister degree in study of history
- Occupations
- historianwriterpoliticianopinion journalisttrade unionist
- Biography
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Jacek Jan Kuroń was one of the democratic leaders of opposition in the People's Republic of Poland. He was widely known as the "godfather of the Polish opposition," not unlike Václav Havel in Czechoslovakia. Kuroń was a prominent Polish social and political figure known for his efforts at reforming societies under the control of the Soviet Union. As an educator and historian, he first postulated the concept of a de-centered movement that would question the totalitarian system and its personality cult. Kuroń started out as an activist of the Polish Scouting Association trying to educate young people that would take charge of the future; he later co-founded with Antoni Macierewicz the Workers' Defence Committee or KOR, a major dissident organization that was superseded by Solidarity in August 1980. After the changes in independent Poland, he ran for president supported by the likes of Jan Karski and served twice as Minister of Labour and Social Policy. Kuroń was the father of chef Maciej Kuroń.
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Jacek Sasin
- Occupations
- international forum participantpolitician
- Biography
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Jacek Robert Sasin is a Polish politician and former local government official.
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Włodzimierz Czarzasty
- Occupations
- publisherpolitician
- Biography
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Włodzimierz Czarzasty is a Polish politician who serves as the co-chairperson of the New Left party (Nowa Lewica). He has been serving as a Deputy Marshal of the Sejm since 12 November 2019.
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Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1968-1972 graduated with magister degree in jurisprudence
- Occupations
- diplomatpoliticianuniversity teacherfarmerjurist
- Biography
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Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz is a Polish left-wing politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland for a year from 7 February 1996 to 31 October 1997, after being defeated in the Parliamentary elections by the Solidarity Electoral Action (AWS). He was born in Warsaw.
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Alfred Tarski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- Studied in 1918-1924
- Occupations
- philosophermathematician
- Biography
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Alfred Tarski was a Polish-American logician and mathematician. A prolific author best known for his work on model theory, metamathematics, and algebraic logic, he also contributed to abstract algebra, topology, geometry, measure theory, mathematical logic, set theory, and analytic philosophy.
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Anna Grodzka
- Occupations
- activistpolitician
- Biography
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Anna Grodzka is a Polish politician. A trans woman, she was elected to the Sejm in the 2011 Polish parliamentary elections as a candidate for the left-liberal Palikot's Movement, and was the first openly transgender Member of Parliament in Poland, and the third openly transgender member of a national parliament worldwide, after Georgina Beyer (in office 1999–2005) and Vladimir Luxuria (2006–2008). She was believed to be the only remaining transgender member of parliament until Nikki Sinclaire (in office 2009–2015) outed herself in November 2013.
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Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz
- Occupations
- bankerpoliticianeconomist
- Biography
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Hanna Beata Gronkiewicz-Waltz is a Polish politician and lawyer, Professor of Jurisprudence and politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw between 2006 and 2018. She is the first and so far only woman to have held this position.
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Joseph Rotblat
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1938 graduated with doctorate in physics
- Occupations
- physicist
- Biography
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Sir Joseph Rotblat was a Polish and British physicist. During World War II he worked on Tube Alloys and the Manhattan Project, but left the Los Alamos Laboratory on grounds of conscience after it became clear to him in 1944 that Germany had ceased development of an atomic bomb.
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Hanna Lis
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Hanna Lis, née Kedaj is a Polish TV journalist.
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Katarzyna Pakosińska
- Occupations
- film actoractor
- Biography
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Katarzyna Pakosińska is a Polish actress, comedian and former member of Polish cabaret group Kabaret Moralnego Niepokoju.
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Max Kolonko
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Max Kolonko is a Polish-American journalist. He won the Kisiel Prize for journalism in 2015.
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Piotr Gliński
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1973-1978 graduated with magister degree in economics
- Occupations
- politicianuniversity teachersociologistecologistpedagogue
- Biography
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Piotr Tadeusz Gliński is a Polish sociologist, professor, university lecturer and politician. He served as president of the Polish Sociological Association from 2005 to 2011. He was the nominee of Law and Justice for Prime Minister of Poland in 2012 and again in 2014. In the cabinet of Beata Szydło, he served as the First Deputy Prime Minister and the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. He continues to serve in his Ministry in the government of Mateusz Morawiecki.
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Stanisław Wojciechowski
- Occupations
- politicianmathematician
- Biography
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Stanisław Wojciechowski was a Polish politician and scholar who served as President of Poland between 1922 and 1926, during the Second Polish Republic.
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Grzegorz Miecugow
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Grzegorz Miecugow was a Polish media personality of Armenian-Georgian descent. He had an extensive career as a journalist, newscaster, editor, and columnist.
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Joanna Jabłczyńska
- Occupations
- voice actorlegal counseloractorsinger
- Biography
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Joanna Natalia Jabłczyńska is a Polish actress and singer. Joanna is singer, lawyer, legal advisor, ambassador of many charity actions (especially for children), initially a presenter of youth programs.
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Zygmunt Krasiński
- Occupations
- poetplaywrightwriterphilosopher
- Biography
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Napoleon Stanisław Adam Feliks Zygmunt Krasiński was a Polish poet traditionally ranked after Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz Słowacki as one of Poland's Three Bards – the Romantic poets who influenced national consciousness in the period of Partitions of Poland.
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Małgorzata Gersdorf
- Occupations
- juristlegal scholaruniversity teacherjudge
- Biography
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Małgorzata Maria Gersdorf is a Polish lawyer and judge who served as the First President of the Supreme Court of Poland. She was appointed in 2014 and her six-year term ended on 30 April, 2020.
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Bronisław Geremek
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 1954 graduated with magister degree in study of history
- Occupations
- historiantrade unionistmedievalistwriterpolitician
- Biography
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Bronisław Geremek was a Polish social historian and politician. He served as Member of Parliament (1991–2001), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1997–2000), leader of the Freedom Union (2000–2001), as well as Member of the European Parliament (2004–2008).
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Sławomir Petelicki
- Occupations
- military officer
- Biography
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Brigadier General Sławomir Petelicki was the first commander of the Polish special forces unit GROM from July 13, 1990, until December 19, 1995. Later, he was the head of the Foundation of Former GROM Soldiers.
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Piotr Ikonowicz
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- 1975-1980 graduated with magister degree in jurisprudence
- Occupations
- politicianvolunteeropinion journalisttranslatorjournalist
- Biography
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Piotr Igor Ikonowicz [ˈpiɔt iɡɔr ˈikɔnɔvit͡sz], born on May 14, 1956, in Pruszków near Warsaw) is a Polish politician.
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Janusz Palikot
- Occupations
- politicianbusinessperson
- Biography
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Janusz Marian Palikot is a Polish politician, activist and businessman. Palikot studied philosophy and became wealthy as a businessman who dealt with crates and distilled beverages. He was elected to Sejm on 25 September 2005 in the 6 Lublin district, running on the Civic Platform list, and was re-elected in 2007.
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Agata Passent
- Occupations
- germanistjournalist
- Biography
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Agata Maria Passent is a Polish journalist and writer.
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Halina Frąckowiak
- Occupations
- singercomposer
- Biography
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Halina Maria Frąckowiak is a Polish pop and rock singer, composer and author. She is a Legend in Poland. She rose to fame during Poland's 1970s funk scene. In 1974 she released her first album "Ide" on Warner Music / WMI. After wards she released albums such as "Geira" in 1977 which reflected the atmosphere and style of Poland.
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Hilary Koprowski
- Occupations
- physicianimmunologistvirologist
- Biography
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Hilary Koprowski was a Polish virologist and immunologist active in the United States who demonstrated the world's first effective live polio vaccine. He authored or co-authored over 875 scientific papers and co-edited several scientific journals.
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Monika Jaruzelska
- Occupations
- writerYouTuberfashion designerjournalistpolitician
- Biography
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Monika Anna Jaruzelska is a Polish journalist, stylist and fashion designer. She is the daughter of former Polish President Wojciech Jaruzelski and his wife Barbara Jaruzelska.
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Stefan Michnik
- Occupations
- judgelawyerlibrarian
- Biography
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Stefan Michnik was a military judge of the Soviet-dominated regime in post-World War II Poland, and a captain in the communist Polish People's Army. He was involved in the politically-motivated arrest, trial, imprisonment and/or execution of a number of Polish anti-communist fighters and activists. Many of those persecuted by Michnik also fought against Nazi Germany during World War II, as members of the Polish resistance.
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Daniel Passent
- Occupations
- diplomatwriteropinion journalisttranslatorjournalist
- Biography
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Daniel Passent was a Polish journalist and writer. He was the author of the En passant blog, which was appearing as a column in a Polish weekly Polityka.
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Adam Bodnar
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- In 2000 graduated with magister degree in law
- Occupations
- university teacherlawyerjuristhuman rights activistpolitician
- Biography
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Adam Piotr Bodnar is a Polish lawyer, educator, human rights activist and politician who currently serves as Minister of Justice. He was the 7th Polish Ombudsman from 2015 until July 2021.
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Edward Stachura
- Occupations
- poetsinger-songwritertranslatorwriter
- Biography
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Edward Stachura [ˈɛdvard sta'xura] was a Polish poet, writer and translator. He rose to prominence in the 1960s, receiving prizes for both poetry and prose. His literary output includes four volumes of poetry, three collections of short stories, two novels, a book of essays, and the final work, Fabula rasa, which is difficult to classify. In addition to writing, Stachura translated literature from Spanish and French, most notably works of Jorge Luis Borges, Gaston Miron and Michel Deguy. He also wrote songs, and occasionally performed them. He died by suicide at the age of forty-one.
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Dorota Wellman
- Occupations
- journalist
- Biography
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Dorota Wellman is a Polish journalist, television and radio personality and television producer. She graduated in Polish studies and Art history from University of Warsaw. Wellman debuted in 1980s in Solidarity Radio and later in Radio Eska. Since 2006 she is known for presenting TV programme Dzień Dobry TVN.
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Anna Wendzikowska
- Occupations
- actorfilm actorjournalist
- Biography
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Anna Danuta Wendzikowska is a Polish actress, journalist and television presenter. She was a correspondent of Dzień Dobry TVN from 2007–2022.
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Małgosia Bela
- Occupations
- actormodel
- Biography
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Małgosia Bela is a Polish fashion model and actress. She made her debut as a runway model for Comme des Garçons, Givenchy, and Balenciaga in 1998, and appeared in various photoshoots for Vogue. In 2004, she made her film debut in the Polish film Ono, and in 2018 appeared in Luca Guadagnino's remake Suspiria.
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Wanda Wasilewska
- Occupations
- editing staffplaywrightwriterpoliticianscreenwriter
- Biography
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Wanda Wasilewska, also known by her Russian name Vanda Lvovna Vasilevskaya (Russian: Ва́нда Льво́вна Василе́вская) (21 January 1905 – 29 July 1964), was a Polish and Soviet novelist and journalist and a left-wing political activist.
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Jeremi Przybora
- Occupations
- writerpresenterdirectordirector of radio dramalyricist
- Biography
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Jeremi Przybora was a Polish poet, writer, actor and singer. He created the TV-series "Kabaret Starszych Panów" (Elderly Gentlemen's Cabaret) with Jerzy Wasowski and performed ballads and sung poetry, a popular music genre in Poland.
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Gustaw Herling-Grudziński
- Occupations
- journalistpoetliterary criticwriter
- Biography
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Gustaw Herling-Grudziński was a Polish writer, journalist, essayist, World War II underground fighter, and political dissident abroad during the communist system in Poland. He is best known for writing a personal account of life in the Soviet Gulag entitled A World Apart, first published in 1951 in London.
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Andrzej Rzepliński
- Occupations
- judgelawyercriminologistuniversity teacherjurist
- Biography
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Andrzej Rzepliński is a Polish lawyer, Professor of Jurisprudence, human right expert, member of International Helsinki Federation for Human Rights, a judge of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal from 2007 and its president from 2010 to 2016.
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Artur Andrus
- Occupations
- journalistPolish scoutsinger-songwriterpoet
- Biography
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Artur Józef Andrus is a Polish journalist, poet, singer-songwriter and cabaret artist. He is best known for his radio shows at Polskie Radio Program III, and as a master of ceremonies during various TV shows.
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Andrzej Pilipiuk
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- Studied archaeology
- Occupations
- science fiction writerwriter
- Biography
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Andrzej Pilipiuk, Polish humoristic science-fiction and fantasy author. He debuted in 1996 with short story "Hiena", which featured the first appearance of Jakub Wędrowycz, an alcoholic exorcist. Since that time, Pilipiuk has written several dozen other short stories about that character.
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Rafał A. Ziemkiewicz
- Occupations
- journalistscience fiction writerwriteropinion journalist
- Biography
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Rafał Aleksander Ziemkiewicz is a Polish political and science fiction author and right-wing publicist. Winner of the Janusz A. Zajdel Award (1995, 1998 in novels category and 1996 for short stories).
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Ludwik Dorn
- Occupations
- trade unionistpoliticiansociologist
- Biography
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Ludwik Stanisław Dorn was a Polish conservative politician, who served as Deputy Prime Minister and member of Sejm elected on 5 November 2007.
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Aleksander Kamiński
- Occupations
- historian
- Biography
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Aleksander Kamiński, assumed name: Aleksander Kędzierski. Also known under aliases such as Dąbrowski, J. Dąbrowski, Fabrykant, Faktor, Juliusz Górecki, Hubert, Kamyk, Kaźmierczak, Bambaju – a teacher, educator, professor of humanities, co-founder of Cub Scouts methodology, scout instructor, scoutmaster, soldier of the Home Army and one of the ideological leaders of the Grey Ranks, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Polish Scouting Association.
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Tadeusz Borowski
- Enrolled in the University of Warsaw
- Studied Polish studies
- Occupations
- criticwriteropinion journalistpoetjournalist
- Biography
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Tadeusz Borowski was a Polish writer and journalist. His wartime poetry and stories dealing with his experiences as a prisoner at Auschwitz are recognized as classics of Polish literature.
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Joanna Mucha
- Occupations
- economistpolitician
- Biography
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Joanna Mucha is a Polish liberal politician, economist, member of the Polish Sejm, academic teacher, doctor of economics and from 17 November 2011 to November 2012 Minister of Sport and Tourism of Poland in the government of Donald Tusk. In 2001 she graduated from University of Warsaw.
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Jan T. Gross
- Occupations
- historian of Modern Agehistorianuniversity teachersociologist
- Biography
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Jan Tomasz Gross is a Polish-American sociologist and historian. He is the Norman B. Tomlinson '16 and '48 Professor of War and Society, emeritus, and Professor of History, emeritus, at Princeton University.
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Jerzy Giedroyc
- Occupations
- poet lawyerjournalistpolitical activist
- Biography
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Jerzy Władysław Giedroyc was a Polish writer, lawyer, publicist and political activist. For many years, he worked as editor of the highly influential Paris-based periodical, Kultura.
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Michał Kamiński
- Occupations
- politician
- Biography
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Michał Tomasz Kamiński is a Polish politician and a member of the Senate with the Union of European Democrats. He was chairman of the European Conservatives and Reformists in the European Parliament from July 2009 until March 2011.
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Jakub Berman
- Occupations
- politicianjournalist
- Biography
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Jakub Berman was a Polish communist politician. An activist during the Second Polish Republic, in post-war communist Poland he was a member of the Politburo of the Polish Workers' Party (PPR) and then of the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). From 1948, he was considered the second most powerful politician in Poland after President Bolesław Bierut, until he was removed from power in 1956, following Bierut's death.
