

Bronislaw Geremek

Bronislaw Geremek, a Polish historian and politician, died on July 13th, aged 76

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I believe that nothing (and no-one) is ever black or white. Although Mr. Geremek's intellectual support of the Solidarity movement and a modern-time united Europe is genuine and deseving the highest respect - one should bear in mind that while he was enjoying his study at one of the world's most prestigeous universities, sponsored by the communist regime benefactor, thousands of people (like my grandfather, a dentist in pre-war Poland) were exposed to persecusion, imprisonment, torture and death for opposing the Stalinist terror, their children banned from any higher education whatsoever, the so-called "wolf's ticket". How come such a bright young man could have remained unaware of and oblivous to those crimes...? Wasn't that the right time to say: "Je refuse"...?


Dear Sir,The obituary proves only that your correspondent is either a very naive or very ignorant person. When Mr Geremek joint the Communist Party he did it not for altruisitic reasons but to improve his social position. In 1950 membership of the Communist Party meant a raft of privileges an ordinary citizen could only dream of. You had a good accommodation in the country where people were waiting years for their own apartments. You had access to the special, well supplied food shops while others had to queue for food for hours. You had access to the best medical care and education. But first of all you were fast tracked in your career, while the others, maybe more able but with incorrect political views were sidestepped and often persecuted.Mr Geremek took full advantage of these privileges and not once expressed any criticism of the Communist regime. Not even when communist security forces decimated workers in Berlin in 1955, when Russian tanks crushed Hungarian uprising in 1956 or when Mr Cyrankiewicz, the Polish communist deputy prime minister at the time threatened to cut off hands of those who dared to oppose communism.On the contrary, he was a loyal member. Indeed his loyalty was so appreciated that he was selected to study abroad. There was no doubt that he would return, no risk that he would side with "enemy of the people".His loyalty only worn thin in 12968, when a faction of the Communist Party he belonged to came up second best from yet another internal struggle.As it transpires it was another excellent career move. The Communism was losing the cold war and it was good to become "dissident" even more so because the risks were much lower than 18 years ago. The Communist Party treated "dissidents" like him gently, like an errand child who may one day return to its bosom.His role in so called "round table" negotiations was indeed a top performance. In you correspondent's opinion accusing Mr Geremek of perpetrating a "clever fix" to ensure the communist elite retained its privileges may be preposterous, but in reality it is what really happened. The communist elite landed softly in the bags of money and were given free hand to asset-strip government enterprises and not one of them ever was called to account for mismanagement and crimes they inflicted on Polish people in the previous 40 years. The fix was not only clever but very effective.As far as Mr Geremek "heroic" refusal to sign declaration that he never co-operated with the secret police there is much simpler explanation then the one implied by your correspondent. He most likely was an informer. Anyone receiving passport in 1950s had to write a report for the secret police after returning from an overseas trip, this was the condition of receiving the passport in the first place. In Communist Poland it was common knowledge. It is really surprising your correspondent is not aware of it.


@ Elisabeth_Gdanskas the article rightly points out, he more than made up for it. not only with his books on history, which contributed immensely to polish humanistics, but most of all his service for his country. He found his way out of the system and contributed to its downfall, what a better way to make up for previous mistakes?


'Mr Geremek responded, echoing Dreyfus, “Je refuse”. The answer of an historian, a European, and a man of moral courage.'

… but first of all an answer of a person that has something to hide. In 1960 Bronislaw Geremek was nominated as a chief of Centre of Polish Culture in Paris what was a dream job at that time. He was 28 years old then and he was surely trusted by communist regime because otherwise he would never get it. As a chief of Polish institution abroad he had to be informant, he had to send to Poland details of every move of every Polish citizen that ever visited that Centre. It is so strange that every kid in Poland knows that but your correspondent does not.

Karl B

I am disgusted at all the criticism that most people are throwing at gieremek in these comments. The fact is, he was one of the few inteligent and honest politicians in Poland. Sure he used to be in the communist party in the past, but he does not deny this. A large gap will be left from his death. He was a virtuous person who did all he could to make Poland a better place. He joined the communist party as a young man who felt that socialism was truly attainable. He fought communism when he realized it was all a hoax. I am extremely saddened by his death and most of Poland will mourn his death forever. He is like a martyr for Poland and I hope more people like him will go into politics in Eastern Europe.


Dear jutrzenka, you’ve forgotten what your pen-name does mean. jutrzenka, is the Polish word for sunrise, daybreak – so, please, smile, we are not a nation of sourpusses. And be a little bit more Christian; we used to say in Polish: O zmarłych albo dobrze albo wcale, or, if you prefer to have that in Latin, De mortuis aut bene aut nihil. You know the biography of Saint Paul of Tarsus, the Apostle, one of the founders of the catholic church.
And, dear jutrzenka,, “The Economist” did not use adjective “heroic” telling about Geremek’s “refusal to sign declaration that he never co-operated with the secret police”. It was not a question of heroism but of common sense and of taste. How Polish government could demand 700 000 (seven hundred thousand) citizens to swear (deliver signed declaration) that they were not informing on their compatriots to the communist militia?. Dear jutrzenka, it is so idiotic! Pure Franz Kafka. Bronisław Geremek was a decent, charming, brilliant person. And also, to say it in an American way – an outstanding Polish patriot.


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