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Lech Wałęsa
Lech Wałęsa 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 election, Wałęsa became the first democratically elected president of Poland since 1922 and the first-ever Polish president elected by popular vote. An electrician by trade, Wałęsa became the leader of the opposition Solidarity movement and…
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politics · President of Poland from 1990 to 1995 · politician · electrician · trade unionist · dissident · political activist · activist · anti-communist · also Lech Wałęsa, Wałęsa
Born 29 September 1943 · Q444
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2026· 1 entry
2025· 1 entry
Snopes rated the claim “Former President of Poland Lech Wałęsa wrote a letter to Donald Trump criticizing the U.S. President's decision to suspend the delivery of all U.S. military aid to Ukraine.” True.
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2022· 1 entry
Demagog rated the claim “Lech Wałęsa ofiarą tragicznego wypadku samochodowego.” Fałsz..
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2018· 1 entry
INR Court Case against Wałęsa was dismissed, as the investigation concluded: "The reason for discontinuing the investigation was the finding that the above-mentioned act had not been committed," the release stated, which
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2017· 1 entry
A handwriting study ordered by the government-controlled Institute of National Remembrance (INR), stated that signatures on several documents from the 1970s belonged to Wałęsa
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2014· 1 entry
In a widely publicised interview, Wałęsa expressed his disappointment in another Nobel laureate, United States president Barack Obama: he told CNN, "When he was elected there was great hope in the world
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2013· 3 entries
Awarded Point Alpha Prize (2013).
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Said on Polish television: "I do not wish for this minority, which I tolerate and understand, to impose itself on the majority"
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Wałęsa suggested the creation of a political union between Poland and Germany
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2012· 1 entry
“Opis: wypowiedź o zablokowaniu wyjść z Sejmu przez związkowców w dniu 11 maja 2012.”
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2011· 4 entries
Awarded Ronald Reagan Freedom Award (2011).
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Awarded honorary citizen of Budapest (2011).
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Wałęsa rejected Lithuania's Order of Vytautas the Great due to his concerns over the treatment of the Polish minority and Polish culture by the Lithuanian government
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Declined to accept the Lithuanian highest order, citing his displeasure at Lithuania's policy towards the Polish diaspora
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2009· 3 entries
Won Ernst Reuter Medal (2009).
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Awarded Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2009).
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After the publication of another biography connecting him with the secret police (Lech Wałęsa: Idea and History by Paweł Zyzak), Wałęsa threatened to leave Poland if historians continue to question his past
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2008· 6 entries
"you will not find any signature of mine agreeing to collaborate anywhere"
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Wałęsa underwent a coronary artery stent placement and the implantation of a cardiac pacemaker at the Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas
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“you will not find any signature of mine agreeing to collaborate anywhere”
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Established the Lech Wałęsa Award
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A book written by historians Sławomir Cenckiewicz and Piotr Gontarczyk titled SB a Lech Wałęsa
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Said that while he was president, "I did borrow the file, but didn't remove anything from it
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2007· 1 entry
Awarded Jan Karski Freedom Award (2007).
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2006· 2 entries
Awarded Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class (2006).
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Wałęsa quit Solidarity in protest of the union's support of the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party, and Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński – twin brothers who had been prominent in Solidarity and were now serving as the co
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2005· 3 entries
Awarded Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 2nd class (2005).
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Awarded Kisiel Prize (2005).
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To receive the official status of a "victim of communist regime" from the Institute of National Remembrance (IPN), this court ruling did not convince many Poles
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2004· 3 entries
Awarded Osgar (2004).
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Represented ten newly acceded EU countries during the official accession ceremony in Strasbourg
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Gdańsk International Airport was officially renamed Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport and Wałęsa's signature was incorporated into the airport's logo
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2001· 2 entries
Awarded Pacem in Terris Award (2001).
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“Opis: przed wyborami w 2001.”
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2000· 2 entries
Won Golden Plate Award (2000).
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Wałęsa received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement
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1999· 2 entries
Won Democracy Service Medal (1999).
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Awarded Grand cross of the Order of the White Lion (1999).
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1997· 1 entry
Founded a new party, Christian Democracy of the Third Polish Republic, hoping it would help him to successfully run in future elections
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1995· 4 entries
Awarded Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (1995).
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Won Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay (1995).
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Wałęsa founded the Lech Wałęsa Institute, a think tank with a mission "to popularise the achievements of Polish Solidarity, educate young generations, promote democracy, and build civil society in Poland and around the w
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Established the Lech Wałęsa Institute
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1994· 1 entry
Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary (1994).
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1993· 3 entries
Awarded Knight of the Order of the Elephant (1993).
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Founded his own political party, the Nonpartisan Bloc for Support of Reforms (BBWR); the grouping's Polish-language acronym echoed that of Józef Piłsudski's "Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government", of 1
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The heraldic authority of the Kingdom of Sweden assigned Wałęsa a personal coat of arms on the occasion of his admittance into the Royal Order of the Seraphim
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1992· 4 entries
Awarded Order of the White Eagle (1992).
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1992).
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Naimski, as the head of the State Protection Office, started the process of screening people suspected of being Communist collaborators in Poland
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"in December 1970, I signed three or four documents" to escape from the secret police
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1991· 4 entries
Awarded Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (1991).
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Awarded Order of Pius IX (1991).
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Awarded Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (1991).
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And a period of redefinition of the country's foreign relations
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1990· 3 entries
Awarded Honorary doctor of the University of Gdańsk (1990).
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Career landmark: President of the Republic of Poland (1990–1995).
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“Opis: na zjeździe „Solidarności” w Gdańsku w kwietniu 1990.”
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1989· 6 entries
Won Presidential Medal of Freedom presented by George H. W. Bush (1989).
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Awarded Freedom Award (1989).
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Awarded Order of Francisco de Miranda (1989).
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Won Philadelphia Liberty Medal (1989).
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Wałęsa was the first foreign non-head of state to address the Joint Meeting of the U
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Ended Communist rule in Poland and ushered in the end of the Cold War
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1988· 1 entry
“Opis: debata z Alfredem Miodowiczem w 1988.”
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1987· 1 entry
“It is also the truth that I had not left that clash completely pure. They gave me a condition: sign! And then I signed.”
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1986· 1 entry
Awarded Integrity Award (1986).
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1983· 22 entries
Awarded the Nobel Prize in Peace — for non-violent struggle for free trade unions and human rights in Poland.
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Awarded Nobel Peace Prize (1983).
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Wałęsa applied to return to the Gdańsk Shipyard as an electrician
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When Wałęsa was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the secret police tried to embarrass him and leaked information about Wałęsa's previous collaboration with the government
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Wałęsa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize
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“A jak się nie wie, co się buduje, to nawet szałasu nie można rozbierać, bo deszcz na głowę będzie padał.”
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“Freedom must be gained step by step, slowly. Freedom is a food which must be carefully administered when people are too hungry for it.”
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“Banki dostają pieniądze podatników, a nie poczuwają się do współodpowiedzialności za kryzys. Wie pani ile bankierzy biorą pieniędzy? Ludu, mój ludu! To zbrodnia. Ludzie z głodu umierają, a oni nie mają umiaru. To musi się skończyć.”
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“Będę jeździł z siekierą po kraju i ciął złodziei.”
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“Opis: komentarz ws. doniesień Stan Tymińskiego o zawartości jego czarnej teczki.”
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“It is good that it came out that bad.”
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“Demokrację trzeba – tak jak wolność – umiejscawiać w czasie i przestrzeni.”
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“Positive pluses and negative pluses.”
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“Diagnozę ma niezłą, natomiast leczenie fatalne. Broń Boże nas przed Lepperem. Za niego nie będzie ani lepiej ani śmieszniej.”
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“I turned around by 360 degrees.”
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“I am for, and even against.”
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“Dobrze się stało, że źle się stało.”
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“Dokonałem zwrotu o 360 stopni.”
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“Dzięki komputerom uda się nam pogodzić kapitalistyczną skuteczność z dużą ilością wolnego czasu, właściwą dla socjalizmu.”
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“Opis: o Annie Walentynowicz.”
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“Gdybym był agentem, to bym się przyznał, ale nie mogę, bo tak nie było.”
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“Gdybym przekonał się do komputera w okresie prezydentury, dłużej bym wszystkim głowę zawracał.”
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1982· 2 entries
Awarded Fritt Ord Award (1982).
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It was nominated for Oscar as the Best Foreign Language Film and gained seven other awards and nominations
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1981· 1 entry
Awarded Monismanien Prize (1981).
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1980· 1 entry
Awarded Financial Times Person of the Year (1980).
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1976· 2 entries
Wałęsa went on to have contacts with Communist officials
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And Stanisław died of a heart attack in 1981
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1973· 1 entry
Lech's mother and stepfather emigrated to the US for economic reasons
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1970· 1 entry
“Aresztowano mnie wiele razy. Za pierwszym razem, w grudniu 1970 roku, podpisałem 3 albo 4 dokumenty. Podpisałbym prawdopodobnie wtedy wszystko, oprócz zgody na zdradę Boga i Ojczyzny, by wyjść i móc walczyć. Nigdy mnie nie złamano i nigdy nie zdradziłem ideałów ani kolegów.”
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1968· 1 entry
Encouraged shipyard colleagues to boycott official rallies that condemned recent student strikes
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1961· 1 entry
Lech graduated from primary and vocational school in nearby Chalin and Lipno as a qualified electrician
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1943· 1 entry
Born 1943-09-29.
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