Adam Michnik
- Editor-in-Chief of "Gazeta Wyborcza"
(was born in October 17, 1946)
Historian, co-founder of KOR (Committee for the Defense of Workers) 1976, detained many times during 1965-1980, a prominent "Solidarity" activist during the '80ties, spent a total of six years in Polish prisons for activities opposing the communist regime, member of the Round Table Talks 1989, member of the first non-communist parliament 1989-1991, editor-in-chief of the first independent Polish newspaper - "Gazeta Wyborcza".
Author of books: "Cienie zapomnianych przodkow" (The Shadows of the Forgotten Ancestors), 1975; "Kosciol, Lewica, Dialog" (Church, the Left, Dialogue), Paris 1977; Penser la Pologne, 1983; "Szanse Polskiej Demokracji" (Chances of Polish Democracy), London 1984; "Z dziejow honoru w Polsce. Wypisy wiezienne" (from the History of Honour in Poland. Prison Notes), Paris 1985; "Takie czasy...Rzecz o kompromisie" (Such Other Times: Concerning Compromise), London 1985, "Listy z Bialoleki" (Letters from Bialoleka), "Polskie pytania" (Polish Questions), Paris 1987; "Druga faza rewolucji" (La Deuxieme Revolution), Paris 1990; "Miedzy Panem a Plebanem", Warszawa 1995, "Wyznania nawroconego dysydenta" (2003), "Wscieklosc i wstyd" (2005).
His articles have been printed in Der Spiegel, Le Monde, Liberation, El Pais, Lettre International, New York Review of Books, The Washington Post, El Pais and many others.
Michnik is the recipient of a doctorate honoris causa from The New School for Social Research in New York and from the University of Minnesota, University of Michigan, also from Connecticut College. Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award 1986, The Koscielski Prize 1986, the French Pen Club Freedom Award 1982, the Jurzykowski Prize 1986, selected Europe's Man of the Year for 1989 by La Vie, Shofar Award 1991, Brucke-Preis 1995 - Germany, the Award of the European Journalists Association 1995, the Medal of Imre Nagy 1995. OSCE Price on Journalism and Democracy awarded by the OSCE Assembly, May 1996. He obtained Officer's Cross of Merit of Republic of Hungary from President Arpad Goencz in April 1998; in June he received The Day of First Bell - ringing Award from municipal council of Plzne and The Golden Pen from Bauer Verlag, the German press concern. In July 1999 he received prestige The Francisco Cerecedo Journalist Prize as a first non-Spanish author, later in November he was decorated with Bernardo O'Higgins Commander's Order, one of the most important Chilean honours. In May 2000 Adam Michnik received from IPI the title Press Freedom Hero for his courage and dedication shown to the principles of free expression. In June 2000 he was awarded by European University Viadrina in Frankfurt upon Oder for his contribution to Polish-German reconciliation. In September 2001 Michnik was honoured with Grand Prince Giedymin Order for his contribution in development Polish-Lithuanian relations. The same month he was awarded by Carl Bertelsmann Prize as a tribute for his outstanding merits during transformation process that leads Poland into democracy and free market economy specially for his courage and efforts in creating civil society and independent press. In October 2001 he received Grand Cross of Merit from President Johannes Rau as editor-in-chief of "Gazeta Wyborcza" which political, moral and economical success leads Poland day by day to Europe.
In November 2001 Adam Michnik received in Royal Palace in Amsterdam The Erasmus Prize for the role he plays in the development of civil society in post-war Poland, for courage and respect for his political adversaries in a truly Erasmian sense, for keeping intellectual distance in his sharp analysis of the cultural and political forces at work before the events of 1989, for founding of the newspaper "Gazeta Wyborcza" which analysis helps a country develop a democratic tradition. Also in November in Madrid he received The Joaquin Garrigues Walker Award Ceremony from Salvador de Madariaga Foundation for his fight for human and civil rights and defending democracy.
In February 2002 he received the prize from Romanian weekly "Adevarul" for common sense, persistence in aspiration for democracy and consolidation it. In November 2002 he received the prize of Gramota for merits to the Ukrainian nation. In September 2003 Adam Michnik was made Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur by the French government in October 2005 Adam Michnik and Vaclav Havel were honoured with the St. George Medal - awarded by "Tygodnik Powszechny". In October 2005 he received the medal "Gloria Artis" from Polish minister of Culture. In March 2006 he was honoured with the Dan David Prize for being the journalist most associated with the collapse of the Soviet bloc and the rise of freedom in Eastern Europe. In June 2006 he was awarded an honorary senator of the University of Ljubljana, in September 2006 an honorary professor of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy. In October 2006 President Juszczenko conferred him the Order of Yaroslav the Wise. The same year he was honoured with the Jan Karski Eagles Award. In September 2007 he received Interdependence Award, in November Pelican Award, from the Czech weekly "Letters". In 2007 (beginning 2008) he was Georgia Struggle for the Freedom of the Press Mediator nominated by the European Union and Poland. He was the Ambassador of European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008. In April 2009 he received a doctorate honoris causa from Vytautas Magnus University in Kaunas.
