Lech Wasa

Wasa redirects here. For other uses, see Wasa in-law, Stanisaw Wasa (19161981), a farmer.[8]
(disambiguation).
Lech had three elder full siblings; Izabela (1934
2012),[note 2] Edward (b.1937), and Stanisaw (b.1939);
ZygLech Wasa (/lx vwns/); Polish:
[lx and three younger half-brothers; Tadeusz (b.1946),
munt (b.1948), and Wojciech (19511988).[9] In 1973
[1][2]
born 29 September 1943) is a retired
vawsa];
Polish politician and labor activist.[3] He co-founded and Lechs mother and[8]stepfather emigrated to the US for
economic reasons. They lived in Jersey City, where Feheaded Solidarity (Solidarno), the Soviet blocs rst
in 1975 and Stanisaw died of
independent trade union, won the Nobel Peace Prize in liksa died in a car accident
[8]
a
heart
attack
in
1981.
Both
of them were buried in
1983, and served as President of Poland from 1990 to
[9]
Poland.
[4]
1995.
In 1961 Lech graduated from primary and vocational
school in nearby Chalin and Lipno as a qualied electrician. He worked as a car mechanic from 1961 to 1965,
and then embarked on his two-year, obligatory military
service, attaining the rank of corporal before beginning
work on 12 July 1967 as an electrician at Lenin Shipyard
(Stocznia Gdaska im. Lenina), now called Gdask Shipyard (Stocznia Gdaska) in Gdask.[10]

Wasa was an electrician by trade. Soon after beginning

work at Lenin Shipyard (now Gdask Shipyard), he became a trade union activist, for which he was persecuted
by the Communist authorities, placed under surveillance,
red in 1976, and arrested several times. In August
1980 he was instrumental in political negotiations that
led to the ground-breaking Gdask Agreement between
striking workers and the government. He became a cofounder of the Solidarity trade union movement. After
martial law was imposed in Poland and Solidarity was
outlawed, Wasa was arrested again. Upon his release
from custody he continued his activism and was prominent in the establishment of the 1989 Round Table Agreement that led to semi-free parliamentary elections in June
1989, and to a Solidarity-led government.

On 8 November 1969 Wasa married Danuta Goo.

The couple have eight children; Bogdan, Sawomir, Przemysaw, Jarosaw, Magdalena, Anna, Maria-Wiktoria,
and Brygida.[11][12] As of 2016, Anna is running her fathers oce in Gdask[13] and Jarosaw is a European
MP.

In 2008 Wasa underwent a coronary artery stent placeIn the Polish general election of 1990, Wasa success- ment and the implantation of a cardiac pacemaker at the
fully ran for the newly re-established oce of President Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas.[14]
of Poland. He presided over Polands transition from
communism to a post-communist state, but his popularity
waned and his role in Polish politics diminished after he
2 Solidarity movement
narrowly lost the 1995 presidential election. As of 2016,
Wasa continues to speak and lecture on history and polMain article: Solidarity (Polish trade union)
itics in Poland and abroad.

From early in his career, Wasa was interested in workers concerns; in 1968 he encouraged shipyard colleagues
to boycott ocial rallies that condemned recent student
strikes.[11] He was a charismatic leader,[15] who helped
organize the illegal 1970 protests at the Gdask Shipyard
when workers protested the governments decree raising food prices and he was considered for the position
of chairman of the strike committee.[4][11] The strikes
outcome, which involved the deaths of over 30 workers,
galvanized Wasas views on the need for change.[11] In
June 1976, Wasa lost his job at the Gdask Shipyard
because of his continued involvement in illegal unions,
strikes, and a campaign to commemorate the victims of
the 1970 protests.[4][11][12] Afterwards he worked as an
electrician for several other companies but his activism

Personal life

Wasa was born in Popowo, German-occupied

Poland.[4] His father, Bolesaw Wasa (19081945),
was a carpenter who was rounded up and interned in a
forced labor camp at Myniec (outpost of KL Stutthof)
by the German occupying forces before Lech was
born.[note 1] Bolesaw returned home after the war but
died two months later from exhaustion and illness shortly
before his 34th birthday.[5] Lechs mother, Feliksa
Wasa (ne Kamieska; 19161975),[6] has been
credited with shaping her sons beliefs and tenacity.[7]
When Lech was nine, Feliksa married her brother1

2 SOLIDARITY MOVEMENT

led to him continually being laid o and he was jobless

for long periods.[11] Wasa and his family were under
constant surveillance by the Polish secret police; his home
and workplace were always bugged.[11] Over the next few
years, he was arrested several times for participating in
dissident activities.[4]

Wasa signs autographs during the strike in August 1980

months until 14 November 1982 at Chylice, Otwock, and

Aramw; eastern towns near the Soviet border.[11][12]
On 8 October 1982 Solidarity was outlawed.[18] In 1983
Wasa applied to return to the Gdask Shipyard as an
electrician.[11] The same year, he was awarded the Nobel
Peace Prize.[4] He was unable to accept it himself, fearing Polands government would not let him back into the
country.[4][11] His wife Danuta accepted the prize on his
behalf.[4][11]
Wasa during the strike at the Lenin Shipyard, August 1980

Wasa worked closely with the Workers Defence Committee (KOR), a group that emerged to lend aid to people arrested after the 1976 labor strikes and to their
families.[4] In June 1978 he became an activist of the
underground Free Trade Unions of the Coast (Wolne
Zwizki Zawodowe Wybrzea).[12] On 14 August 1980,
another rise in food prices led to a strike at the Lenin
Shipyard in Gdask, of which Wasa was one of the instigators. Wasa scaled the shipyard fence and quickly
became one of the strike leaders.[4][11] The strike inspired
other similar strikes in Gdask, which then spread across
Poland. Wasa headed the Inter-Plant Strike Committee, coordinating the workers at Gdask and at 20 other
plants in the region.[4] On 31 August the government,
represented by Mieczysaw Jagielski, signed an accord
(the Gdask Agreement) with the Strike Coordinating
Committee.[4] The agreement granted the Lenin Shipyard workers the right to strike and permitted them to
form an independent trade union.[16] The Strike Coordinating Committee legalized itself as the National Coordinating Committee of the Solidarno (Solidarity) Free
Trade Union, and Wasa was chosen as chairman of
the Committee.[4][12] The Solidarity trade union quickly
grew, ultimately claiming over 10 million members
more than a quarter of Polands population.[17] Wasas
role in the strike, in the negotiations, and in the newly
formed independent trade union gained him fame on the
international stage.[4][11]
Wasa held his position until 13 December 1981, when
General Wojciech Jaruzelski declared martial law in
Poland.[4] Wasa and many other Solidarity leaders
and activists were arrested; he was incarcerated for 11

Through the mid-1980s, Wasa continued underground

Solidarity-related activities.[19] Every issue of the leading underground weekly publication Tygodnik Mazowsze
bore his motto, Solidarity will not be divided or
destroyed.[20] Following a 1986 amnesty for Solidarity
activists,[21] Wasa co-founded the Provisional Council of NSZZ Solidarity (Tymczasowa Rada NSZZ Solidarno), the rst overt legal Solidarity entity since the
declaration of martial law.[19] From 1987 to 1990, he
organized and led the semi-illegal Provisional Executive Committee of the Solidarity Trade Union. In mid1988 he instigated work-stoppage strikes at the Gdask
Shipyard.[19]
After months of strikes and political deliberations, at
the conclusion of the 10th plenary session of the Polish
United Workers Party (PZPR, the Polish communist
party), the government agreed to enter into Round Table
Negotiations that lasted from February to April 1989.[4]
Wasa was an informal leader of the non-governmental
side in the negotiations.[12] During the talks, he traveled throughout Poland giving speeches in support of the
negotiations.[4] At the end of the talks, the government
signed an agreement to re-establish the Solidarity Trade
Union and to organize semi-free elections to the Polish
parliament; in accordance with the Round Table Agreement, only members of the Communist Party and its allies
could stand for 65 percent of the seats in the lower house,
the Sejm.[4][17][22][23]
In December 1988 Wasa co-founded the Solidarity
Citizens Committee;[12] this was ostensibly an advisory body but in practice a political party that won the
parliamentary elections in June 1989. Solidarity took all
the seats in the Sejm that were subject to free elections,

3
and all but one seat in the newly re-established Senate.[24]
Wasa was one of Solidaritys most public gures; he
was an active campaigner, appearing on many campaign
posters, but did not run for parliament himself.[4] Solidarity winners in the Sejm elections were referred to as
Wasas team or Lechs team because they had all
appeared on their election posters with Wasa.[25][26]

Wasa supported Polands entry into NATO and the

European Union, both of which occurred after his presidency, in 1999 and 2004, respectively.[11] In the early
1990s he proposed the creation of a sub-regional security system called NATO bis. The concept was supported by right-wing and populist movements in Poland
but garnered little support abroad; Polands neighbors,
While ostensibly only chairman of Solidarity, Wasa some of which (e.g. Lithuania), had recently regained
independence and tended to see the proposal as Polish
played a key role in practical politics. In August 1989
[17][27]
he persuaded leaders of parties formerly allied with the neo-imperialism.
Communist Party to form a non-communist coalition Wasa has been criticized for a confrontational style
governmentthe rst non-Communist government in the and for instigating war at the top, whereby former
Soviet Bloc. The parliament elected Tadeusz Mazowiecki Solidarity allies clashed with one another, causing anas the rst non-communist Prime Minister of Poland in nual changes of government.[15][17][20][28][29] This inover forty years.[17]
creasingly isolated Wasa on the political scene.[30] As
he lost political allies, he came to be surrounded by
people who were viewed by the public as incompetent and disreputable.[20][30] Mudslinging during election
3 Presidency
campaigns tarnished his reputation.[4][31] Some thought
Wasa, an ex-electrician with no higher education, was
too plain-spoken and too undignied for the post of
president.[15][17][32] Others thought him too erratic in his
views[17][29][33] or complained he was too authoritarian
and that he sought to strengthen his own power at the expense of the Sejm.[17][29][30][32] Wasas national security advisor Jacek Merkel credited the shortcomings of
Wasas presidency to his inability to comprehend the
oce of the president as an institution. He was an eective union leader capable of articulating what the workers
felt but as president he had diculty delegating power or
navigating bureaucracy.[34] Wasas problems were compounded by the dicult transition to a market economy;
in the long run it was seen as highly successful but it lost
Wasas government much popular support.[29][30][35]
President Bush meets privately with Wasa, November 1989

Following the June 1989 parliamentary elections, Wasa

was disappointed some of his former fellow campaigners were satised to govern alongside former
Communists.[17] He decided to run for the newly reestablished oce of president, using the slogan, I don't
want to, but I have to (Nie chc, ale musz.).[4][17] On 9
December 1990 Wasa won the presidential election, defeating Prime Minister Mazowiecki and other candidates
to become the rst freely elected president of Poland in
63 years, and the rst non-Communist president in 45
years.[11] In 1993 he founded his own political party, the
Nonpartisan Bloc for Support of Reforms (BBWR); the
acronym echoed that of Jzef Pisudskis "Nonpartisan
Bloc for Cooperation with the Government, of 1928
35, likewise an ostensibly non-political organization.
During his presidency, Wasa saw Poland through
privatization and transition to a free-market economy (the
Balcerowicz Plan), Polands 1991 rst completely free
parliamentary elections, and a period of redenition of
the countrys foreign relations.[4][15] He successfully negotiated the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Poland and
won a substantial reduction in foreign debts.[11]

Wasas BBWR performed poorly in the 1993 parliamentary elections; at times his popular support dwindled to 10 percent and he narrowly lost the 1995 presidential election, winning 33.11 percent of the vote in
the rst round and 48.28 percent in the run-o against
Aleksander Kwaniewski, who represented the resurgent
Polish post-Communists the Democratic Left Alliance
(SLD).[4][17][30] Wasas fate was sealed by his poor handling of the media; in televised debates he appeared incoherent and rude; in response to Kwaniewskis extended
hand at the end of the rst of the two debates, he replied
that the post-Communist leader could shake his leg.[30]
After the election Wasa said he was going into political
retirement and his role in politics became increasingly
marginal.[28][36][37]

4 Post-presidency
After losing the 1995 election, Wasa announced he
would return to work as an electrician at the Gdask
Shipyard.[38] Soon afterwards he changed his mind and
chose to travel around the world on a lecture circuit.[39]

5 WASA AND SECRET POLICE

in headlines. In 2014 in a widely publicized interview,

Wasa expressed his disappointment in another Nobel
laureate, US president Barack Obama: he told CNN,
When he was elected there was great hope in the world.
We were hoping that Obama would reclaim moral leadership for America, but that failed ... in terms of politics and morality America no longer leads the world.[49]
Wasa also accused Obama of not deserving his Nobel
Peace Prize;[13] during the 2012 US presidential campaign he endorsed Obamas opponent Mitt Romney.[50]
In September 2015, Wasa again hit the headlines after sharing his thoughts on the migrant crisis in Europe
with media, saying, watching the refugees on television,
I noticed that ... they are well fed, well dressed and
maybe even are richer than we are ... If Europe opens its
Wasa speaks on VIII European Economic Forum, 2015
gates, soon millions will come through and while living
among us will start exercising their own customs, includWasa developed a portfolio of three lectures (The ing beheading.[13]
Impact of an Expanded NATO on Global Security,
Democracy: The Never-Ending Battle and Solidarity: The New Millennium), and reads them at univer5 Wasa and secret police
sities and public events with an appearance fee of around
[40][41][42]
50,000 ($70,000).
Since the early 1980s[51] there were accusations that
In 1995 he founded the Lech Wasa Institute, a think tank Wasa had served as an informant for the communist
with a mission to popularize the achievements of Polish security services in the 1970s, despite his vehement deSolidarity, educate young generations, promote democ- nials and the ruling of a special court in 2000 that cleared
racy, and build civil society in Poland and around the him of the allegations of collaboration.[52] The controworld.[43] In 1997 he founded a new party, Christian versy around those allegations resurfaced in 2008 with the
Democracy of the 3rd Polish Republic, hoping it would publication of a book that purported to prove Wasa, ushelp him to successfully run in future elections.[44]
ing the code name Bolek, had been an operative for the
Wasas contention for the 2000 presidential election security services from 1970 to 1976.[3] The issue resurended with a crushing defeat when he polled 1.01 percent faced again in February 2016 when the Institute of Naof the vote.[45][46] His humiliation was increased because tional Remembrance seized materials from the widow of
Aleksander Kwaniewski, who was re-elected in the rst Czesaw Kiszczak, a former minister of the interior, that
round with 54 percent of the vote, is a former Commu- were claimed to document Wasas role as a spy for the
nist apparatchik.[45] Wasa polled in seventh place,[45] security services.[3]
after which he announced his withdrawal from Polish
politics.[47]
In 2006 Wasa quit Solidarity in protest of the unions
support of the ruling right-wing Law and Justice party,
and Lech and Jarosaw Kaczyskitwin brothers who
had been prominent in Solidarity and were now serving as the countrys president and prime minister,
respectively.[3] The main point of disagreement was the
Kaczyskis focus on rooting out those who had been
involved in communist rule and their partys attempt to
make public all the les of the former communist secret
police.[3] Until then only members of the government and
parliament had to declare any connection with the former security services.[48] Wasa and his supporters argued the so-called transparency legislation advocated by
the government might turn into a witch hunt and the more
than 500,000 Poles who had possibly collaborated with
the communist secret police could face exposure.[48]

5.1 Court ruling

On 12 August 2000, Wasa, who was running a presidential campaign at the time, was cleared by the special
Lustration Court of charges that he collaborated with the
Communist-era secret services and reported on the activities of his fellow shipyard workers, due to the lack
of evidence.[52] Anti-communists Piotr Naimski, one of
the rst members of the Workers Defense Committee that led to the Solidarity trade union, and Antoni
Macierewicz, Wasas former Interior Minister, testied
against him in the closed vetting trial. Naimski, who
said he testied with a heavy heart, expressed his disappointment that Wasa made a mistake by not going openly to the public, and he has missed an important chance.[52] According to Naimski, the court cleared
Wasa on technical grounds because it did not nd cerDespite waning popularity at home, Wasas interna- tain original documentsmany of which had been detional reputation remained untouched. He continued his stroyed since 1989oered sucient proof that Wasa
lecture circuit around the world, occasionally appearing was lying.[52]

5.3

Kiszczak archives

In 1992, Naimski, as a head of the State Protection Ofce, started the process of screening people suspected
of being Communist collaborators in Poland.[52] In June
that year he helped Antoni Macierewicz prepare a list
of 64 members of the government and parliament who
were named as spies in the police records; these included Wasa, then the Polish president.[52] Wasas
name was included on the list after a wrenching internal debate about the virtues of honesty versus political discretion.[52] In response to the publication of this
list, President Wasa immediately engineered the fall of
prime minister Jan Olszewski and the dismissal of Interior Minister Macierewicz.[53] A parliamentary committee later concluded Wasa had not signed an agreement
with the secret police.[52]
A 1997 Polish law made the vetting a requirement for
those seeking high public oce. According to the law, it
is not a crime to have collaborated, but those who deny it
and are found to have lied are banned from political life
for ten years. The 2000 presidential election was the rst
use of this law.[52]
Despite helping Wasa in 2005 to receive the ocial status of a victim of communist regime from the Institute
of National Remembrance (IPN),[54] this court ruling did
not convince many Poles.[52] In November 2009 Wasa
sued the president of Poland, Lech Kaczyski over his
repeated collaboration allegations.[55] Five months later,
Kaczyski failed to invite Wasa to the commemoration service at Katyn, which arguably saved Wasas
life because the presidential plane crashed, killing all on
board.[56] In August 2010, Wasa lost a libel case against
Krzysztof Wyszkowski, his former fellow activist, who
also publicly accused Wasa of being a communist agent
in 1970s.[51][57]

5.2

2008 book

The most comprehensive analysis of Wasas possible collaboration with secret police was provided in a
2008 book The SB (Suba Bezpieczestwa; secret police) and Lech Wasa: A Biographical Contribution (SB
a Lech Wasa. Przyczynek do biograi).[58] The book
was written by two historians from the Institute of National Remembrance, Sawomir Cenckiewicz and Piotr
Gontarczyk, and included documents from the archives
of the secret police that were inherited by the Institute.[59]
Among the documents were registration cards, memos,
notes from the secret police, and reports from the
informant.[60][61]

5
on his colleagues at work while they were listening to
Radio Free Europe for example.[63] The book describes
the fate of the seven of his alleged victims; information regarding others was destroyed or stolen from the
les.[59] According to them, Wasa received over 13,000
zlotys as remuneration for his services from the SB,
while the monthly salary at the time was about 3,500
zlotys.[note 4][64][65] The authors said oppositionist activity in Poland in the rst half of 1970s was minimal and
Wasas role in it was quite marginal.[61] However, according to the book, despite formally renouncing his ties
with SB in 1976, Wasa went on to have contacts with
communist ocials.[66]
The book also said that during his 19901995 presidency,
Wasa used his oce to destroy the evidence of his collaboration with secret police by removing incriminating
documents from the archives.[61] According to the book,
historians discovered that with the help of the state intelligence agency, Wasa, Interior Minister Andrzej Milczanowski, and other members of Wasas administration, had borrowed from the archives the secret police
les that had connections to Wasa, and returned them
with key pages removed.[59][64] When it was discovered at
the turn of 1995/96, the following prosecutorial inquiry
was discontinued for political reasons despite the case attracting much public attention.[51][64]
Sawomir Cenckiewicz also said that in 1983, when
Wasa was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, the secret police tried to embarrass him and leaked information
about Wasas previous collaboration with the government. By this time though, Wasa was already so popular that most Poles did not believe the ocial media and
dismissed the allegations as a manipulation by the Communist authorities.[59] The books rst print run sold out
in Poland within hours.[67][68] The book received substantial coverage in the media, provoked nationwide debate,
and was noted by the international press.[69][70][71] Wasa
vowed to sue the authors but never did.[68]

5.3 Kiszczak archives

On 18 February 2016 the INR in Warsaw announced it

had seized a package of original documents that allegedly
proved Wasa was a paid Communist informant.[72]
The documents dated from the period 19701976; they
were seized from the home of a recently deceased former interior minister, General Czesaw Kiszczak.[73] The
documents authenticity was conrmed by an archival
expert,[73][74] but the handwriting examination demanded
[75]
[76]
The books authors said Wasa, working under the code by the prosecutors could take up to six months.
name Bolek,[note 3] was a secret police informant from The dossier consists of two folders; a personal le con1970 (after he was released from the arrest) till 1976 taining 90 pages of documents, including a handwritten
(before he was red from the shipyard).[62] According to commitment to cooperate with the secret police dated
them, he wrote reports and informed on more than 20 21 December 1970,[77] and signed Lech Wasa Bolek
people and some of them were persecuted by the com- with a pledge he would never admit his collaboration with
munist police. He identied people and eavesdropped secret police not even to family;[78] the le also con-

5 WASA AND SECRET POLICE

Kiszczaks death, his widow Maria approached the Institute of National Remembrance and suggested selling
it the archives for 90,000 zlotys ($23,000).[79] However,
according to the Polish law, all documents of political police must be handed in to the state.[79] The administration
of the institute notied the prosecutors oce, which conducted a police search of the Kiszczaks house and seized
all the historic documents.[79] Maria Kiszczak later said
she had not read her husbands letter and had made a
mistake.[80]

Signature Lech Wasa-Bolek on the collaboration agreement

with SB from the Kiszczak archives
[72][73]

tains the conrmations of having received funds.

and a work le contains 279 pages of documents, including numerous reports by Bolek on his co-workers at
Gdask Shipyard, and notes by secret police ocers from
meetings with him.[72][73] According to one note, Wasa
agreed to collaborate out of fear of persecution after the
workers protest in 1970.[77] The documents also show
that at rst Bolek eagerly provided information on opinions and actions by his co-workers and took money for
the information, but his enthusiasm diminished and the
quality of his information decreased until he was deemed
no longer valuable and collaboration with him was terminated in 1976.[77]

Wasa with General Czesaw Kiszczak, c.1989

The sealed dossier also contained a letter, hand-written

by Kiszczak in April 1996, in which he informs the Director of the Polish Central Archives of Modern Records
(Archiwum Akt Nowych) about the accompanying les
documenting the collaboration of Wasa with the Communist Security Service and asks him not to publish this
information until ve years after Wasas death.[78] In his
letter Kiszczak said he kept the documents out of reach:
before the 1989 revolution, trying to protect Wasas
reputation; and afterwards to make sure they did not disappear or were used for political reasons.[78] This letter and the accompanying documents had never been
sent.[73]

5.4 Wasas response

For years Wasa vehemently denied collaborating with
the communist secret police and dismissed the incriminating les as forgeries created by the SB to compromise him.[81] Wasa also denies that during his presidency he removed documents incriminating him from the
archives.[64] Until 2008 he denied having ever seen his secret police le.[64] After the publication of the book SB a
Lech Wasa in 2008, he said that while he was president
I did borrow the le, but didn't remove anything from it.
I saw there were some documents there about me and that
they were clearly forgeries. I told my secretaries to tape
up and seal the le. I wrote 'don't open' on it. But someone didn't obey, removed the papers, now casting suspicion on me.[64][65] Wasas interior minister Andrzej
Milczanowski denied the cover-up and said he had the
full legal right to make those documents available to President Wasa and no original documents were removed
from the le, which contained only photocopies.[64]
Wasa has oered conicting statements regarding the
authenticity of the documents.[78] Initially he has appeared to come close to an admission, saying in 1992, in
December 1970, I signed three or four documents[51][82]
to escape from the secret police.[78] In his 1987 autobiography A Way of Hope,[83] Wasa said, It is also the truth
that I had not left that clash completely pure. They gave
me a condition: signature! And then I signed.[51] He denies he acted upon the collaboration agreement.[84] However, in his later years Wasa said all the documents are
forgeries and told BBC in 2008, you will not nd any signature of mine agreeing to collaborate anywhere.[63][72]

In 2009, after publication of another biography connecting him with the secret police (Lech Wasa: Idea and
History by Pawel Zyzak),[85] Wasa threatened to leave
Poland if historians continue to question his past.[86][87]
He said that before revealing such information a historian must decide whether this serves Poland.[86] After
the accusations against him resurfaced with the discovery of the Kiszczak dossier on 16 February 2016, Wasa
called the les lies, slander and forgeries,[88] and said he
never took money and never made any spoken or written
report on anyone.[89] He said of the Polish public, which
was about to believe in the allegations, you have betrayed
me, not me you[80] and it was I who safely led Poland
On 16 February 2016, about three months after to a complete victory over communism.[88] On his blog

7
on 20 February 2016 Wasa said in the 1970s a secret
police ocer begged him to sign the nancial documents
because this ocer lost money handed to him to purchase
a vehicle. Wasa appealed to this ocer to step forward
now and clear him of the accusations.[90][91]

Religious and personal views

Wasa is a devout Roman Catholic Christian.[92] He is a

staunch opponent of abortion; in 1993 during his presidency he signed a law restricting abortions in Poland.[93]
This law reversed the virtually free access to abortion that
existed since 1956[93] and limited its use to cases in which
the womans life is in danger, pregnancy has resulted from
rape or incest, or the fetus is irreparably damaged.[92]
Doctors who violate the rules now face up to two years
in prison.[93] This abortion law is one of the most restrictive in Europe, deeply divided the country, and saw
the former Solidarity coalition split between liberals and
conservatives.[93] The Polish Catholic Church supported
Wasa,[92] but public opinion polls indicated most Poles
favored retaining a liberal abortion law; 1.3 million Poles
signed a petition demanding a plebiscite rather than governmental imposition of the law.[93] In 1994 a group of
women legislators tried to ease the criteria for abortion;
Wasa vetoed their amendment.[94]

Wasa receiving the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award, 2011

ing Order of the Bath (UK), Order of Merit (Germany),

Legion of Honor (France), and European Human Rights
Prize (EU 1989).[12] In 2011 he declined to accept the
Lithuanian highest order, citing his displeasure at Lithuanias policy towards the Polish diaspora.[105] In 2008 he
established the Lech Wasa Award.[43]

In 2013, Wasa suggested the creation of a political

union between Poland and Germany.[95]
Wasa is well known for his anti-gay position.[13] In
2013 he said on Polish television that homosexual people have no right to a prominent role in politics, They
have to know that they are a minority and must adjust to
smaller things.[96] He also said homosexual MPs should
sit behind a wall in a parliament.[97] Despite sharp international criticism and a legal complaint of propaganda of hate against a sexual minority,[98] Wasa refused to apologize for his comments.[99] At a political
rally in 2000, he described gay people as sick and
said, I believe those people need medical treatment.[100]
During the drawing up of a new Polish Constitution in
1995, President Wasa argued against the inclusion of
gay rights provisions.[101] In 2014 City authorities of San
Francisco renamed Walesa Street because of his anti-gay
remarks.[102] A deputy speaker of the Polish Parliament
said Wasas anti-gay position could jeopardize his international career as a human rights speaker.[103]

Gdask Lech Wasa Airport

In 2004, Gdask International Airport was ocially renamed Gdask Lech Wasa Airport and Wasas signature was incorporated into the airports logo.[106][107]
A college hall in Northeastern Illinois University
(Chicago),[108] six streets, and ve schools in Canada,
France, Sweden and Poland also were named after Lech
Wasa.

Wasa was named Man of the Year by Time magazine (1981),[109] Financial Times (1980), Saudi Gazette
(1989) and 12 other newspapers and magazines.[12] He
was awarded with over 45 honorary doctorates by universities around the world,[43] including Harvard University and Sorbonne.[104] He was named an honorary karate
7 Honors
black belt by International Traditional Karate Federa[110]
tion.
Wasa is also an honorary citizen of more than
Main article: List of awards and honors received by Lech
30
cities,
including London, Bualo and Turin.[43]
Wasa
In 1983 Wasa was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.[104] In the United States, Wasa was the rst recipient of the
Since then he has received more than 30 state decora- Liberty Medal, in 1989.[111] That year he also received
tions and more than 50 awards from 30 countries, includ- the Presidential Medal of Freedom[112] and became the

9 PUBLICATIONS

rst non-head-of-state to address a joint meeting of the

United States Congress.[113] Wasa symbolically represented Europe by carrying the Olympic ag at the opening
ceremony of the 2002 Winter Olympics.[114] In 2004, he
represented ten newly acceded EU countries during the
ocial accession ceremony in Strasbourg.[43] In 1993 the
heraldic authority of the Kingdom of Sweden assigned
Wasa a personal coat of arms on the occasion of his
admittance into the Royal Order of the Seraphim.

and the Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the Cannes

Film Festival for the lm. In 1982 it was nominated for Oscar as the Best Foreign Language Film
and gained seven other awards and nominations.[116]

Cultural references

Lech Wasa has been portrayed, as himself or a character

based on him, in a number of feature lms. The two most
notable of them are:
Premiere of Walesa. Man of Hope in Warsaw, 2013

Walesa. Man of Hope (2013) is a biographical

drama by Oscar-winning lmmaker Andrzej Wajda about the lives of Wasa (Robert Wickiewicz)
and his wife Danuta (Agnieszka Grochowska) from
1970 to 1989. It shows Wasas change from a shipyard worker into a charismatic labor leader. The lm
was shot in the historical locations of the depicted
events, including the former Lenin Shipyard. It
won three awards, including Silver Hugo for Robert
Wickiewicz at Chicago International Film Festival
and a Pasinetti Award for Maria Rosaria Omaggio
at Venice Film Festival, and was nominated for ve
more awards.[115]

Both of these lms were produced in Poland. In 1990,

Warner Bros intended to produce a major movie about
Wasa in the US, with a $20 million budget and Robert
De Niro starring as Wasa.[117] The company paid
Wasa a $1 million fee for the rights to produce a
biopic.[118] Although the movie was never made, this payment sparked controversy in Poland when ve years later
it emerged that Wasa concealed this income to avoid
paying taxes on it.[119] The Gdask tax oce initiated a
tax fraud case against Wasa but it was later dismissed
because the ve-year statute of limitations had already
run out.[120]
In 1982 Bono was inspired by Wasa to write U2's rst
hit single, "New Years Day".[121] Coincidentally, the Polish authorities lifted martial law on 1 January 1983, the
same day this single was released. Wasa also became a
hero of a number of Polish pop songs, including a satirical 1991 hit titled Nie wierzcie elektrykom (Don't Trust
the Electricians) from the eponymous album by the punk
rock band Big Cyc.
Patrick Daillys chamber opera Solidarity, starring Kristen Brown as Wasa, was premiered by the San Francisco Cabaret Opera in Berkeley, California, in September 2009.[122]

Shooting of Walesa. Man of Hope on the Solidarity Square in

Gdask

Man of Iron (1981) is another Andrzej Wajda lm

about the Solidarity movement. The main character, a young worker Maciej Tomczyk (Jerzy Radziwiowicz) is involved in the anti-Communist labor
movement. Tomczyk is clearly portrayed as a parallel to Wasa, who appears as himself in the movie.
The lm was made during the brief relaxation of
censorship in Poland between the formation of Solidarity in August 1980 and its suppression in December 1981. Waida was awarded both the Palme d'Or

9 Publications
Wasa, Lech (1987). A Way of Hope. New-York:
Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0805006680.
LCCN 87021194. OL 2391768M.
Wasa, Lech (1991). Droga do wolnoci [Road to
Freedom] (in Polish). Warsaw: Editions Spotkania. ISBN 8385195033. LCCN 92155586. OL
1293474M.
Wasa, Lech (1992). The Struggle and the Triumph:
An Autobiography. Translated by Philip, Franklin.

9
New York: Arcade Publishing. ISBN 1559701498.
LCCN 91035875. OL 1555547M.
Wasa, Lech (1995). Wszystko, co robi, robi dla
Polski [All That I Do, I Do for Poland] (in Polish). Warsaw: Kancelaria Prezydenta RP. ISBN
8390434709. LCCN 96130042. OL 18320510M.

10

Notes

[1] The German aireld Danzig-Langfuhr in WrzeszczGdask was located on the site of the former villages
Myniec and Zaspa (now neighborhoods of Gdask)
and was serviced by prisoners of KL Stutthof forming the Auenkommando KL Stutthof Danzig-Langfuhr.
Source: Standort Danzig. Lexikon-der-Wehrmacht.de.
The aireld was heavily bombed by the Allies in 1945, but
remained in use until 1974 (pl).
[2] Izabela Myska, after marriage
[3] Bolek was a main character of the popular childrens cartoon series Bolek and Lolek, produced in Poland in 1962
1986. Wasas fathers name also was Bolesaw (or Bolek
in diminutive).
[4] In a book published in 2011, Wasas wife Danuta said
she believed the source of her husbands extra money during the 1970s was lottery winnings (Source: The Wall
Street Journal).

11

References

[10] Page 95. Walesa, Lech. The Struggle and the Triumph:
An Autobiography. Arcade Publishing (1991). ISBN 155970-221-4.
[11] A Biographical Note. Lech Wasa Institute. Archived
from the original on 14 June 2008.
[12] ON THE FOUNDER. Lech Wasa Istitute..
[13] Melman, Yossi (20 September 2015). "'If Europe opens
its gates to Muslims, there will be beheadings here'". The
Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
[14] Nichols, Bruce (4 March 2008). Walesa leaves Texas
hospital after heart treatment Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 21 April 2009.
[15] Lech Wasa, Encyclopdia Britannica. Retrieved 11
January 2010, from Encyclopdia Britannica Online:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/634519/
Lech-Walesa
[16] Hunter, Richard J.; Leo V. Ryan (1998). From Autarchy
to Market: Polish Economics and Politics 19451995.
Westport, CN: Praeger. p. 51. ISBN 0-275-96219-9.
[17] Timothy Garton Ash, Lech Wasa, TIME magazine,"The
Most Important People of the Century, 13 April 1998.
[18] Perdue, William D (October 1995). Paradox of Change:
The Rise and Fall of Solidarity in the New Poland (ebook).
Praeger/Greenwood. p. 9. ISBN 0-275-95295-9. Retrieved 10 July 2006.
[19] (Polish) Wasa Lech, Encyklopedia WIEM

[1] Wasa. Merriam-Webster.

[20] Timothy Garton Ash, Poland After Solidarity, The New

York Review of Books, vol. 38, no. 11 (13 June 1991).

[2] Wasa - Dene Wasa at Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com. Retrieved 29 November 2014.

[21] Negotiations and the big debate (198488)". BBC News.

Retrieved 10 July 2006.

[3] Lech Wasa. Encyclopdia Britannica. 18 February

2016. Retrieved 23 February 2016.

[22] Half-free and far from easy: Polands election, The

Economist, 27 May 1989.

[4] Prole: Lech Wasa. CNN. Archived from the original

on 15 April 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2007.

[23] Lewis Pauk, Non-Competitive Elections and Regime

Change: Poland 1989, Parliamentary Aairs, 1990, 43:
90107.

[5] Pages 129131. Walesa, Lech. The Struggle and the Triumph: An Autobiography. Arcade Publishing (1991).
ISBN 1-55970-221-4.
[6] Rys biograczny. Instytut Lecha Wasy. Archived
from the original on 7 May 2010. Retrieved 2 January
2010.
[7] David C. Cook (22 February 2005), Mothers of Inuence:
The Inspiring Stories of Women Who Made a Dierence
in Their Children and Their World. New edition. ISBN
1562923684.
[8] Stanislaw Walesa, stepfather of Polish unionist, dies at
64. Eugene Register-Guard. United Press International.
19 August 1981. p. 8A. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
[9] Ennis, Thomas W. (19 August 1981). Stepfather of Lech
Wasa Dies in Jersey City. The New York Times. Retrieved 3 March 2016.

[24] POLAND. Parliamentary Chamber: Sejm. Elections held

in 1989. Inter-Parliamentary Union. Last accessed 28
January 2010.
[25] Grayna Zwoliska, (Polish) Historyczne wybory 4 czerwca 1989: Zwycistwo druyny Lecha (Historic Elections of 4 June 1989: Victory of Lechs Team), Gazeta
Lubuska, 6 June 2009.
[26] Jarosaw Osowski, (Polish) "Warszawska druyna Lecha
Wasy" (Lech Wasas Warsaw Team), Gazeta
Wyborcza, 4 June 2009.
[27] Monika Wohlefeld, 1996,Security Cooperation in Central Europe: Polish Views. NATO, 1996.
[28] From Walesa, Lech, Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia,
2001.

10

[29] Jane Perlez, Walesa, Once atop a High Pedestal, Seems

to Stand on a Slippery Slope, New York Times, 6 July
1994.
[30] Voytek Zubek, The Eclipse of Walesas Political Career,
Europe-Asia Studies, vol. 49, no. 1 (January 1997), pp.
10724.
[31] Wojtek Kosc, Here He Comes Again: The Predicted Reelection of Kwaniewski, Central Europe Review, vol. 2,
no. 35, 16 October 2000.
[32] Lech Wasa (1943 ), A Guide to the 20th century:
Whos Who, Channel 4.
[33] Economist article. Economist. 22 September 1990. Retrieved 21 April 2009.

11

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[49] Chmurak, Elizabeth; Marrapodi, Eric; Tapper, Jake (1

January 2014). Nobel Peace Prize winner: Obama failed
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[50] Reston, Maeve; Mehta, Seema (30 July 2012). Romney
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Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
[51] Justication for the Judgement from 31 August 2010.
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[52] Erlanger, Steven (21 August 2000). Polish Watchdog
Nips at Walesas Heels. The New York Times. Retrieved
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[34] Szporer, Michael (2012). The Great Workers Strike of

1980. Lexington Books. ISBN 9780739174876.

[53] Engelberg, Stephen (12 June 1992). Charge of Spying

Denied by Walesa. The New York Times. Retrieved 26
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[35] Danielle Lussier, "From Solidarity to Division: An Analysis of Lech Wasas Transition to Constituted Leadership", working paper, UC Berkeley.

[54] Walesa Cleared of Collaboration Charges. Los Angeles

Times. 17 November 2005. Retrieved 25 February 2016.

[36] Wojtek Kosc, Here He Comes Again: Poland: Heating

Up for the Presidency, Central Europe Review, vol. 2, no.
10, 13 March 2000.

[55] Kulish, Nicholas (25 November 2009). Poland: Former

Leader Sues President. The New York Times. Retrieved
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[37] Europe: Poland: Walesa In Polystyrene, New York

Times, 17 December 2003.

[56] Borger, Julian (4 April 2011). Lech Wasa: the man

who 'never made a mistake' sees errors all around. The
Guardian. London. Retrieved 25 February 2016.

[38] Bridge, Adrian (3 April 1996). Walesa cruises into shipyard. The Independent. London. Retrieved 1 March
2016.

[57] Lech Wasa loses court case. The Budapest Times. 6

September 2010. Retrieved 23 February 2016.

[39] Perlez, Jane (29 February 1996). Out of a Job, Walesa

Decides to Take to the Lecture Circuit. The New York
Times. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
[40] Lech Wasa. Speakers Associates Ltd. Retrieved 28
February 2016.
[41] Lech Wasa. APB Speakers International. Retrieved
28 February 2016.
[42] Lech Wasa. London Speaker Bureau. Retrieved 28
February 2016.
[43] Founder: Biography. Warsaw: Lech Wasa Institute.
24 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[44] Walesa sets up new party. The Independent. London. 3
December 1997. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
[45] Day, Matthew (10 October 2000). Poles spurn Walesa
with 0.8pc of vote. The Telegraph. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
[46] Wybory Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 2000:
Wyniki Ocjalne (in Polish). Retrieved 28 February
2016.
[47] Walesa leaves Polish politics. BBC World Service. 15
October 2000. Retrieved 28 February 2016.
[48] Walesa leaves Solidarity movement. BBC World Service. 22 August 2006. Retrieved 28 February 2016.

[58] Cenckiewicz, Sawomir; Gontarczyk, Piotr (2008). SB

a Lech Wasa. Przyczynek do biograi [The SB and
Lech Wasa: A Biographical Contribution] (in Polish).
GdaskWarszawaKrakw: Instytut Pamieci Nardowej.
ISBN 978-83-60464-74-8. LCCN 2009460072. OL
23626992M. Archived from the original on 7 March
2016.
[59] Puhl, Jan (23 June 2008). "'Positive Proof' Lech Wasa
was a Communist Spy: Interview with Historian Slawomir
Cenckiewicz. Der Spiegel. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
[60] Paterson, Tony (25 June 2008). Lech Wasa ghts
claims that he was secret police informant. The Independent. London. Retrieved 20 February 2016.
[61] Boyes, Roger (25 June 2008). Lech Wasa was a Communist spy, says new book. The Times. London. Retrieved 20 February 2016. (subscription required (help)).
[62] Quetteville, Harry de (14 Jun 2008). Lech Wasa was
Communist spy, claims book. The Telegraph. London.
Retrieved 20 February 2016.
[63] Easton, Adam (23 June 2008). Walesa scorns collaboration claim. BBC World Service. Retrieved 20 February
2016.
[64] Kublik, Agnieszka; Czuchnowski, Wojciech (18 June
2008). IPN Launching Hunt for Wasa. Gazeta
Wyborcza. Retrieved 22 February 2016.

11

[65] Quetteville, Harry de (19 Jun 2008). Lech Wasa denies

allegations that he was a communist spy. The Telegraph.
London. Archived from the original on 6 December 2015.
Retrieved 22 February 2016.
[66] Sobczyk, Martin M. (18 February 2016). Poland State
Archives Says Former President Walesa Was Communist
Spy. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 22 February
2016.
[67] New Book Claims Polish Icon Walesa Was Communist
Spy. Deutsche Welle. 24 June 2008. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
[68] Scally, Derek (24 June 2008). Walesa vows to sue authors over informer claims. The Irish Times. Dublin.
Retrieved 23 February 2016.
[69] Staszewska, Joanna; Jones, Gareth; Lawrence, Janet (17
June 2008). Polish book revives informer claims against
Walesa. Reuters. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
[70] Row over Lech Wasas Alleged Collaboration with
Communists Escalates, Wikinews, Friday, 20 June 2008.
[71] Szporer, Michael (Spring 2009). Sawomir Cenckiewicz
and Piotr Gontarczyk, SB a Lech Wasa: Przyczynek do
biograi [The SB and Lech Wasa: A Contribution toward a Biography]". Journal of Cold War Studies. MIT
Press. 11 (2): 119121. ISSN 1520-3972. (subscription
required (help)).
[72] Lech Wasa 'was paid Communist informant'". BBC
World Service. 18 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
[73] Ocial statement on the inspection of the rst batch of
materials secured by the prosecutor of the IPN on 16
February 2016. Warsaw: Institute of National Remembrance. 18 February 2016. Archived from the original on
2016-02-24. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
[74] Berendt, Joanna (18 February 2016). Lech Wasa Faces
New Accusations of Communist Collaboration. The New
York Times. Retrieved 19 February 2016.
[75] Polish Prosecutors to Probe Secret Files on Lech
Wasa. ABC News. Associated Press. 25 February
2016. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
[76] Szef IPN ukasz Kamiski: Na ekspertyzy ws. teczki
Bolka poczekamy p roku. Rzeczpospolita (in Polish).
2 March 2016. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
[77] Scislowska, Monika (22 February 2016). Polish state
archive releases secret le on Lech Wasa. The Washington Post. Associated Press. Archived from the original
on 2016-03-07. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
[78] Sobczyk, Martin M. (22 February 2016). Polands State
Archives Releases Lech Wasa Documents. The Wall
Street Journal. Retrieved 22 February 2016. (subscription
required (help)).
[79] Old documents revive Polands debate over Walesas
past. Associated Press. 17 February 2016. Retrieved
18 February 2016.

[80] Berendt, Joanna (22 February 2016). Lech Wasa Files

Made Public Despite Forgery Claims. The New York
Times. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
[81] Easton, Adam (18 February 2016). Informant claims unlikely to alter Polish view of Walesa. BBC World Service.
Retrieved 22 February 2016.
[82] Trzy podpisy Wasy. Gazeta Wyborcza (in Polish)
(134). 8 June 1992. p. 3. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
(subscription required (help)).
[83] Wasa, Lech (1987). A Way of Hope. New-York:
Henry Holt and Company. ISBN 0805006680. LCCN
87021194. OL 2391768M.
[84] Szporer, Michael (2012). Solidarity: The Great Workers Strike of 1980. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books. p.
148. ISBN 9780739174876. LCCN 2012014490. OL
25299438M.
[85] Zyzak, Pawe (March 2009). Lech Wasa. Idea i historia
[Lech Wasa: Idea and History] (in Polish). Krakow: Arcana. ISBN 978-83-609-40-72-3. LCCN 2009460828.
OL 23867915M.
[86] Walesa threatens to leave Poland. BBC World Service.
30 March 2009. Retrieved 23 February 2016.
[87] Day, Matthew (30 March 2009). Lech Wasa threatens to leave Poland and return Nobel peace prize over spy
claims. The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 24 February
2016.
[88] Day, Matt (17 February 2008). Nobel Peace Prize winner accused of being informant for Polands secret police.
The Telegraph. London. Retrieved 25 February 2016.
[89] Scislowska, Monika (19 February 2016). Ex-Polish president Walesa denies he was a paid informant. Associated
Press. Retrieved 22 February 2016.
[90] Skodowski, Tomasz (20 February 2016). Lech Wasa
znw zmienia wersj ws. podpisu w dokumentach SB.
Obieca, e papiery wrc do mnie"". Kurier Lubelski
(in Polish). Retrieved 22 February 2016.
[91] Stankiewicz, Andrzej (20 February 2016). Lech Wasa,
niewolnik Bolka"". Rzeczpospolita (in Polish). Retrieved
23 February 2016.
[92] Barber, Tony (5 June 1994). Abortion becomes test of
power for Walesa. The Independent. London. Retrieved
26 February 2016.
[93] Walesa Signs Law Sharply Restricting Abortions. The
New York Times. 16 February 1993. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
[94] Murphy, Dean E. (3 September 1994). Polands Strict
Abortion Law Survives Challenge: Legislators fail to
override President Walesas veto of bill easing limits on
womens access to the procedure. Los Angeles Times.
Retrieved 26 February 2016.
[95] Poland and Germany should unite, says Lech Wasa.
telegraph.co.uk.

12

12

EXTERNAL LINKS

[96] Masters, Sam (3 March 2013). Lech Wasa: activist, [114] Founder: Current Activity. Warsaw: Lech Wasa Inelectrician, president, Nobel Peace Prize winner... homostitute. 24 March 2014. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
phobe?". The Independent. London. Retrieved 26 Febru[115] Walesa. Czlowiek z nadziei at the Internet Movie
ary 2016.
Database
[97] Leszkowicz, Dagmara; Strybel, Rob (3 March 2013).
Polands Walesa provokes outrage with anti-gay com- [116] Czlowiek z zelaza at the Internet Movie Database
ments. Reuters. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
[117] Warners Plans Major Film on Lech Wasa. Los Angeles Times. United Press International. 4 December 1989.
[98] Lech Wasa accused of hate speech after gay rights critRetrieved 1 March 2016.
icism. The Guardian. London. Associated Press. 3
March 2013. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
[118] Million Dollar Story. Orlando Sentinel. 12 January
1990. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
[99] Day, Matthew (6 March 2013). Lech Wasa: No apology for anti-gay comments. CNN. Retrieved 26 February
[119] Walesa Didn't Pay Polish Taxes on $1 Million From
2016.
Warner Bros. Associated Press. 16 November 1995.
Retrieved 29 February 2016.
[100] Walesa says gays are sick. Windy City Times. 9 August
2000. Retrieved 26 February 2016.
[120] Easter, Gerald M. (2012). Capital, Coercion, and Postcommunist States. Cornell University Press. p. 157. ISBN
[101] Under surveillance. The Advocate (681). 16 May 1995.
9780801465277.
p. 14.
[102] San Francisco renames Lech Wasa Street in wake of [121] Fields, Gaylord (7 May 2012). New Years Day. Rolling
Stone. Retrieved 29 February 2016.
Polish leaders anti-gay remarks. San Jose Mercury News.
Bay City News. 30 July 2014. Retrieved 26 February
[122] Bullock, Ken (24 September 2009). SF Cabaret Opera
2016.
Premieres 'Solidarity'". Berkeley Daily Planet. Retrieved
29 February 2016.
[103] Gera, Vanessa (3 March 2013). Lech Wasa Shocks
Poland With Anti-Gay Words. The Hungton Post.
Associated Press. Archived from the original on 201303-06. Retrieved 26 February 2016.

12 External links

[104] Lech Wasa Biographical. Nobel Foundation. Oslo.

5 October 1983. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[105] Maslikowski, Dominika (9 September 2011). Walesa
rejects Lithuanian honor, cites treatment of Polish minority. Charleston Gazette-Mail. Associated Press. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[106] Prole: Lech Wasa. BBC World Service. 25 November 2004. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[107] Polish MP wants referendum over airport named after
Wasa. Radio Poland. 23 February 2016. Retrieved 27
February 2016.
[108] Simonette, Matt (14 April 2014). NEIU faculty, students
ask for renaming of Walesa building. Windy City Times.
Chicago. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[109] Lech Wasa, Man of the Year. Time. 4 January 1982.
Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[110] Lech Wasa receives honorary ITKF black belt: Media
release. International Traditional Karate Federation. 10
October 2009. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[111] Lech Wasa. National Constitution Center. 4 July
1989. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[112] Dowd, Maureen (14 November 1989). Solidaritys Envoy: Bush Give Walesa Medal of Freedom. The New
York Times. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
[113] History: Art & Archives: U.S. House of Representatives:
Fast Facts"". United States House of Representatives.
Retrieved 27 February 2016.

Ocial website of Lech Wasa Institute

Ocial prole on Facebook

13

13
13.1

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

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Lech Wasa Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lech_Wa%C5%82%C4%99sa?oldid=754922579 Contributors: Kpjas, WojPob, Eloquence, Mav, Koyaanis Qatsi, Taw, Andre Engels, Youssefsan, Christian List, Wathiik, Montrealais, Stevertigo, Pit~enwiki, Jtdirl, Gdarin,
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Dylan Lake, THEunique, JAnDbot, Dan D. Ric, Deective, Bahar, Sspillers, Beaumont, Cynwolfe, Twospoonfuls, .anacondabot, Magioladitis, Connormah, Fuchsias, Norden1990, Kashak~enwiki, Bubba hotep, KConWiki, Les Nessman, Ya ya ya ya ya ya, JRWalko,
STBot, Belissarius, Nandt1, 1staroundtheworld, Whiteman, Odin of Trondheim, R'n'B, CommonsDelinker, PrestonH, Lilac Soul, SETI3,
Paranomia, J.delanoy, BigrTex, DrKay, Bogey97, Mike.lifeguard, AndrzejCC, Jerry, Stan J Klimas, LordAnubisBOT, Goaliemeister, Zmeister, Defaultname01, Dragonfae9, MetsFan76, Jcsten, HenryLarsen, DorganBot, Pdcook, Andy Marchbanks, Idioma-bot, Hirolovesswords, Malik Shabazz, VolkovBot, Jonorocks, DarkArcher, AlnoktaBOT, TXiKiBoT, Katfuntt, Mieciousa, Ann Stouter, A.Roz, H3xx,
SharpNorth, HuskyHuskie, Commuood, Josephabradshaw, Heresson, Spikethedog, Mimich, M0RD00R, Kasnie, Mapryan, Happyme22,
Graymornings, Synthebot, CoolKid1993, Orestek, Falcon8765, Iapain wiki, Alaniaris, Why Not A Duck, LittleBenW, Austriacus, Demmy,
SieBot, Brenont, YonaBot, Ostap R, Nihil novi, Gerakibot, Viskonsas, SE7, AmRen93, Michaelmantra, Stanleymilgram, Monegasque,
Yerpo, Darth Kalwejt, Worldwatcher2000, Lightmouse, Chrzanko, LaidO, Greatrobo76, Likeminas, Duy2032, Richard David Ramsey,
Gr8opinionater, ImageRemovalBot, ClueBot, Pei Pingda, Rslnerd, Rhbeatz, The Thing That Should Not Be, All Hallows Wraith, Gft4,
Ukabia, AusTerrapin, Jacurek, Joao Xavier, Regibox, Xavexgoem, Niceguyedc, Charlr6, Alexbot, Searcher 1990, Potorochin, Dekisugi,
Mickey gfss2007, Halgin, Kubek15, Ubardak, Robintmorris, DumZiBoT, Darkicebot, CianDi, Newsnetwork, Addbot, Smetanahue,
Leszek Jaczuk, Kaj1mada, Vega2, Michaelwuzthere, Bae gab1978, Webgembaseballstar, Abqdan, Numbo3-bot, Jarmanj Turtash, Tide
rolls, Kiril Simeonovski, Krano, Zorrobot, PlankBot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, JWroblewski, Adi, Njpgm, Amirobot, Vit Chi, QueenCake,
Champlain and St. Lawrence Railroad, MacTire02, AnomieBOT, , AdjustShift, Materialscientist, Davie-Dogg, ArthurBot,
DirlBot, LilHelpa, Xqbot, Addihockey10, Estlandia~enwiki, Wyklety, Terrakyte, Apples grow on pines, Satpin2, Sandro.maoret, Leonek9,
GrouchoBot, Frosted14, RibotBOT, Basharh, MerlLinkBot, KupisW, Hersfold tool account, Marta.simeckova, Tktru, FrescoBot, LucienBOT, BartomiejB, Tobby72, VS6507, D'ohBot, Chaim Shel, Citation bot 1, Ihearttravis, I dream of horses, Bheuninckx, RedBot,
Wadysaw Komorek, Cnwilliams, Cusio, Orenburg1, FoxBot, Thrissel, TobeBot, ItsZippy, Dinamik-bot, Anti-Nationalist, Routlee, MaxEspinho, Codenamemary, Sourcelat0r, Podagrycznik, RjwilmsiBot, TjBot, MShabazz, In ictu oculi, Piotrek54321, Steve03Mills, EmausBot,
Paavo273, John of Reading, WikitanvirBot, Ajraddatz, Tataral, Farragutful, QECUB, TuHan-Bot, Wikipelli, K6ka, Solomonfromnland,
ARCitect, ZroBot, Illegitimate Barrister, Wojgniew, KarlHeintz, Zezen, H3llBot, IIIraute, Pl2241, Neverignorant, SporkBot, Dohn joe,
Wildsoi5, Ctebert, Syrio, Rostz, 1felco, GermanJoe, HandsomeFella, Spicemix, Adpl1590, ClueBot NG, Adys16, Green4liberty, MelbourneStar, This lousy T-shirt, NordhornerII, Floatjon, Snotbot, Widr, Danim, Vibhijain, Asalrifai, Helpful Pixie Bot, Furor Teutonicus,
Doro1984, Tholme, BG19bot, Iselilja, Inrobert, Dan653, Mark Arsten, Limakewicz, Rubysmit, Enredados, Mayast, Maurice Flesier, BattyBot, Guanaco55, Decathlete, Khazar2, Egeymi, Sarunas.a, May koleka, 99801155KC9TV, DA - DP, Charles Essie, VictorD7, Egbert
Reeve, TDKR Chicago 101, TzviMichelsohn, Aaronzhang101, Tentinator, ArmbrustBot, Kennethaw88, Monkbot, Filedelinkerbot, Truth
about past, Nicnote, JezGrove, ShookTea, Marta Malina Moraczewska, GreekLeft100, KasparBot, Heraldic King of Arms, Aaaaaaaahhahah, Pam-javelin, Azzifeldman, Referencerr, Entranced98, Andrzej Tadeusz Winiewski, Ukarumpa, Marianna251, SilverplateDelta,
Prof.Einstein, Joseph Gro, Jan Columbus, JosephFrontroyal, Bender the Bot, Lance2206 and Anonymous: 477

13.2

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13.3

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