RIP Wladyslaw Bartoszewski

[Martinus]

An Auschwitz survivor, then a Warsaw Uprising participant, and after 1989 twice a foreign affairs minister of Poland. Possibly the only Pole to ever speak before both the assembled houses of Bundestag and Bundesrat, as well as Knesset.

Died today in Warsaw. 

You can read more about him here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Władysław_Bartoszewski

[Admiral Yi]

He is survived by his widow Kholslaw.

[Barrister]

He is survived by his widow Kholslaw.

I don't know Bartoszewski from Adam, but after reading Marty's link he sounds like an incredibly inspiring fellow.  RIP.

[Martinus]

He is survived by his widow Kholslaw.

I don't know Bartoszewski from Adam, but after reading Marty's link he sounds like an incredibly inspiring fellow.  RIP.

He was, yes. One of the last great ones (if not the last one). Of course the nationalist-Catholic right (PiS) hated him, mainly because he considered them idiots and never failed to tell them that.

[Zanza]

Great man. He was instrumental in shaping Polish-German friendship after the end of the Cold War. RIP.

[Martinus]

Great man. He was instrumental in shaping Polish-German friendship after the end of the Cold War. RIP.

Yup. He was good friends with the Kohls. There is this anecdote how, during one official state visit to Warsaw, Bartoszewski suggested to Kohl that they should take time to go and visit Auschwitz together as that would have been seen as a strong symbolic move towards reconciliation. The visit schedule was quite tight and Auschwitz is quite a ride from Warsaw.

"But I've already been there" said Kohl.
"So have I!" said Bartoszewski.

[grumbler]

I can't imagine surviving what he did, or what, say, Nelson Mandela did, and come out the other side as optimistic and willing to work towards peace as Bartoszewski was.  He was the man.  RIP.