polish born september retired polish politician labor activist founded headed solidarity soviet independent trade union won nobel peace prize served president poland trade soon beginning work shipyard shipyard trade union activist persecuted communist authorities placed surveillance fired arrested times august instrumental political negotiations led ground breaking agreement striking workers government founder solidarity trade union movement martial law imposed poland solidarity outlawed arrested release custody continued activism prominent establishment round table agreement led semi free parliamentary elections june solidarity led government polish general election successfully ran newly established office president poland presided poland transition communism post communist state popularity waned role polish politics diminished narrowly lost presidential election continues speak lecture history politics poland abroad personal life born german occupied poland father carpenter rounded interned forced labor camp outpost german occupying forces born returned home war died months later exhaustion illness shortly 34th birthday mother née credited shaping son beliefs married brother law farmer elder siblings edward younger half brothers mother stepfather emigrated economic reasons lived died car accident died heart attack buried poland graduated primary school nearby qualified worked car mechanic embarked year military service attaining rank corporal beginning work july called shipyard november married couple children anna anna running father office european underwent placement cardiac solidarity movement early career interested workers concerns encouraged shipyard colleagues boycott official rallies condemned recent student strikes charismatic leader helped organize illegal strikes shipyard workers protested government decree raising food prices considered position chairman strike committee strikes outcome involved deaths workers views need change june lost job shipyard continued involvement illegal unions strikes campaign commemorate victims protests worked companies activism led continually laid long periods family constant surveillance polish secret police home workplace years arrested times participating activities worked closely group emerged lend aid people arrested labor strikes families june activist underground free trade unions coast august rise food prices led strike shipyard scaled shipyard fence quickly strike leaders strike inspired similar strikes spread poland headed inter plant strike committee coordinating workers plants region august government represented signed accord agreement agreement granted workers right strike permitted form independent trade union chosen chairman committee solidarity trade union quickly grew ultimately claiming million members quarter poland population role strike negotiations newly formed independent trade union gained fame international stage held position december general declared martial law poland solidarity leaders activists arrested incarcerated months november eastern towns near soviet border october solidarity outlawed applied return shipyard year awarded nobel peace prize unable accept fearing poland government let country wife accepted prize behalf mid-1980s continued underground solidarity related activities issue leading underground weekly publication bore motto solidarity divided destroyed following amnesty solidarity activists founded overt legal solidarity entity declaration martial law organized led semi illegal instigated work strikes shipyard months strikes political conclusion 10th session polish communist party government agreed enter lasted february april informal leader non governmental negotiations talks traveled poland giving speeches support negotiations end talks government signed agreement establish organize semi free elections polish parliament accordance round table agreement members communist_party allies stand percent seats lower house december founded solidarity citizens committee ostensibly advisory body practice political party won parliamentary elections june solidarity took seats subject free elections seat newly established senate solidarity public figures active appearing campaign posters run parliament solidarity winners elections referred team team appeared election posters ostensibly chairman solidarity played key role practical politics august persuaded leaders parties allied communist_party form non communist coalition government non communist government parliament elected non communist prime minister poland years presidency following june parliamentary elections disappointed fellow satisfied govern alongside communists decided run newly established office president slogan don want got choice december won presidential election defeating prime minister candidates freely elected president poland years non communist president years founded political party support reforms acronym echoed cooperation government likewise ostensibly non political organization presidency saw poland transition free market economy plan poland completely free parliamentary elections period country foreign relations successfully negotiated withdrawal soviet troops poland won substantial reduction foreign debts supported poland entry nato european_union occurred presidency respectively early 1990s proposed creation sub regional security system called nato concept supported right wing populist movements poland garnered little support abroad poland neighbors lithuania recently regained independence tended proposal polish neo criticized style war solidarity allies clashed causing annual changes government increasingly isolated political scene lost political allies came surrounded people viewed public incompetent election campaigns reputation thought higher education plain spoken post president thought erratic views complained authoritarian sought strengthen power expense national security advisor credited shortcomings presidency inability office president institution effective union leader capable workers felt president difficulty power navigating bureaucracy problems compounded difficult transition market economy long run seen highly successful lost government popular support performed poorly parliamentary elections times popular support percent narrowly lost presidential election winning percent vote round percent run represented polish post communists democratic left alliance fate sealed poor handling media televised debates appeared rude response extended hand end debates replied post communist leader shake leg election said going political retirement role politics increasingly marginal post presidency losing election announced return work soon changed mind chose travel world lecture circuit developed portfolio lectures impact expanded nato democracy ending battle solidarity new millennium reads universities public events appearance fee founded think tank mission achievements educate young generations promote democracy build civil society poland world founded new party 3rd polish republic hoping help successfully run future elections contention presidential election ended crushing defeat polled percent vote humiliation increased elected round percent vote communist polled seventh place announced withdrawal polish politics quit solidarity protest union support ruling right wing law justice party twin brothers prominent solidarity serving country president prime minister respectively main point disagreement focus involved communist rule party attempt public files communist secret police members government parliament declare connection security services supporters argued called transparency legislation advocated government turn witch hunt poles possibly collaborated communist secret police face exposure despite popularity home international reputation remained untouched continued lecture circuit world occasionally appearing headlines widely publicized interview expressed disappointment nobel president barack_obama told cnn elected great hope world hoping obama reclaim moral leadership america failed terms politics morality america longer leads world accused obama nobel peace prize presidential campaign endorsed obama opponent september hit headlines sharing thoughts crisis europe media saying watching refugees television noticed fed dressed maybe richer europe opens gates soon millions come living start exercising customs including secret police early 1980s accusations served informant communist security services 1970s despite ruling special court cleared allegations collaboration controversy allegations resurfaced publication book purported prove code operative security services issue resurfaced february seized materials widow minister interior claimed document role spy security services court ruling august running presidential campaign time cleared special charges collaborated communist era secret services reported activities fellow shipyard workers lack evidence anti communists members led solidarity trade union interior minister testified closed trial said testified heavy heart expressed disappointment mistake going openly public missed important chance according court cleared technical grounds find certain original documents destroyed offered sufficient proof lying head started process screening people suspected communist collaborators poland june year helped prepare list members government parliament named spies police records included polish president included list internal debate virtues honesty versus political discretion response publication list president immediately engineered fall prime minister dismissal interior minister parliamentary committee later concluded signed agreement secret police polish law requirement seeking high public office according law crime collaborated denies found lied banned political life years presidential election use law despite helping receive official status victim communist regime court ruling convince poles november sued president poland repeated collaboration allegations months later failed invite commemoration service arguably saved life presidential plane crashed killing board august lost libel case fellow activist publicly accused communist agent 1970s book comprehensive analysis possible collaboration secret police provided book secret police biographical contribution book written historians included documents archives secret police inherited institute documents registration cards notes secret police reports informant book authors said working code secret police informant released arrest till fired shipyard according wrote reports informed people persecuted communist police identified people colleagues work listening example book describes fate seven alleged victims information destroyed stolen files according received services monthly salary time authors said activity poland half 1970s minimal role marginal according book despite formally ties went contacts communist officials book said presidency office destroy evidence collaboration secret police removing documents archives according book historians discovered help state intelligence agency interior minister members administration borrowed archives secret police files connections returned key pages removed discovered turn following inquiry discontinued political reasons despite case attracting public attention said nominated nobel peace prize secret police tried leaked information previous collaboration government time popular poles believe official media dismissed allegations manipulation communist authorities book print run sold poland hours book received substantial coverage media provoked nationwide debate noted international press vowed sue authors archives february warsaw announced seized package original documents allegedly proved paid communist informant documents dated period seized home recently deceased interior minister general documents authenticity confirmed archival expert examination demanded prosecutors months consists personal file containing pages documents including commitment cooperate secret police dated december signed pledge admit collaboration secret police family file contains having received funds work file contains pages documents including numerous reports workers notes secret police officers meetings according note agreed collaborate fear persecution workers protest documents provided information opinions actions workers took money information enthusiasm diminished quality information decreased deemed longer valuable collaboration terminated sealed contained letter hand written april informs director accompanying files documenting collaboration asks publish information years death letter said kept documents reach revolution trying protect reputation sure disappear political reasons letter accompanying documents sent february months death widow maria approached suggested selling archives according polish law documents political police handed state administration institute notified prosecutor office conducted police search house seized historic documents later said read husband letter mistake response years denied collaborating communist secret police dismissed files created compromise denies presidency removed documents archives denied having seen secret police file publication book said president borrow file didn remove saw documents clearly told tape seal file wrote don open didn obey removed papers casting suspicion interior minister denied cover said legal right documents available president original documents removed file contained offered conflicting statements authenticity documents initially appeared come close admission saying december signed documents escape secret police autobiography way hope said truth left clash completely pure gave condition signature signed denies acted collaboration agreement later years said documents told bbc find signature agreeing collaborate publication biography connecting secret police idea history threatened leave poland historians continue question past said revealing information historian decide serves poland accusations resurfaced discovery february called files lies said took money spoken written report said polish public believe allegations betrayed safely led poland complete victory communism blog february said 1970s secret police officer sign financial documents officer lost money handed purchase vehicle appealed officer step forward clear accusations religious personal views devout roman catholic christian staunch opponent abortion presidency signed law restricting poland law reversed virtually free access abortion existed limited use cases woman life danger pregnancy resulted rape damaged doctors violate rules face years prison abortion law restrictive europe deeply divided country saw solidarity coalition split liberals conservatives supported public opinion polls indicated poles favored retaining liberal abortion law million poles signed petition demanding governmental law group women legislators tried ease criteria abortion vetoed amendment known anti gay position said polish television homosexual people right prominent role politics know minority adjust smaller things said homosexual mps sit wall parliament despite sharp international criticism legal complaint propaganda hate sexual minority refused apologize comments political rally described gay people sick said believe people need medical treatment drawing new polish constitution president argued inclusion gay rights provisions city authorities san_francisco renamed street anti gay remarks deputy speaker said anti gay position international career human rights speaker honors awarded nobel peace prize received state decorations awards countries including order bath order merit germany france declined accept lithuanian highest order citing displeasure lithuania policy polish established international airport officially renamed signature incorporated airport logo college hall chicago streets schools canada france sweden poland named named man year time magazine newspapers magazines awarded honorary universities world including harvard_university named honorary black belt honorary citizen cities including london buffalo united_states recipient liberty medal year received presidential medal freedom non head state address joint meeting united_states congress symbolically represented europe carrying olympic flag opening ceremony winter olympics represented newly countries official accession ceremony authority assigned personal coat arms occasion cultural references portrayed character based number feature films notable man hope biographical drama oscar winning filmmaker lives wife shows change shipyard worker charismatic labor leader film shot historical locations depicted events including won awards including silver hugo award venice film festival nominated awards man iron film solidarity movement main character young worker involved anti communist labor movement clearly portrayed parallel appears movie film brief censorship poland formation solidarity august suppression december awarded prize jury cannes film festival film nominated oscar best foreign language film gained seven awards nominations films produced poland intended produce major movie million budget starring company paid million fee rights produce biopic movie payment sparked controversy poland years later emerged concealed income avoid paying taxes tax office initiated tax fraud case later dismissed year statute limitations run inspired write hit single new year day coincidentally polish authorities lifted martial law january day single released hero number polish pop songs including satirical hit titled don trust eponymous album punk rock band chamber opera solidarity starring premiered san francisco opera berkeley california september publications way hope isbn road freedom polish warsaw editions struggle triumph autobiography translated philip franklin new_york isbn poland polish warsaw isbn
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