Adam Michnik
Adam Michnik (17 Oct. 1946) is the editor-in-chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, the biggest daily in Poland. An historian, he is the co-founder of KOR (Committee for the Defense of Workers) in 1976. He was detained many times during 1965-1980 and was a prominent „Solidarity" activist during the '80ties. He spent a total of six years in Polish prisons for activities opposing the communist regime. Adam Michnik was a member of the Round Table Talks 1989 and of the first non-communist parliament (1989-1991). Editor-in-chief of the first independent Polish newspaper - Gazeta Wyborcza, Adam Michnik is the laureate of many prizes and titles: the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, The Erasmus Prize, The Francisco Cerecedo Journalist Prize as a first non-Spanish author, the Grand Prince Giedymin Order. He is Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur. He is also the recipient of a doctorate honoris causa from The New School for Social Research in New York, from the University of Minnesota, the University of Michigan, from Connecticut College and is honorary senator of the University of Ljubljana and honorary professor of the Kyiv Mohyla Academy.
In September 2011, he was awarded with the Goethe Medal by the Goethe-Institut. In 2012 he received the degree of doctor honoris causa of the University of Klaipeda and the University of Ljubljana. For his support to the freedom of Lithuania and Lithuanians support in the fight against Soviet aggression, the Lithuanian Parliament unanimously awarded him the prestigious Freedom Award (13 January 2015). In September 2015 he received the Adam Mickiewicz award granted for contribution to the development of French-German-Polish cooperation within the framework of the Weimar Triangle. Adam Michnik is the author of several books: Kościół, Lewica, Dialog (Church, the Left, Dialogue), Paris 1977; Z dziejów honoru w Polsce. Wypisy więzienne (from the History of Honour in Poland. Prison Notes), Paris 1985; Między Panem a Plebanem, Warszawa 1995; Wściekłość i wstyd, Warszawa 2005; W poszukiwaniu utraconego sensu, Warszawa 2007.
