III 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 629 

Honoring the life of, and expressing the condolences of the Senate on the 

passing, of Bronislaw Geremek. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 29 (legislative day, JULY 28), 2008 

Mr. LUGAR (for himself and Mr. BIDEN) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

RESOLUTION 

Honoring the life of, and expressing the condolences of the 

Senate on the passing, of Bronislaw Geremek. 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was born on March 6, 1932, in 

Warsaw, Poland; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek led the democratic movement in 

Poland in the 1970s, with his moral clarity and perseverance; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was spirited out of the Warsaw 

Ghetto at the age of 7 and survived the Second World 

War in hiding from the Nazis; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was educated at the Faculty of 

History at the University of Warsaw and the E ́cole Pratique des Hautes E ́tudes in Paris and the Polish Academy of Sciences; 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
2 

•SRES 629 IS 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was a distinguished professor of 

history and received honorary degrees from University of 

Bologna, Utrecht University, the Sorbonne, Columbia 

University, and Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was a member of the Academia 

Europea, the PEN Club, and the Socie ́te ́ Europe ́ene de 

Culture and served as a visiting scholar at the Woodrow 

Wilson International Center for Scholars of the Smithsonian Institution; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek joined the Gdansk workers’ protest movement and became one of the leaders of the independent trade union ‘‘Solidarity’’ and chaired the Program Commission of the First National Convention of 

Solidarity in 1981; 

Whereas, in December 1981, Bronislaw Geremek was detained for his involvement with Solidarity following the 

imposition of martial law in Poland; 

Whereas, in his capacity as leader of the Commission for Political Reforms of the Civic Committee, Bronislaw 

Geremek worked to ensure a peaceful transition to democracy in Poland; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was a founder of the Democratic Union, a member of the Sejm, the lower house of 

parliament in Poland, and chairman of the Political 

Council of the Freedom Union from 1989 to 2001; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was the Minister of Foreign Affairs for Poland from 1997 to 2000 and was a courageous advocate for democracy and human rights; 

Whereas, in March 1999, Bronislaw Geremek led efforts of 

the Government of Poland to join the North Atlantic 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS
3 

•SRES 629 IS 

Treaty Organization, saying that ‘‘Poland returns to 

where she has always belonged: the free world’’; 

Whereas, in 2001, Bronislaw Geremek was elected to the European Parliament, where he was a member of the Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was a member of the Global 

Leadership Foundation; 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek was a recipient of the Order of 

the White Eagle, Poland’s most prestigious decoration; 

Whereas, through his valiant and persistent efforts, 

Bronislaw Geremek helped consolidate freedom in Eastern Europe and open the door to strong relations with 

the United States and the West; 

Whereas the bravery of Bronislaw Geremek gave hope to 

those around the world in their own struggles with oppression and tyranny; and 

Whereas Bronislaw Geremek made an invaluable contribution 

to his community, to Poland, and the world: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) honors the life and accomplishments of 

3 Bronislaw Geremek and expresses its condolences on 

4 his passing; and 

5 (2) requests that the Secretary transmit an en6 rolled copy of this resolution to the family of the de7 ceased and to the Ambassador of Poland to the 

8 United States. 

Æ 


jbell on PROD1PC69 with BILLS