Andrzej Bobola Czuma (born 7 December 1938 in
Lublin
Lublin is the ninth-largest city in Poland and the second-largest city of historical Lesser Poland. It is the capital and the center of Lublin Voivodeship with a population of 336,339 (December 2021). Lublin is the largest Polish city east of t ...
) is a Polish politician, lawyer and historian. He was an activist of the Polish anti-Communist opposition in the
Polish People's Republic
The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million nea ...
and was oppressed and imprisoned by the Communist authorities. In the 1980s he left for the USA where he became an activist in the community of Polish
expats
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
. Since 2006, Czuma has been a member of the
Polish Parliament
The parliament of Poland is the bicameral legislature of Poland. It is composed of an upper house (the Senate) and a lower house (the Sejm). Both houses are accommodated in the ''Sejm'' complex in Warsaw. The Constitution of Poland does not ref ...
as a representative of the
Civic Platform
Civic Platform ( pl, Platforma Obywatelska, PO)The party is officially the Civic Platform of the Republic of Poland (''Platforma Obywatelska Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej''). is a political party in Poland. It is currently led by Donald Tusk.
It w ...
political party.
He studied law at
Warsaw University
The University of Warsaw ( pl, Uniwersytet Warszawski, la, Universitas Varsoviensis) is a public university in Warsaw, Poland. Established in 1816, it is the largest institution of higher learning in the country offering 37 different fields of ...
. He was one of the founders of ''
Ruch'' - an anti-Communist organisation aiming at making Poland a democratic country and was imprisoned by the Communist authorities. In June 1970, he was sentenced to 7 years' imprisonment for "an attempt to overthrow the Communist government by force". He was a spokesperson for and one of the leaders of the
Movement for Defense of Human and Civic Rights Movement for Defence of Human and Civic Rights ( pl, Ruch Obrony Praw Człowieka i Obywatela, ROPCiO) was a right-wing political and social organization formed in People's Republic of Poland in March 1977. It tried to resist the regime by denouncing ...
(Ruch Obrony Praw Człowieka i Obywatela, ROPCiO) as well as an editor of ''Opinia'' magazine. He was sentenced to 3 months' imprisonment in March 1980 for organising a celebration of Independence Day in front of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier ( pl, Grób Nieznanego Żołnierza) is a monument in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to the unknown soldiers who have given their lives for Poland. It is one of many such national Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, tombs of u ...
on 11 November 1979. After the nationwide anti-Communist protests in August 1980 he became an advisor to the
Solidarity
''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...
movement in
Silesia
Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...
region as well as the publisher and editor of ''Wiadomości Katowickie'' magazine. He was imprisoned from 12 December 1981 to 23 December 1982 in internment camps in
Białołęka
Białołęka (, from ''biały'' - ''white'' and ''łąka'' - ''meadow'') is one of 18 districts of Warsaw, located in the northern part of the city. Until October 27, 2002 Białołęka was a gmina. The name ''Białołęka'' comes from a nobleman ...
, Jaworze and
Darłówko
Darłówko (german: Rügenwaldermünde) is a seaside neighborhood and a popular summertime resort in the town of Darłowo on the southern coast of the Baltic Sea in northern Poland. It is the site of a yearly gathering of old military vehicles, ...
.
In 1986 he moved to
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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as a
political refugee
The right of asylum (sometimes called right of political asylum; ) is an ancient juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereign authority, like a second country or another ent ...
, where during the first two years he worked as a house painter and factory worker. In 1988 Czuma started to host his own radio show broadcast in the
Chicago region
The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and hint ...
first on WNVR 1030 AM and next on
WPNA 1490 AM and was considered a prominent leader of
Chicago's Polonia
Both immigrant Poles and Americans of Polish heritage live in Chicago, Illinois. They are a part of worldwide '' Polonia'', the Polish term for the Polish Diaspora outside of Poland. Poles in Chicago have contributed to the economic, social an ...
.
On 12 December 2006, he was sworn in as a member of the
Polish Parliament
The parliament of Poland is the bicameral legislature of Poland. It is composed of an upper house (the Senate) and a lower house (the Sejm). Both houses are accommodated in the ''Sejm'' complex in Warsaw. The Constitution of Poland does not ref ...
. He was reelected in the next election on 21 October 2007. Czuma was the
Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a v ...
from 23 January to 7 October 2009.
Czuma was awarded the Officer's Cross of the
Order of Polonia Restituta
The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on al ...
by President
Kazimierz Sabbat
Kazimierz Aleksander Sabbat (27 February 1913 – 19 July 1989), was President of Poland- in-exile from 8 April 1986 until his death, 19 July 1989, after serving (from 1976) as Prime Minister of the Polish government-in-exile.
Early life
S ...
and the Commander's Cross with Star of Polonia Restituta by the Polish President
Lech Kaczyński
Lech Aleksander Kaczyński (; 18 June 194910 April 2010) was a Polish politician who served as the city mayor of Warsaw from 2002 until 2005, and as President of Poland from 2005 until his death in 2010. Before his tenure as president, he prev ...
.
References
*
External links
Czuma family page
{{DEFAULTSORT:Czuma, Andrzej
1938 births
Living people
Politicians from Lublin
University of Warsaw alumni
Members of the Polish Sejm 2007–2011
Members of the Polish Sejm 2005–2007
Commanders with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Solidarity (Polish trade union) activists
Polish prisoners and detainees
Civic Platform politicians
20th-century Polish lawyers
Polish journalists
Polish-American culture in Chicago
Justice ministers of Poland
Polish dissidents