The Letter of 59 (also known as the ''Memorial'' or ''Memorandum of 59'') was an open letter signed by 66 (or 59 at first, hence the name) Polish

intellectual An intellectual is a person who engages in critical thinking, research, and reflection about the reality of society, and who proposes solutions for the normative problems of society. Coming from the world of culture, either as a creator or a ...

s who protested against the changes of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland that were made by the communist party of Poland in 1975. Additional people signed the letter in January 1976. The letter was closely related to the

Helsinki Accords The Helsinki Final Act, also known as Helsinki Accords or Helsinki Declaration was the document signed at the closing meeting of the third phase of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) held in Helsinki, Finland, between ...

. On September 1, 1975 the Polish socialist government signed "The Blue Book" of the OSCE (the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe) committing to, among other things, respect for

human rights Human rights are Morality, moral principles or Social norm, normsJames Nickel, with assistance from Thomas Pogge, M.B.E. Smith, and Leif Wenar, 13 December 2013, Stanford Encyclopedia of PhilosophyHuman Rights Retrieved 14 August 2014 for ce ...

and refraining from the threat or use of force. Meanwhile, the new changes to the Polish constitution proposed by the Polish United Workers' Party after the Helsinki Accords, included new ideological

clause In language, a clause is a constituent that comprises a semantic predicand (expressed or not) and a semantic predicate. A typical clause consists of a subject and a syntactic predicate, the latter typically a verb phrase composed of a verb with ...

s pronouncing and reaffirming the "steering role of the Party in the nation," the "socialist character of the nation," a "permanent and unbreakable alliance with the Soviet Union," and most of all, that the "government obligation to respect the rights of the citizens" is ''conditional'' only, and "dependent on the citizens fulfilling their obligations towards the country." The communist government criticized the letter of protest publicly, with Edward Gierek calling the signatories "furious anticommunists, politically blind". Eventually, although the constitution was changed, the above fragments were redrafted to sound more neutral: # the steering role of the Party "in the nation" was changed to "in the building of socialism" # "alliance" with the USSR was replaced with "friendship" # citizens' rights were not linked with their obligations The government could not officially persecute the signatories for their letter, although various semi-official persecutions were implemented, for example, some authors had the government agencies refuse to print or distribute their books for several years thereafter.

Signatories

Italics refer to the additional signatories from early 1976 * Stefan Amsterdamski * Stanisław Barańczak * Ewa Bieńkowska *

Jacek Bierezin Jacek is a Polish given name of Greek origin related Hyacinth, through the archaic form of ''Jacenty''. Its closely related equivalents are: Jacinto (Spanish and Portuguese), Giacinto (Italian), Jácint ( Hungarian) and Jacint (Catalan, shortened ...

*'' Henryk Błachnio'' * Irena Byrska * Tadeusz Byrski * Bohdan Chwedeńczuk *

Ludwik Cohn Ludwik () is a Polish given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ludwik Czyżewski, Polish WWII general * Ludwik Fleck (1896–1961), Polish medical doctor and biologist * Ludwik Gintel (1899–1973), Polish-Israeli Olympic soccer player ...

* Andrzej Drawicz *

Jerzy Ficowski Jerzy Tadeusz Ficowski (; October 4, 1924 in Warsaw – May 9, 2006 in Warsaw) was a Polish poet, writer and translator (from Yiddish, Russian, Romani and Hungarian). Biography and works During the German occupation of Poland in World War II, ...

Kornel Filipowicz Kornel Filipowicz (27 October 1913 – 28 February 1990) was a Polish novelist, poet and screenwriter, most notable for his short stories. Works (selection) Poetry * ''Mijani'' (''The Ones Passed By'', 1943) * ''Powiedz to słowo'' (''Say This Wo ...

Zbigniew Herbert Zbigniew Herbert (; 29 October 1924 – 28 July 1998) was a Polish poet, essayist, drama writer and moralist. He is one of the best known and the most translated post-war Polish writers. While he was first published in the 1950s (a volume title ...

Ryszard Herczyński Ryszard () is the Polish equivalent of "Richard", and may refer to: *Ryszard Andrzejewski (born 1976), Polish rap musician, songwriter and producer *Ryszard Bakst (1926–1999), Polish and British pianist and piano teacher of Jewish/Polish/Russian ...

Maryla Hopfinger Maryla may refer to: * Maryla Jonas (1911–1959), Polish classical pianist * Maryla Rodowicz, stage name of Polish singer and actress Maria Antonina Rodowicz (born 1945) * Maryla Szymiczkowa, pen name of Polish poet, writer, translator and paint ...

Zdzisław Jaroszewski Zdzisław may refer to: People * Zdzisław (given name), a Slavic male given name Places * Zdzisław, Lubusz Voivodeship, a village in Poland * Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium Zdzisław may refer to: People * Zdzisław (given name), a Slavic ma ...

Anna Kamieńska Anna Kamieńska (12 April 1920 in Krasnystaw – 10 May 1986 in Warsaw) was a Polish poet, writer, translator and literary critic who wrote many books for children and adolescents. Life Kamieńska was born on 12 April 1920, in Krasnystaw. Her pa ...

Jakub Karpiński Jacob is a common male given name and a less well-known surname. It is a cognate of James, derived from Late Latin ''Iacobus'', from Greek ''Iakobos'', from Hebrew (''Yaʿaqōḇ''), the name of the Hebrew patriarch, Jacob son of Isaac and R ...

Wojciech Karpiński Wojciech Karpiński (11 May 1943 – 18 August 2020) was a Polish writer, historian of ideas and literary critic. Life Wojciech Karpiński was born on 11 May 1943 in Warsaw, the son of the architect Zbigniew Karpiński and a grandson of ...

Jan Kielanowski Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

Stefan Kisielewski Stefan Kisielewski (7 March 1911 in Warsaw – 27 September 1991 in Warsaw, Poland), nicknames Kisiel, Julia Hołyńska, Teodor Klon, Tomasz Staliński, was a Polish writer, publicist, composer and politician, and one of the members of Znak, one ...

Jacek Kleyff Jacek is a Polish given name of Greek origin related Hyacinth, through the archaic form of ''Jacenty''. Its closely related equivalents are: Jacinto (Spanish and Portuguese), Giacinto (Italian), Jácint ( Hungarian) and Jacint (Catalan, shortened ...

Leszek Kołakowski Leszek Kołakowski (; ; 23 October 1927 – 17 July 2009) was a Polish philosopher and historian of ideas. He is best known for his critical analyses of Marxist thought, especially his three-volume history, '' Main Currents of Marxism'' (1976). ...

Julian Kornhauser Julian Kornhauser (born 20 September 1946 in Gliwice, Poland) is a Polish poet and literary critic. He was born to a Jews, Jewish father and a Catholic Church, Catholic mother, as a son of Jakub and Małgorzata Kornhauser. He is an author of poe ...

* Maria Komiłowicz *

Mieczysław Kotlarczyk Mieczysław Kotlarczyk (1908–1978) was a Polish actor, theatre director and literary critic. Kotlarczyk studied Polish Philology at the Jagiellonian University (Kraków), graduating with Master's (1931) and Doctorate (1936) degrees in philo ...

* Marcin Król *

Ryszard Krynicki Ryszard Krynicki (Polish: ; born 28 June 1943) is a Polish poet and translator, member of the Polish "New Wave" Movement. He is regarded as one of the most prominent post-war contemporary Polish poets. In 2015, he was awarded the Zbigniew Herber ...

Jacek Kuroń Jacek Jan Kuroń (; 3 March 1934 – 17 June 2004) was one of the democratic leaders of opposition in the People's Republic of Poland. He was widely known as the "godfather of the Polish opposition," not unlike Václav Havel in Czechoslovakia. Ku ...

* Stanisław Leśniewski * Edward Lipiński *

Jan Józef Lipski Jan Józef Lipski (26 May 1926 in Warsaw – 10 September 1991 in Kraków) was a Polish critic, literature historian, politician and freemason. As a soldier of the Home Army ( Armia Krajowa), he fought in the Warsaw Uprising. Editor of collected w ...

* Zdzisław Łapiński *'' Hanna Malewska'' *ks. Stanisław Małkowski *

Jerzy Markuszewski Jerzy Markuszewski (16 December 1930 – 16 October 2007) was a Polish theater director and anti-Communist dissident. Born in Warsaw, Markuszewski was one of the co-signers of Letter of 59, which protested the altering of the Constitution of ...

* Adam Mauersberger * Adam Michnik * Halina Mikołajska *

Jan Nepomucen Miller Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

* Ludwik Muzyczka *

Zygmunt Mycielski Count Zygmunt Mycielski (17 August 1907 – 5 August 1987) was a Polish composer and music critic. He was born in Przeworsk and completed his childhood education in Kraków, where he was taught by Bernardino Rizzi. In 1928, Mycielski moved to Par ...

* Jerzy Narbutt * Jan Olszewski *

Antoni Pajdak Antoni is a Catalan, Polish, and Slovene given name and a surname used in the eastern part of Spain, Poland and Slovenia. As a Catalan given name it is a variant of the male names Anton and Antonio. As a Polish given name it is a variant of the fem ...

Krzysztof Pomian Krzysztof Pomian (born 1934), is a Polish philosopher, historian and essayist. He is a professor of history at the Uniwersytet Mikołaja Kopernika (Nicolaus Copernicus University) in Toruń and, in 2001, was academic director of the (now closed ...

*''

Hanna Rudzka-Cybisowa Hanna Rudzka-Cybisowa (1897-1988) was a Polish artist and teacher. Biography Rudzka-Cybisowa was born on 27 June 1897 in Mława, Poland. She studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw where she was taught by . In 1923 Rudzka-Cybisowa becam ...

'' *

Józef Rybicki Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...

*o. Jacek Salij *

Władysław Siła-Nowicki Władysław is a Polish given male name, cognate with Vladislav. The feminine form is Władysława, archaic forms are Włodzisław (male) and Włodzisława (female), and Wladislaw is a variation. These names may refer to: Famous people Mononym *W ...

* Stanisław Skalski *

Antoni Słonimski Antoni Słonimski (15 November 1895 – 4 July 1976) was a Polish poet, artist, journalist, playwright and prose writer, president of the Union of Polish Writers in 1956–1959 during the Polish October, known for his devotion to social justic ...

Aniela Steinsbergowa Aniela Zofia Steinsbergowa, (born on 27 June 1896 in Vienna; died on 22 December 1988 in Warsaw) was a Polish lawyerRobert Jarocki, ''Aniela Steinsberg'', in: ''Polski Słownik Biograficzny'', tom XLIII, 2004–200online/ref> known for her work in d ...

Julian Stryjkowski Julian Stryjkowski (born Pesach Stark; April 27, 1905 – August 8, 1996) was a Polish journalist and writer, known for his social prose and radical leftist leanings. He was considered one of the best Polish-Jewish writers of the communist era. S ...

Jan Józef Szczepański Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

Adam Szczypiorski Adam; el, Ἀδάμ, Adám; la, Adam is the name given in Genesis 1-5 to the first human. Beyond its use as the name of the first man, ''adam'' is also used in the Bible as a pronoun, individually as "a human" and in a collective sense as " ...

Kazimierz Szelągowski Kazimierz (; la, Casimiria; yi, קוזמיר, Kuzimyr) is a historical district of Kraków and Kraków Old Town, Poland. From its inception in the 14th century to the early 19th century, Kazimierz was an independent city, a royal city of the Cr ...

* Wisława Szymborska *

Jacek Trznadel Jacek is a Polish given name of Greek origin related Hyacinth, through the archaic form of ''Jacenty''. Its closely related equivalents are: Jacinto (Spanish and Portuguese), Giacinto (Italian), Jácint ( Hungarian) and Jacint (Catalan, shortened ...

*'' Tadeusz Wojnarowski'' * Maria Wosiek * Adam Zagajewski *

Wacław Zawadzki Wacław is a Polish masculine given name. It is a borrowing of cz, Václav, Latinized as Wenceslaus. For etymology and cognates in other languages, see Wenceslaus. It may refer to: * Wacław Leszczyński *Wacław of Szamotuły *Wacław Hański ...

*''

Barbara Zbrożyna Barbara Zbrożyna (1923–1995) was a Polish sculptor, creator of figural sculptures, monuments, portraits, religious and sepulchral sculptures. Her style evolved from realism through the synthetic simplifications, expressive and metaphoric defo ...

'' *ks.

Jan Zieja Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

Wojciech Ziembiński Wojciech () is a Polish name, equivalent to Czech Vojtěch , Slovak Vojtech, and German Woitke. The name is formed from two components in archaic Polish: * ''wój'' (Slavic: ''voj''), a root pertaining to war. It also forms words like ''wojownik ...

In addition in January 1976, 78 emigrants and exiled Polish intellectuals also signed the letter, including: *

Adam Ciołkosz Adam Ciołkosz (; January 5, 1901 – October 1, 1978) was a Polish scout, soldier, publicist and politician, who was one of the most important leaders of the Polish Socialist Party, both in the Second Polish Republic and in exile during and ...

* Lidia Ciołkosz * Maria Danilewiczowa *

Józef Garliński Józef Garliński (14 October 1913 - 29 November 2005) was a Polish historian and prose writer. He was a survivor of Auschwitz concentration camp and wrote books on the history of World War II, some of which were translated into English. In par ...

Gustaw Herling-Grudziński Gustaw Herling-Grudziński (; May 20, 1919 − July 4, 2000) was a Polish writer, journalist, essayist, World War II underground fighter, and political dissident abroad during the communist system in Poland. He is best known for writing a personal ...

Jan Kott Jan Kott (October 27, 1914 – December 22, 2001) was a Polish political activist, critic and theoretician of the theatre. A leading proponent of Stalinism in Poland for nearly a decade after the Soviet takeover, Kott renounced his Communist P ...

Józef Łobodowski Józef Stanisław Łobodowski (19 March 1909 – 18 April 1988) was a Polish literature, Polish poet and Political philosophy, political thinker. His poetic works are broadly divided into two distinct phases: the earlier one, until about 1934, ...

* Tadeusz Nowakowski * Edward Bernard Raczyński * Zofia Romanowiczowa * Tymon Terlecki * Wiktor Trościanko *

Leopold Tyrmand Leopold Tyrmand (May 16, 1920 – March 19, 1985) was a Polish novelist, writer, and editor. Tyrmand emigrated from Poland to the United States in 1966, and five years later married an American, Mary Ellen Fox. He served as editor of an anti-comm ...

Józef Wittlin Józef Wittlin (1896–1976) was a Polish novelist, poet and translator. Life After graduating from a classical gimnazjum in Lwów, Wittlin joined the volunteer military formation of the Polish Legion in August 1914. His unit was however soon ...

{{Authority control Open letters 1975 in Poland 1975 documents