Zenon Kliszko ( Łódź, December 8, 1908 – September 4, 1989, Warsaw), was a politician in the Polish People's Republic, considered the man of Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR) leader Władysław Gomułka. Kliszko graduated from Warsaw University and joined the Polish Communist Party in 1931. He was arrested in 1934 for anti-state agitation and released after the courts established that he was mentally challenged. Kliszko took part in the Warsaw Uprising during Nazi German occupation of Poland and escaped capture by swimming across the river. He met Gomułka in Lublin, befriended him, and became the KC PZPR

functionary An official is someone who holds an office (function or mandate, regardless whether it carries an actual working space with it) in an organization or government and participates in the exercise of authority, (either their own or that of their ...

after the Soviet takeover in 1945.

Crimes

Kliszko was responsible for issuing an order to regular army units under General Bolesław Chocha to open fire on striking workers in

Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...

and Gdynia during the Polish 1970 protests. On Kliszko´s advice and recommendation, the communist party took down the production of Dziady by Mickiewicz at the

Polish Theatre In common with other European countries, the most frequent and most popular form of theatre in Poland is dramatic theatre, based on the existence of relatively stable artistic companies. It is above all a theatre of directors, who decide on the ...

in Warsaw, leading to

1968 Polish political crisis The Polish 1968 political crisis, also known in Poland as March 1968, Students' March, or March events ( pl, Marzec 1968; studencki Marzec; wydarzenia marcowe), was a series of major student, intellectual and other protests against the ruling Poli ...

and the student protests across the country, brutally suppressed by ORMO, as well as the expulsion from Poland of thousands of individuals of Jewish ancestry. He was fired from his job and removed from the Party by Edward Gierek.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kliszko, Zenon 1908 births 1989 deaths Politicians from Łódź People from Piotrków Governorate Communist Party of Poland politicians Polish Workers' Party politicians Members of the Politburo of the Polish United Workers' Party Members of the State National Council Members of the Polish Sejm 1947–1952 Members of the Polish Sejm 1957–1961 Members of the Polish Sejm 1961–1965 Members of the Polish Sejm 1965–1969 Members of the Polish Sejm 1969–1972 Gwardia Ludowa members Armia Ludowa members Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Recipients of the Order of the Builders of People's Poland Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 2nd class Recipients of the Order of the Banner of Work Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery