Jerzy Kazimierz Kłoczowski (29 December 1924, Bogdany Wielkie,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

– 2 December 2017) was a Polish

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

, professor at the

John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (, , abbreviation KUL) is a university established in 1918. History :pl:Idzi Radziszewski, Father Idzi Benedykt Radziszewski founded the university in 1918. Vladimir Lenin, Lenin allowed the priest ...

, and former member of the Polish Senate. During World War II, Kłoczowski was a soldier of the

Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...

(''Armia Krajowa'') and participated in the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

, where he was seriously injured and lost his right hand. On leaving the military hospital in April 1945, he went to

Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań The Adam Mickiewicz University (; Latin: ''Universitas Studiorum Mickiewicziana Posnaniensis'') is a research university in Poznań, Poland. Due to its history, the university is traditionally considered among Poland's most reputable institution ...

and then to

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń or NCU (, UMK) is located in Toruń, Poland. It is named after Nicolaus Copernicus, who was born in Toruń in 1473. History The beginnings of higher education in Toruń The first institution of higher ...

, where he earned a degree and a Ph.D. (1950). Member of the anti-communist

Solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...

movement – after the fall of communism in Poland, Kłoczowski was elected Senator and member of the Commission for Foreign Affairs of the Senate, as well as the representative of the Polish Parliament at the

Council of Europe The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...

Early and private life

Jerzy Kłoczowski was son of Eugeniusz, a landlord, and Irena née Cichowska. He attended Gimnazjum im. Adama Mickiewicza (Adam Mickiewicz High School) in Warsaw since 1937. In 1947 he married Krystyna Minkiewicz. They had five children: Piotr, Paweł, Jan, Isia and Anna.

Career

Kłoczowski served as Professor of history at the

Catholic University of Lublin John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin (, , abbreviation KUL) is a university established in 1918. History Father Idzi Benedykt Radziszewski founded the university in 1918. Lenin allowed the priest to take the library and equipment of ...

, and Director of the Institute of East-Central Europe in Lublin, as well as Chair of the International Federation of Institutes of East-Central Europe, Chair of the Polish Commission of the Comparative History of Churches, Vice-Chair of the International Commission of the Comparative History of Churches, and Chair of the Polish Commission for

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. He was a former member of the

Executive Board, fellow of

Collegium Invisibile Collegium Invisibile is an Learned society, academic society founded in 1995 in Warsaw, Poland, Warsaw that affiliates outstanding Polish students in the humanities and science with distinguished scholars in accordance with the idea of a libera ...

, and the first president of the Joint Committee of

and International Committee of Historical Sciences (ICHS). Jerzy Kłoczowski was a former lecturer at the

Collège de France The (), formerly known as the or as the ''Collège impérial'' founded in 1530 by François I, is a higher education and research establishment () in France. It is located in Paris near La Sorbonne. The has been considered to be France's most ...

(1977),

Merton College Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor ...

(

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

, 1980),

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

(1985),

Paris-Sorbonne University Paris-Sorbonne University (also known as Paris IV; ) was a public university, public research university in Paris, France, active from 1971 to 2017. It was the main inheritor of the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Paris. In 2018, it m ...

(1985–1987),

Institute for Advanced Study The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) is an independent center for theoretical research and intellectual inquiry located in Princeton, New Jersey. It has served as the academic home of internationally preeminent scholars, including Albert Ein ...

Princeton Princeton University is a private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the Unit ...

(1989–1990),

College of Europe The College of Europe (; ; ) is a post-graduate institute of European studies with three campuses in Bruges, Belgium; Warsaw, Poland; and Tirana, Albania. The College of Europe in Bruges was founded in 1949 as a result of the 1948 Congress of ...

in Natolin,

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

(from 1997). He was a

Doctor honoris causa An honorary degree is an academic degree for which a university (or other degree-awarding institution) has waived all of the usual requirements. It is also known by the Latin phrases ''honoris causa'' ("for the sake of the honour") or ''ad hono ...

of University of

Grodno Grodno, or Hrodna, is a city in western Belarus. It is one of the oldest cities in Belarus. The city is located on the Neman, Neman River, from Minsk, about from the Belarus–Poland border, border with Poland, and from the Belarus–Lithua ...

(1993), Kyiv-Mohyla Academy (1998),

Free University of Berlin The Free University of Berlin (, often abbreviated as FU Berlin or simply FU) is a public university, public research university in Berlin, Germany. It was founded in West Berlin in 1948 with American support during the early Cold War period a ...

(1998) and Sorbonne (1999). He was awarded the Order of the White Eagle,

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

, Cross of Merit with Swords and Cross of Valor by the Polish government.

Public protest

Professor Kłoczowski became a target of a slanderous controversy, resulting from an article published in '' Najwyższy Czas!'' magazine on September 11, 2004 (No. 37/747) by Stanisław Michalkiewicz. Michalkiewicz alleged that Kłoczowski could be the same person as the SB security agent pseudonym "Historyk" (Historian) recruited in 1961, and listed in the secret communist archives held by the

Institute of National Remembrance The Institute of National Remembrance – Commission for the Prosecution of Crimes against the Polish Nation (, abbreviated IPN) is a Polish state research institute in charge of education and archives which also includes two public prosecutio ...

. Michalkiewicz wrote again about Prof. Kłoczowski for the Paris-based ''La Voix Catholique'' (The Catholic Voice) on November 7, 2004. His article resulted in a widely publicized official protest printed by Rzeczpospolita on November 13/14, 2004, and signed by 35 academics and prominent politicians such as

Tadeusz Mazowiecki Tadeusz Mazowiecki (; 18 April 1927 – 28 October 2013) was a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist Polish prime minister since 1946, hav ...

Władysław Bartoszewski Władysław Bartoszewski (; 19 February 1922 – 24 April 2015) was a Polish politician, social activist, journalist, writer and historian. A former Auschwitz concentration camp prisoner, he was a World War II resistance fighter as part of th ...

and film director

Andrzej Wajda Andrzej Witold Wajda (; 6 March 1926 – 9 October 2016) was a Polish film and theatre director. Recipient of an Honorary Oscar, the Palme d'Or, as well as Honorary Golden Lion and Honorary Golden Bear Awards, he was a prominent member of the "P ...

. The letter of protest explained that the slanderous memo (known as " Fałszywka" in Polish) was invented by the security service itself. The public protest was joined by the

. Michalkiewicz was denied access to IPN archives in a decision that spurred further controversy lasting for several years. He was also discharged from ''La Voix Catholique''.

Death

Kłoczowski died on 2 December 2017, at age 92.

Major publications

Jerzy Kłoczowski is an author and editor of about 1,000 publications including: * ''Wspólnoty chrześcijańskie'' (Christian Communities), 1964 * ''Europa Słowiańska w XIV-XV wieku'' (Slavic Europe in 14th-15th Centuries), 1984 * ''Histoire religieuse de la Pologne'' (Religious History of Poland), 1987 * ''La Pologne dans l'Église medievale'' (Poland in the Medieval Church), 1993 * ''East Central Europe in the historiography of the countries of the region'', 1995 * ''Młodsza Europa. Europa Środkowo-Wschodnia w kręgu cywilizacji chrześcijańskiej średniowiecza'' (The Younger Europe. East-Central Europe in the Middle Ages Christian Civilisation Circle), 1998 * ''A History of Polish Christianity'', 2000 * ''L'héritage historique de la Res Publica de Plusieurs Nations'' (Historic Heritage of the Commonwealth of Two Nations), 2004 * ''Central Europe between East and West'', 2005 * ''La Pologne et l'Europe, du partage à l'élargissement (XVIIIe-XXIe siècles)'', 2007

References

External links

Short biography, UNESCO websiteFull biography
, Institute of East-Central Europe {{DEFAULTSORT:Kloczowski, Jerzy 1924 births 2017 deaths People from Chorzele Democratic Union (Poland) politicians Members of the Senate of Poland 1989–1991 20th-century Polish historians Polish male non-fiction writers Academics of the University of Oxford Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń alumni Academic staff of the University of Paris University of Wisconsin–Madison faculty Fellows of Collegium Invisibile Academic staff of the College of Europe Academic staff of the John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin Home Army members Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Cross of Merit with Swords (Poland) Recipients of the Cross of Valour (Poland)