With great regret and sadness, we have received news of the sudden death of Professor Władysław Bartoszewski, a man of extraordinary legacy. He saw and experienced much in his lifetime: He was marked as Auschwitz prisoner No. 4427; he served as a Home Army soldier; and he was a member of the Council to Aid Jews, operating within the delegation of the Polish government-in-exile, which organized help for Jews in the ghettos. He participated in the Warsaw Uprising, a soldier of the underground anti-communist organization "Nie". After World War II, Professor Bartoszewski served as a member of the Polish Peasant Party, the only non-communist political party in Soviet-controlled Poland. Arrested by the communist regime in 1949, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. In 1963, Yad Vashem honored Professor Bartoszewski with the title of "Righteous Among the Nations". Professionally, he went on to become an associate of Radio Free Europe and the Secretary General of the Polish "PEN-Club". In 1976, he was a signatory of the letter of intellectuals protesting changes to the Polish constitution. A member of the Solidarity movement, he was interned under the crackdown of martial law. After 1989, Professor  Bartoszewski held several honorable positions of the state—minister of foreign affairs, ambassador, senator, and head of the International Auschwitz Council. He was the first Polish politician to present the Bundestag with a vision of a Polish-German community of interests, which is one of the foundations of peace in Europe today.

We at the Polish Institute of International Affairs are honored to have had Professor Bartoszewski as chairman of our Council, in which he shared with us his valuable experience and extensive knowledge. The researchers of the Institute, the director, and other members of the Council recall Professor Bartoszewski as an extremely active open-minded participant, providing constant inspiration for PISM's research activities. As the architect of the Polish-German reconciliation process, Professor Bartoszewski simultaneously promoted this issue while also exemplifying a flawless sense of Polish raison d'état. For all of us, Professor Bartoszewski served as an example of the highest moral standards and true commitment to the common good. We will miss the friendly atmosphere—including his incredible stories and anecdotes, and his zestfully unorthodox approach to solving difficult issues in an ever-evolving world.

We greatly appreciate the contribution of Professor Bartoszewski to our work!

The director and staff of the Polish Institute of International Affairs.