Jacek Maziarski

The Jacek Maziarski Foundation promotes and awards independent thinking and faithfulness to humanistic and historical values in publicist writing and literary creativity. The Foundation also organizes workshops and seminars for young people.

The Jacek Maziarski Prize is awarded by a committee boasting renowned scholars and publicists – namely, Professor Jan Żaryn (chairman), Professor Izabella Galicka, Professor Zofia Zielińska, Krzysztof Czabański, Professor Krzysztof Dybciak, Krzysztof Kłopotowski, and Bronisław Wildstein. The first laureate was Paweł Zyzak, awarded the Jacek Maziarski Prize in 2010 for his revealing biography of Lech Wałęsa. This year’s prize will be awarded on October 20, 2011.

The Jacek Maziarski Prize has been awarded since 2010 for outstanding publicist achievements that evince marked independence of thinking and broaden our understanding of the world around us.

The patron of this prize – journalist and politician Jacek Maziarski, who passed away in May, 2009 – addressed important issues of Polish and global politics, ones that were difficult and unpopular. His analyses paid no heed to reigning fashions – they were always original and trailblazing. For nonconformism in his publicist work Maziarski received the Stefan Kisielewski award in 1990. And it was in the spirit of nonconformism that he strove to shape the attitudes of young people, particularly the young journalists whom he met at both colleges and universities and editing offices.

In his anti-communist political activity following the imposition of martial law in Poland in 1981, Maziarski cooperated with Jarosław Kaczyński (Poland’s Prime Minister in 2006-2007). These two men shared a similar vision for Poland’s future, and together in 1990 they founded Porozumienie Centrum (Center Alliance), the political party which evolved into today’s Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice).

Donations of behalf of the Foundation and its cash prize may be made to:

FUNDACJA JACKA MAZIARSKIEGO

ul. Wojciecha Korfantego 2

01-496 Warszawa

PKO BANK POLSKI SA

Account #

39 1020 1055 0000 9902 0271 6181

Kod BIC (Swift): BPKOPLPW