“Not everything that seems profitable is worth doing. And not all that is worth doing brings profits immediately. Because the expression ‘to bring profit’ implies that something is profitable very fast, immediately. However, the word ‘worth’ comes from the word ‘value’ and values do not bring profits immediately.. Therefore, it is worth being decent since this is the only way to protect the basic values in our times,” said Prof. Bartoszewski to WSB-NLU students and the invited guests.
During the meeting which took place on February 22, 2006 at the Kisiel’s Institute, Professor Bartoszewski described how his book “It is Worth Being Decent’ was created. Władysław Bartoszewski reminiscenced about his conversations with the late Pope John Paul II, his activities for the Polish-German rapprochement and his active resistance towards Communism.

‘Whatever good I did in my life, has come back hundred-fold. My life’s example proves that it is worth being a decent man, ‘said the Professor.

A German published K. Lehmann collected memories of Władysław Bartoszewski. The first official Polish publication of the book took place in 1990. The present edition was extended by Bartoszewski’s publications, lectures and speeches made during his activities in the Communist period of Polish history as well as from his experience as a diplomat in the free Poland.

Rev. Maciej Zięba, a former student of Prof. Bartoszewski, acted as the master of ceremony at the meeting.

Władysław Bartoszewski was an Auschwitz prisoner, editor of publications for Armia Krajowa- the National Army, the guerilla troops fighting the Nazi, a deputy director of Jewish Department at the Communist Government, a co-founder of the Support Council for Jewish Community – Zegota and a correspondent for the Polish section of the Radio Free Europe.

After WW2 he was imprisoned twice (from 1946 to 1948 and 1949 to 1954). From 1990 to 2001, he served as a Polish ambassador to Austria and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, consecutively.

He is a renown diplomat, respected historian, researcher of the Warsaw Uprising, writer and a pundit, a lecturer in history at Polish and German universities.
(source www.wp.pl)

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