People in History

Ralph Modjeski was originally born as Rudolf Modrzejewski in 1861 in Bochnia near Krakow. Bochnia and Krakowe were in that time a part of the Austrian empire. He was a son of Helena Modrzejewska, later known as Modjeska, a famous Polish actress. His mother decided to immigrate to the US in 1976 with a group of friends, they hoped to start communal farm in California, but this was not a successful enterprise. On the way to America, they visited a great Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. It probably had a big impact on 15th year old Ralph, who already demonstrated talents in many areas, among them music.

Read more: Tribute to the Bridge Builder Ralph Modjeski

Bronisław Malinowski was a pioneer in the field of social anthropology, the study of culture and society. He was born in Krakńw in 1884 into an upper middle class family. His father was a professor of literature and linguist at the Jagiellonian University. The younger Malinowski also attended the university where he received a Ph.D. in philosophy, physics and mathematics. In 1908 he worked at the University of Leipzig where he became interested in anthropology. In 1910 he went to the London School of Economics and eventually joined its faculty and received a degree in anthropology.

Read more: Bronislaw Malinowski: A Pioneer in Social Anthropology

Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz was born in 1757 into the minor nobility in Skoki, Poland, now Lithuania. The eldest of 16 children, he joined the Cadet Corps in Warsaw and entered the army upon graduation. He took the first of several trips through Europe in 1784, observing and learning. In 1788 he was elected to the Polish parliament where he was an exemplary speaker and began a prolific writing career. He played an important role in drawing up the May 3, 1791 Constitution. In the 1794 insurrection to rid Poland of foreign armies, he served beside Kosciuszko as his aide-de-camp. After the Poles were defeated, both men were imprisoned by the Russians. Released in an amnesty two years later, they sailed for America and arrived in Philadelphia in 1797.

Read more: Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz

Ryszard Kapuscinski (1932-2007) - most celebrated Polish journalist died on January 23, 2007 after unsuccessful heart surgery.

Kapuscinski was nominated for the Nobel Prize, but unfortunately he died too soon. He would fully deserve the Nobel since his journalistic work contributed greatly to our better understanding of less familiar parts of the world. Kapuscinski did not really care much for awards or recognition and treated his life as a mission. He was sent to countries scourged by conflicts and violence, where he tried to understand the lives of average people. He never simplified the reality of politics or marked the sides of conflict as black or white.

Read more: Ryszard Kapuscinski: Most Celebrated Polish Journalist