Grzegorz Leon Kurkiewicz

Jan Chrzan or, in fact, Grzegorz Kurkiewicz (what somewhat explains his presence on the site...) is a "born Cracower", definitely a prewar one but an active feuilleton writer nevertheless. The outbreak of war interrupted his education and so after completing underground officer cadet school in 1944 he joined partisan unit "Setka - Limba" of the 12th Regiment of Home Army (Armia Krajowa) as a leader (callsign "Kardan") of platoon. The unit operated in Gorce Mountains. Among other missions one of the most notable is the rescue of General "Olza" (Brunon Olbrycht) who was held under arrest in Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. Directly from resistance Grzegorz Kurkiewicz moved to army where he served as a Second Lieutenant. In 1948 as a result of purge he was expulsed from army and decided to start studies at SGPiS in 1949.

Having a family that needed support forced him to work in a toy factory. After graduation he worked as an assistant in Warsaw University of Technology. In 1956 he moved to Gdansk where he worked for 7 years in Gdansk Shipyard. At the same time he started PhD studies at Higher Economics School in Sopot and successfully attained doctorate in economics.

In 1969 after serious car accident he decided to make journalist debut - at first in vocational magazine "Głos Stoczniowca", later in local newspaper "Głos Wybrzeża" and magazine "Czas". In the latter he covered mainly international affairs by writing reportages about East and West Germany, England, Canada, USA, Kenya, Tanzania and Madagascar based mainly on ship travels. He was awarded twice the first and second prize of Polish Journalist Association and many others. During martial law in 1980's because of the temporary stop of "Czas" publication Grzegorz Kurkiewicz was fired and disallowed to continue work as journalist. Until 1989 he could write only for Dominican Order's magazine "W drodze" and underground paper "Solidarnosc" under various pseudonyms. In 1989 he cofounded short-lived "Tygodnik Gdanski". Later he worked for "Wieczor Wybrzeza" and "Dziennik Baltycki", where starting from 1991 he publishes his feuilletons. In 2006 he made literary debut with his book "Osobliwe przygody Egona A. w Peerelu", which was autobiographical novel with its main character Egon Alter (like Alter Ego) having a lot in common with the author.

Translated by: Jaroslaw M. Kurkiewicz