Lech Walesa and the shadow of the Stasi

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Poland

Lech Walesa and the shadow of the Stasi

Newly surfaced documents put Lech Walesa under pressure. The Ex-President and Nobel prize winner, is therefore, in the 1970s, employees of the Communist secret service. Walesa denies the.

The accusation is serious, but not new. Still, in the early 1980s were the Western embassies in Warsaw as well as colleagues of Lech Walesa documents leaked, the charismatic Union leader and civil rights activist as an informer of the Communist secret service compromise. In 2011, however, has the Institute for national remembrance (IPN), a public authority with public powers for the reappraisal of the Communist past of Poland, officially determined that the incriminating documents in great style by the Polish secret police (SB) were forged. According to former SB employees were at that time several Teams tasked, among other things, Walesas Handschriftproben from various stages of his life, collected and imitated. The goal has been partially achieved. The rumor, Walesa have as inofficial employee (IM) “Bolek” for the East German secret police spied, has to break with some colleagues. The documents, which the Norwegian Embassy have leaked, however, may not have prevented that Walesa 1983 Nobel peace prize has been awarded.

Political Weapon

The rumors about Walesas alleged Spitzeltätigkeit received after the end of communism and his election as President (1990) with an additional political sensitivity. On 4. In June 1992, the then interior Minister Antoni Macierewicz with a list of the 64 former SB agents in the highest state offices. The most prominent Name: Lech Walesa, the alleged IN “Bolek”. Already that night, the Sejm, with the active political support of President Walesa, the government of Jan Olszewski by a vote of no confidence toppled. Olszewskis and Macierewiczs party was then called “Porozumienie Centrum” (a”gathering center”). The founders of this party were the brothers Lech and Jaroslaw Kaczynski, during this time, after their expulsion from the Präsidialkanzlei already at loggerheads with Walesa stood. Until today, Jaroslaw Kaczynski (today the Chairman of the alleinregierenden party “law and justice, PiS) and Antoni Macierewicz (now defence Minister in the PiS government) the overthrow of the government Olszewski as a “Coup of the former agents”.

Lech Walesa speaks to his adherents (1990)

Walesa and his former political camp, in contrast, have always stressed that the list only in the SB-files of registered agents included, what about the actual participation says nothing. In the year 2000, the “Lustrationsgericht” a court that the statements of high government Würderträger on their accuracy checks, Lech Walesa, right now. Accordingly, corresponded to his claim that he would not be an unofficial employee of the SB, the truth. 2011 was a court Walesas right, as he is a former associate sued for having had him as Geheimdienstagenten known to have. The verdict: He had to in Walesa officially apologize.

“Life insurance” by Kiszczak?

The communication of the Institute for national remembrance (IPN), you have new documents on the alleged participation of Lech Walesas with the SB is found, the discussion of the well-known Poland new deferral given.

You have to have the personnel file, including the obligation to cooperate, as well as the Arbeitsakte of the “Bolek”, including handwritten reports and receipts from the years 1970-1976, found, informed the Director of the IPN, Lukasz Kaminski, with. The content of several hundred pages will be analyzed, it said.

The file was located in the estate of the in November of deceased Generals Czeslaw Kiszczak. This was the closest collaborator of the former Communist party bosses, Generals Wojciech Jaruzelski. In the years 1981-90, he was interior Minister and thus control of the intelligence agencies and their archives. Kiszczak should the alleged Walesa acts unlawfully in the home have been retained. According to reports in the press’s widow, the IPN will be offered for sale, and a search of your property was conducted. Why Kiszczak, the act stolen and aufwahrt should have remains unclear. May be he wanted you as Erpressungsmittel against Walesa.

Open-Ended Questions

The editorial recommends

The accusations are not new. Supposedly but files the Institute of national remembrance has acquired, including a commitment of the previous Arbeiterführers. Walesa, is threatening with legal steps. (18.02.2016)

“This government makes us in the world is ridiculous”, says the former solidarity chief, the Fall of communism played a part. The population must on, new elections to penetrate. It is threatened with danger for the democracy. (23.12.2015)

Although Lech Walesa becoming the de facto collaboration with the SB passionately denied, remain some questions about his dealings with the secret service and relevant documents are actually open. So he was only in 2011, in an Interview, that he has an obligation to cooperate with the SB had signed. “All have signed, so I got it done,” he said at the time. He had, however, been sure, that he is “not on the other side of change”. “I have made the decision that I able be will to achieve more, more to protect. If I put my life on repeat, I would it again in this way, with everything, even with those contacts to the SB, because it is the only way that trick could,” he stressed. The question of whether he taken money or any reports have written, he left, however, unanswered. Walesas followers point out in this context to point out that it is very problematic, the complicated correlations in a dictatorial police state from today’s perspective, to judge.

The opponent Walesas keep him, however, that he during his tenure as the President of his old SB-act was passed. It was later determined that the file is not complete. It is still not clear whether the file already before the insight is not completely was, as he claimed, or whether the uncomfortable Material away from him, as his opponents claim.

The Affected self-insured in light of the new revelations on his Mini-Blog that it is “not by me documents originating can give”. If necessary, “I will prove in court”.