Pawel Jasienica

Paweł Jasienica was the pen-name of Leon Lech Beynar, a Polish amateur historian (1909-1970). He was born in the same place as Lenin, in Simbirsk[?]. His father was a Russian officialist and he and his family lived in Russia and the Ukraine until the Russian Revolution of 1917, after which the family returned to Poland (1920). He a was soldier of in the Polish army during the Polish campaign against German aggression in 1939. Afterwards he was a soldier of the Polish underground Armia Krajowa (AK) and fought against the Germans. Later after the war he a was member of Wolnosc i Niepodleglosc[?] (WiN, Freedom and Independence) and fought against the Soviets and Polish communists in the unit of Lupaszko. After he was wounded he left his unit, to lead a life of a journalist and writer. He was famous for condemning nationalism and for his personal civil courage. There are numerous anecdotes about how he was congratulated for his courage by the censors. Later, he was - or was labelled, which meant the same - a political dissident and suffered persecution. Finally, surrounded by enemies, he died. His death was decisively caused by atmospehere created around him by the communists.

He is famous for many of his popular historical books:

• Piast Poland
• Jagiellonian Poland
• The Commonwealth of Both Nations : The Silver Age translated by Alexander Jordan
• A Tale of Agony : The Commonwealth of Both Nations III

translated by Alexander Jordan (May 1992)

• Calamity of the Realm : The Commonwealth of Both Nations II

translated by Alexander Jordan (May 1992)

• Thought on Civil War - theoretically about Civil War in France, Bretony
• Diary - started soon before his death, not finished.

My home is not my castle. I am not master of my own drawer

I know once a man, former AK cichociemny (commandos), who wrote diary. (...) Last time i heard of him he was mining for coal in places not far away from north Pole

A man is defenseless against privileges