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Biography
Lech Wałęsa is a Polish statesman, dissident and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 election, Wałęsa became the first democratically elected president of Poland since 1926 and the first-ever Polish president elected by popular vote. An electrician by trade, Wałęsa became the leader of the opposition Solidarity movement and led a successful pro-democratic effort, which in 1989 ended Communist rule in Poland and ushered in the end of the Cold War.
Source: Wikipedia · CC BY-SA
Awards & recognition
- Distinguished Member of the European Order of Merit · 2026
- Point Alpha Prize · 2013
- honorary citizen of Budapest · 2011
- Ronald Reagan Freedom Award · 2011
- Ernst Reuter Medal · 2009
Show all 47 awards →
- Grand Cross 1st class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany · 2009
- Jan Karski Freedom Award · 2007
- Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana, 1st Class · 2006
- Kisiel Prize · 2005
- Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 2nd class · 2005
- Osgar · 2004
- Pacem in Terris Award · 2001
- Golden Plate Award · 2000
- Democracy Service Medal · 1999
- Grand cross of the Order of the White Lion · 1999
- Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry · 1995
- Medal of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay · 1995
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary · 1994
- Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland · 1993
- Knight of the Order of the Elephant · 1993
- Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta · 1992
- Order of the White Eagle · 1992
- doctor honoris causa from the University of Nancy · 1991
- Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour · 1991
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath · 1991
- Order of Pius IX · 1991
- Honorary doctor of the University of Gdańsk · 1990
- Freedom Award · 1989
- Order of Francisco de Miranda · 1989
- Philadelphia Liberty Medal · 1989
- Presidential Medal of Freedom · 1989
- Integrity Award · 1986
- honorary doctor of Paris 8 University · 1983
- Nobel Peace Prize · 1983
- Fritt Ord Award · 1982
- Monismanien Prize · 1981
- Financial Times Person of the Year · 1980
- European Human Rights Prize
- Grand Collar of the Order of Liberty
- Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland
- Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great
- Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Grand Order of Mugunghwa
- honorary citizen of Gdańsk
- Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
- Order of State of Republic of Turkey
- Royal Order of the Seraphim
