Edward Gierek (Gierek Edward)

(1913-2001)
Born January 6, 1913 at the Miner family in the village Porabka. After his father's death in 1923 the family moved to France, where in the early 1930's Gierek joined the French Communist Party. Later Gierek emigrated to Belgium, where he worked in the mines. During the Second World War was one of the leaders of the Polish partisan movement in Belgium. In 1948 he returned to Poland, joined the Polish Communist Party and by 1951 became party leader in Katowice province. In 1954, after graduating from the Academy of Mining and Metallurgy in Krakow, was appointed minister of heavy industry in 1956 was appointed a member of the Politburo. In 1970 became the first secretary of the Polish United Workers', replacing Wladyslaw Gomulka. In 1980, lost power after a series of massive nationwide strikes held in protest against high food prices. After coming to power Wojciech Jaruzelski was placed under house arrest. Away from politics, he lived in the province, engaged in writing his memoirs.
Gierek died in Szczecin, 29 July 2001.