Edward Kopówka

Edward Kopówka (born 12 October 1963) is a Polish writer and historian, graduate of the Faculty of History at the Podlasie Academy in Siedlce, political and social activist known for his active participation in the democratic process beginning with the so-called Second circulation publishing of delegalized books under the Communist rule. Following the imposition of Martial law in 1981 Kopówka became member of the Independent Students' Union branch of Solidarity, the first non–communist workers union in Warsaw Pact history. In 1985–88 he served as founder, editor-in-chief and production manager for the unofficial Grzegorz Przemyk Publishing named after the young Polish poet murdered by the Communist Milicja Obywatelska. Kopówka supported himself financially by working as history teacher at elementary schools in Siedlce and its vicinity, and after the fall of communism, as clerk at the Office for Financial Control in 1993–96. Kopówka received his Ph.D degree in 2009. He is the Senior Curator of the Treblinka extermination camp museum in Treblinka with certification from the Ministry of Culture. In 2011 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland's highest honours. Provided by Wikipedia