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Jan Olszewski
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===Communist era: 1954–1989=== {{See also|1968 Polish political crisis|Polish Round Table Agreement|1989 Polish legislative election}} In the immediate post-war years, Olszewski graduated from secondary school in 1949, later going on to study law at the [[University of Warsaw]], where he graduated in 1953. Afterwards, he became an employee of the [[Ministry of Justice (Poland)|Ministry of Justice]] and later worked at the [[Polish Academy of Sciences]].<ref name=pres/> In 1956, Olszewski joined the writing staff of the weekly ''[[Po prostu]]'' (''Plain Speaking'') magazine.<ref name=pres/> As a journalist during the relatively open [[Polish October]], Olszewski came into contact with [[PZPR]] First Secretary and ''de facto'' head of state [[Władysław Gomułka]], whom he spent many hours interviewing and described having a trustful relationship with after many frank discussions regarding the state of affairs of [[People's Republic of Poland|Poland]] and the [[Eastern Bloc]].<ref name=PRL/> In an article titled "Na spotkanie ludziom z AK" ("Reaching out to the Men of the Home Army") published in March 1956, Olszewski, along with journalists Jerzy Ambroziewicz and Walery Namiotkiewicz, called for the rehabilitation of former [[Armia Krajowa]] soldiers who faced persecution from communist authorities for anti-state activities.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ambroziewicz|first1=Jerzy|last2=Namiotkiewicz|first2=Walery|last3=Olszewski|first3=Jan|title=Na spotkanie ludziom z AK|journal=Po Prostu|date=11 March 1956|issue=11}}</ref> One of the first openly published articles of its kind to break the official silence on the Armia Krajowa, Olszewski argued that its veterans deserved a positive historical assessment in the struggle against [[Nazi Germany]], describing all subsequent prosecutions of its ranks as being politically motivated.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Rafalska|first1=Dominika|title=Reaching Out to Members of the Home Army (''Po prostu'' in 1956)|journal=Dzieje Najnowsze|date=2008|issue=3|pages=95–107}}</ref> Despite the government's initial toleration of ''Po prostu'''s critiques, authorities moved in to forcibly close down the publication's offices in October 1956, citing it of presenting a false view of political and economic realities, spreading "disbeliefs" about socialism and proclaiming "bourgeois concepts".<ref>{{cite web|title="Po prostu" zamknięte za niewiarę w socjalizm|url=http://www.polskieradio.pl/39/156/Artykul/696088,Po-prostu-zamkniete-za-niewiare-w-socjalizm|website=PolskieRadio.pl|publisher=[[Polskie Radio]]|access-date=2 October 2013}}</ref> For his part, Olszewski faced a publication ban beginning in 1957.<ref name=pres/> The forcible closure and censoring of ''Po prostu'' led Olszewski to become quickly disillusioned with the communist order. As a response, from 1956 to 1962, Olszewski was a member of the [[Crooked Circle Club]], a [[Warsaw]]-based underground discussion group composed of intellectuals critical of the regime.<ref name="Preuße107">[[#CITEREFPreuße2014|Preuße]], p. 107</ref> During the 1960s, Olszewski became a leading defence attorney in political trials. Among others, he defended writer and journalist [[Melchior Wańkowicz]], activist [[Jacek Kuroń]], historian [[Karol Modzelewski]] and poet [[Janusz Szpotański]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Jan Olszewski Honorary Citizen of Warsaw|url=http://www.radawarszawy.um.warszawa.pl/ewidencje/honorowi/osobywyroznione/Strony/JanOlszewskiHonoraryCitizenofWarsaw.aspx|publisher=[[Warsaw|City of Warsaw]]|access-date=21 January 2015|archive-date=21 January 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150121114221/http://www.radawarszawy.um.warszawa.pl/ewidencje/honorowi/osobywyroznione/Strony/JanOlszewskiHonoraryCitizenofWarsaw.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> His professional activity was banned again in 1968 after the [[1968 Polish political crisis|March student protests]].<ref name=pres/> However, Olszewski returned to practice law in 1970 as [[Edward Gierek]] assumed power. Grateful for Olszewski's legal defence at his trial, the writer Melchior Wańkowicz kept a close relationship with Olszewski for the rest of his life, bequeathing funds to the lawyer and fellow dissident [[Jan Józef Lipski]] to help future defendants of political crimes shortly before his death in 1974.<ref name=Ziolkowska-Boehm105>[[#CITEREFZiolkowska-Boehm2013|Ziolkowska-Boehm]], pp. 105–109</ref> Olszewski later became a signatory of the [[Letter of 59]] in 1975, an open protest to changes to the republic's [[Constitution of the People's Republic of Poland|communist constitution]].<ref name=Lipski>[[#CITEREFLipski1985|Lipski]], p. 27</ref> In 1984, Olszewski served as an auxiliary prosecutor representing the family of murdered pro-[[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity]] priest [[Jerzy Popiełuszko]], whose statements during the trial of laying blame for the priest's murder on outside influences created international headlines.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kaufman|first1=Michael T.|title=Polish seemingly implies a Soviet link to the slaying of priest|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/31/world/polish-seemingly-implies-a-soviet-link-to-slaying-of-priest.html|access-date=20 January 2015|newspaper=[[New York Times]]|date=31 January 1985}}</ref> Joining the [[Solidarity (Polish trade union)|Solidarity movement]] in the early 1980s, Olszewski quickly rose to become a major figure in the opposition movement, playing a key role in drafting its founding charter.<ref name="Ost71">[[#Ost|Ost]], p. 71</ref> He would go on to become one of Solidarity's most active lawyers and legal experts.<ref name=Tismaneanu129>[[#CITEREFTismaneanu1998|Tismaneanu]], p. 129</ref> Olszewski, along with Solidarity leader [[Lech Wałęsa]] and other anti-government dissidents, participated in the [[Polish Round Table Talks|Round Table Talks]] in early 1989 with the ruling [[PZPR]], where he served as the opposition's legal expert.<ref name=pres/> The talks successfully paved the way towards the partially free [[1989 Polish legislative election|1989 parliamentary elections]].
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