Bogdan Zdrojewski


Bogdan Andrzej Zdrojewski is a Polish politician and local government leader. He served as the mayor of Wrocław from 4 June 1990 to 1 September 2001, a Senator of the 4th legislature, and a Member of the Polish Parliament of the 4th, 5th, and 6th parliamentary term. From 2006 to 2007, Zdrojewski chaired the Parliamentary Delegation of Platforma Obywatelska, and from 2007 to 2014, served as Minister of Culture and National Heritage. Since 2014, he has been a Member of the European Parliament of the 8th legislature.

Biography

A son of Leonard and Miroslawa.
From 1976 to 1977, Bogdan Zdrojewski worked as a junior machinist of electric traction at the Polish National Railways, and then until 1979 as a specialist in the National Grain and Milling Factory in Wroclaw.
He holds degrees in Philosophy and Cultural Studies from the University of Wrocław. During his studies, he founded and chaired the History of Philosophy Scientific Circle. In 1980, he joined the Independent Students' Union, and became the leader of the branch at the Department of Philosophy and History at the University of Wroclaw in the autumn of 1980. After the martial law was announced in 1982, Bogdan Zdrojewski led ISU at the University of Wroclaw.
In 1984, he became a faculty member at the Wrocław University of Economics, and a member of the NSZZ "Solidarność" founding committee. From 1989 to 1990, he worked for the Institute of Sociology at the University of Wrocław. At the same time, he was a secretary of the Wrocław Solidarity Citizens' Committee as well as a founder and director of the Centre for Social Research of the Regional Executive Committee of NSZZ "Solidarność" in Lower Silesia.
He served three terms as a city councillor of Wrocław. He was the first mayor of the City of Wrocław elected in free and open local government elections, and Poland's youngest mayor. He served as mayor for 11 years. Citizens of Lower Silesia are particularly grateful for his work during the 1997 flood, during which he personally coordinated the city's response to the threat, including by leading efforts to deliver assistance to residents in need.
He became a senator in 1997, receiving 241 179 votes as an independent candidate. He resigned on 11 January 2000, after the Constitutional Court's decision that the mayor's position cannot be combined with a senator's mandate. He resigned from the mayor's position in May 2001, as he decided to stand as a candidate in parliamentary elections. He was elected for the 4th parliamentary term of Sejm from Platforma Obywatelska.
In 2005, he was reelected to Sejm of the 5th legislature from Platforma Obywatelska list in Wroclaw. In 2006, he took the position of Minister of National Defence in Donald Tusk's shadow cabinet. On 5 December 2006, he became a Head of the Platforma Obywatelska Parliamentary Delegation. Standing in Wrocław for reelection to the Parliament in 2007, he received the third-highest result in Poland, which amounted to 213 883 votes.
On 16 November 2007, he became Minister of Culture and National Heritage in Donald Tusk's first government. During Parliamentary election 2011, he was re-elected to the Sejm gaining the support of 149 962 voters. In Donald Tusk second government, he continued his work as Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
In 2014, he received a mandate of a Member of the European Parliament of the 8th legislature. He took over the mandate of a Member of the European Parliament on 1 July 2014.

Personal life

Married to Barbara, has a daughter Karolina, and a son Stanislaw.

Selected awards