Jerzy Turowicz

Jerzy Turowicz
Jerzy Turowicz, Warsaw, in 1994
Born	10 December 1912 Kraków
Died	27 January 1999(1999-01-27) (aged 86) Kraków
Residence	Kraków
Nationality	Polish
Alma mater	Jagiellonian University
Occupation	Journalist and editor
Years active	1930s–1999
Spouse(s)	Anna Gąsiorowska
Children	3

Jerzy Turowicz (Polish pronunciation: [ˈjɛʐɨ tuˈrɔvit͡ʂ]; 10 December 1912 – 27 January 1999) was a leading Polish Catholic journalist and editor for much of the post-Second World War period. He was editor of the Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny from 1945 until his death in 1999, except for three years in the early 1950s.

Turowicz was born on 10 December 1912 in Kraków, the son of Klotylda (Turnau) and August Turowicz, a judge.

In 1930, he joined a Catholic youth organization, called Rebirth. He graduated from Jagiellonian University in 1939 with a degree in philosophy.

Turowicz was appointed chief editor of Glos Narodu in 1939. During World War II, he worked in the underground journals. In 1945, he became editor of the Catholic weekly Tygodnik Powszechny, which he also cofounded. It was financed by Adam Sapieha, Archbishop of Kraków. However, there is another report, arguing that Sapieha was loosely related to the weekly.

Turowicz made his career there, through all the changes in the political and social nature of the country. He served as the editor of the weekly until his death in 1999, with only a three-year interruption from 1953 to 1956. The reason for this interruption was the refusal of Turowicz to publish an obituary for Josef Stalin. During this period the weekly was under the control of the communist regime and the editor was Jan Piwowarczyk.

In 1956, Turowicz both returned to his editorial post and was made a member of the Sejm, Polish Parliament, along with other Catholic figures. He was a member of the Round Table negotiations during the Polish revolution in 1989, leading to the fall of communist regime in the country.