Mr Juliusz Kulesza is a graphic designer and writer, a rifleman member of the Warsaw Rising, author of books about the wartime occupation and books documenting the events of World War II. He has been awarded such honours as the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Cross of Valour, Knight's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Home Army Cross, the Warsaw Uprising Cross. In May 2017, he became 89 years old.

Lieutenant Juliusz Kulesza collected his statuette of the Warsaw Marmaid, a badge, diploma and money prize at a special session in the Royal Castle from the Warsaw Council’s President, Ms Ewa Malinowska–Grupińska and Vicepresidents: Ms Ewa Masny–Askanas and Dariusz Figura.

After the event, Mr Juliusz Kulesza met with journalists. The laureate said that the Warsaw Award “appeals to his emotions” and his “Warsawness”.  He noted that “one can feel that he is this country’s citizen and to some extent a citizen, and this extent is very different”. Mr Juliusz Kulesza also shared with the journalists his views on Polish uprisings, the meaning of Polish independence efforts and insurrections during the 123 years of Poland’s partition and almost six years of Nazi occupation.

“I see these one hundred and thirty years of killing the Polishness, historical identity as an attempt to extinguish a fire. The fire was dying out and subsequent uprisings – Kosciuszko’s, November Uprising and our’s (Warsaw – CP PAP) – rekindled a dying fire, because it would light up and be active for some time sufficient to the next generation – said Juliusz Kulesza.

The briefing with Lieutenant Juliusz Kulesza was held at the First Princes’ Apartment specially reserved for that occasion by PWPW’s governing authorities in the Warsaw Royal Castle.

“Mr Lieutenant, together with his brothers and sisters who survived the Warsaw Rising, are living witnesses to those events, they deserve all the most beautiful palaces, all the castles in Poland” – PWPW President, Mr Piotr Woyciechowski, emphasised.

Juliusz Kulesza wrote a dozen or so books on uprising topics, on Nazi occupation and Warsaw, and authored many entries in the Encyclopedia of the Warsaw Rising. He featured in documentaries related to the Warsaw Rising, was many times distinguished and awarded for preserving historical remembrance and handing it down to next generations.

In 2015, PWPW S.A. published Mr Kulesza’s book titled, “Sen o Rybakach” that describes the history of – now practically nonexistent – Rybaki Street which had been once a picturesque part of Warsaw’s settlement around castle walls. For that publication, the author received many distinctions and awards.

Material developed in cooperation with PWPW S.A.          
Source of information: PAP Press Centre