New York, NY, July 16, 2008 … The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) mourns the tragic death of Bronislaw Geremek, a child survivor of the Holocaust who went on to become a hero of the movement for democracy and human rights in Poland.  Geremek, 76, died in a car accident earlier this week.

Abraham H. Foxman, ADL National Director and a Holocaust survivor from Poland, issued the following statement:

Bronislaw Geremek was a hero of the movement for democracy and human rights.  A Jewish survivor of the Holocaust and a prominent dissident under Poland's Communist regime, he suffered great oppression and worked as hard to overturn it.

As a leader of Poland's Solidarity movement, he stood up to the Communist regime and played a pivotal role in Poland's transformation into a state that defends democracy both at home and abroad, as a close U.S. ally.  As Foreign Minister, Geremek not only brought Poland into the European Union and NATO, he strengthened bilateral relations with the U.S. and with Israel.

He spoke with great moral authority on the need for the world's democracies to overcome their differences and unite to promote liberty around the world.  His voice for democracy and for human rights will be missed.