Marian Orzechowski

Marian Odon Orzechowski (24 October 1931 – 29 June 2020) was a Polish politician and a former member of the Polish Communist Party. He served as foreign minister of the People's Republic of Poland from 1985 to 1988.

Early life and education Orzechowski was born in Radom on 24 October 1931. He received a degree in history from the University of Leningrad in Soviet Union. In 1960, he received PhD from the University of Wrocław. He became a member of the central committee of the party in 1966. From 1984 to 1986 he was the rector of the Academy of Social Sciences.

He was appointed foreign minister on 12 November 1985 to the cabinet led by the then prime minister Zbigniew Messner. He succeeded Stefan Olszowski in the post. In addition, Orzechowski headed the PRON's national council, that was formed by the Polish authorities to develop a close interaction with the church, during that time. He became a member of the politburo in June 1988 while retaining his post as foreign minister. However, his membership at the central committee of the party continued for a while. In 1986 he was able to persuade the Soviet authorities to appoint Wlodzimierz Natorf, a controversial figure, as the Polish ambassador to Moscow. Orzechowski participated in round table talks between the ruling party and opposition figures that lasted from 6 February to 4 April 1989.

Awards and decorations