# Edward Gierek

_Polish politician (1913-2001)_

Canonical: https://diginpl.com/people/edward-gierek
Last updated: 2026-11-01

> Edward Gierek was a Polish communist politician who served as the de facto leader of the Polish People's Republic between 1970 and 1980. Gierek replaced Władysław Gomułka as the First Secretary of the ruling Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR).

## Quick facts

- **Born:** 6 January 1913 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P569))
- **Place of birth:** Porąbka ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P19))
- **Died:** 29 July 2001 ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P570))
- **Place of death:** Cieszyn ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P20))
- **Citizenship:** Congress Poland; Polish People's Republic ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P27))
- **Occupation:** politician; miner ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P106))
- **Political party:** Polish United Workers' Party (1948–1981); Polish Workers' Party (1948–1948); Communist Party of Belgium (1937–1948); French Communist Party (1931–1934) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P102))
- **Spouse:** Stanisława Gierek ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P26))
- **Positions held:** First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party (20 December 1970 – 6 September 1980); member of the Sejm of the Polish People's Republic (1952–1980) ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P39))
- **Awards:** Order of the Builders of People's Poland; Partisan Cross (Poland); Work Flag Order, 1st class; Gold Cross of Merit‎; Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry; Order of José Martí; Order of the Yugoslav Star; Order of Lenin; Order of the October Revolution; Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin"; Medal for Long Marital Life; Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta; Medal of the 30th Anniversary of People's Poland; Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185#P166))

## Questions

**When was Edward Gierek born?**  
Edward Gierek was born on 6 January 1913 in Porąbka.

**What positions has Edward Gierek held?**  
Positions held by Edward Gierek include: First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party (1970–1980); member of the Sejm of the Polish People's Republic (1952–1980).

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## Sources

- [Wikipedia (English): Edward Gierek](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gierek) — [CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
- [Wikidata item Q312185](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q312185) — [CC0 1.0](https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/)
- [Image: Edward Gierek 1980.jpg by Unknown author Unknown author (CC BY-SA 3.0 nl)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Edward_Gierek_1980.jpg)

## Licence and attribution

Text from the Wikipedia article Edward Gierek, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Edward Gierek 1980.jpg — Unknown author Unknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0 nl.

## Cite this page

"Edward Gierek". DigiNepal. Last updated 1 November 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/edward-gierek. Retrieved 9 November 2026.