The WIĘŹ monthly was founded by a group of lay Catholics in the context of the thaw after October 1956. The first issue came out in February 1958. Its editor-in-chief was Tadeusz Mazowiecki, who later became the first non-communist Prime Minister of the Third Republic of Poland, 1989-90 (at present Mr Mazowiecki is the Chairman of the Editing Board of our monthly).

WIĘŹ is involved in the most important problems of religious, social and political life, culture and history. The name of the monthly ("The Bond") reflects its programme. WIĘŹ wants to serve reconciliation and the overcoming of prejudice and stereotype: for example between Poles and Germans, Ukrainians or Jews; between Christians of different denominations; between Catholics and Jews as well as followers of other religions.


The mission of WIĘŹ is to support the development of civic society. Our review has no affiliation to any political milieu; its reflection on Poland is unbiased and formulated above the party level. Although WIĘŹ is an intellectual review, it is addressed not only to a select group of intellectuals but also to a wider public of thinking people.

Since the beginning WIĘŹ has been involved in propagating and carrying out the programme of Vatican II Council: the programme of the Church understood as a community and open to the contemporary world. It is regarded as a monthly of great importance in the development of the Christian culture. WIĘŹ wants to participate in the creation of modern, critical but also orthodox Catholicism. It is a Catholic monthly of ecumenical character, open to the dialogue with those who seek, and very important for many non-believers.

Every issue has a leading topic but, at the same time, more than half of the publication is devoted to diverse, high quality essays, poems, polemical texts, book and cultural reviews. We always publish a calendar of religious events in the world as well as commentaries of WIĘŹ editors on the most important current events.

WIĘŹ co-operates with the most eminent figures of the Polish culture and the best Polish journalists. Every month we publish feuilletons by Jerzy Sosnowski and Piotr Wojciechowski. But there is also space for young writers and debutantes.

After Tadeusz Mazowiecki, WIĘŹ had the following editors-in-chief: Wojciech Wieczorek (1981-1989), Stefan Frankiewicz (1989-1995), Cezary Gawryś (1995-2001). At present, our editor-in-chief is Zbigniew Nosowski.

People connected with WIĘŹ participate in the public life in Poland, in the world, and also in the life of the Church. The role of Tadeusz Mazowiecki in the transformations which took place in Poland and in Central-Eastern Europe has become symbolic. Wojciech Wieczorek, in 1989-90, was the Polish ambassador to Berlin, while Stefan Frankiewicz, in 1995-2000, was the Polish ambassador to the Holy See. Cezary Gawryś, in 1998-2003, was a Secretary at the Council of Ethics in the Media. Agnieszka Magdziak-Miszewska is the Polish Ambasador in Israel. Andrzej Friszke was a member of the Board at the Institute of National Remembrance (1999-2006). Zbigniew Nosowki was a lay auditor at the Council of Bishops in 2001 and 2005. Since 2002, he has been a Consulter of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.


The Board of WIĘŹ is composed of outstanding experts in their fields of interest: Zbigniew Nosowski (editor-in-chief; religious and social-religious problems), Katarzyna Jabłońska (secretary; culture, film), Jacek Borkowicz (culture and nations in Central-Eastern Europe), Andrzej Friszke, PhD (contemporary history of Poland), Cezary Gawryś (reportage, problems of young people and education), Anna Karoń-Ostrowska, PhD (philosophy, contemporary culture), Paweł Kądziela (Polish literature), Józef Majewski, PhD (theology), Inka Słodkowska, PhD (sociology), Tomasz Wiścicki (political issues).

Since 1960, apart from the monthly, we have been publishing a book series, WIĘŹ Library. In 1990 it became an independent, dynamic Publishing House. Now the editor-in-chief of WIĘŹ Publishing House is Paweł Kądziela, its secretary is Cezary Gawryś, and editor of theological publications - Józef Majewski, PhD.


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