Stanisław Komorowski

Stanisław Jerzy Komorowski
Born	(1953-12-18) December 18, 1953 Warsaw, Poland
Died	April 10, 2010(2010-04-10) (aged 56)
Occupation(s)	Diplomat, physicist
Known for	Polish ambassador to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands; Deputy Minister of National Defence; Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

Stanisław Jerzy Komorowski (born 18 December 1953 – died 10 April 2010) was a distinguished Polish diplomat and physicist. He served as Poland’s ambassador to both Great Britain and the Netherlands for extended periods, held the positions of Deputy Minister of National Defence and Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. He belonged to the cohort of Polish diplomats who revitalized the country’s diplomatic corps following the Polish Round Table Agreement.

Academic Background and Scientific Career

Born in Warsaw, Poland, Komorowski was the son of Henryk and Violetta Komorowski. He completed his secondary education at Limanowski High School located in Warsaw’s Żoliborz district. His higher education took place at the Physics Department of the University of Warsaw from 1972/73 until 1977/78, culminating in a degree in biophysics awarded on March 11, 1978. Under the supervision of professor David Shugar, his M.Sc. thesis focused on magnetic resonance.

In 1985, he earned a Ph.D. in physical chemistry for his research on photoacoustic methods. Between 1978 and 1990, he was employed at the Institute of Physical Chemistry within the Polish Academy of Sciences, primarily working with the Photochemistry and Spectroscopy division. Additionally, he undertook postdoctoral research at the University of Utah’s Chemistry Department in professor Edward Eyring's laboratory during 1986 and again for six months spanning 1989 to 1990.

Diplomatic Career

Komorowski’s entry into diplomacy was somewhat unanticipated, as he had no prior experience before applying for a role within the Foreign Ministry during Minister Krzysztof Skubiszewski’s efforts to rebuild Poland’s diplomatic service after the political transformation in 1989. In 1991, he was appointed chief of staff to Minister Skubiszewski. Later, from 1994 to 1998, he held the post of Polish ambassador to the Netherlands, followed by his tenure as ambassador to Great Britain from 1999 until 2004. He played an influential yet discreet role in diplomatic negotiations that ultimately led to Poland joining NATO and the European Union. His career exemplified the emergence of a new generation of Polish diplomats aligned with the democratic changes initiated by the Polish Round Table Agreement.

He also served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and from 2007 until his passing in 2010 acted as Deputy Minister of National Defense. In this latter capacity, he managed foreign relations within the defense sector and notably negotiated agreements concerning the deployment of a US missile defense system on Polish soil.

Reflecting on their collaboration, US Ambassador Feinstein remarked: "Minister Komorowski was an invaluable ally on crucial bilateral defense matters for both nations, including Missile Defense and upcoming Patriot Missile rotations in Poland. His presence during U.S.-Polish Status of Forces Agreement negotiations assured outcomes beneficial to both parties. His dedication, leadership, and expertise in security will be deeply missed by American colleagues at both State and Defense Departments. America mourns a true friend."

Interests

He was passionate about skiing, both as an enthusiast and as an instructor, and also enjoyed playing tennis. While attending university, he actively participated in the Academic Ski Association, following in the footsteps of his father, who was affiliated with the International Ski Federation. During his high school years, he often skied alongside members of the Catholic Intelligentsia Club (pol. Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej). Among his hobbies was a deep appreciation for parks and gardens; in 1990, he briefly operated a small gardening business. Together with his wife Maria Komorowska, they designed three gardens before deciding to close the enterprise. Another significant interest of his was French culture; as a student, he spent holidays in France with the Dziadulski family. Toward the end of his life, he undertook the restoration of the garden at the Komorowski family’s Dziewanna villa located on Warsaw’s outskirts. He married three times and fathered three sons: Karol and Maciej with Irena Komorowska, and Jerzy with Maria Komorowska. His third spouse was Ewa Komorowska.

Death

His name appeared on the passenger list of the 36th Special Aviation Regiment’s Tupolev Tu-154 aircraft that carried President of Poland Lech Kaczyński and crashed near Smolensk-North airport close to Pechersk, near Smolensk, Russia, on 10 April 2010, resulting in the loss of all passengers. He had taken the place of Polish defense minister Bogdan Klich at the last moment for this trip to Smolensk. On April 16, 2010, he was laid to rest in the Komorowski family plot (#116/VI) at Powązki Cemetery. During the funeral service, a tennis racket was placed atop his coffin as a tribute. The ceremony was attended by government officials including the prime minister and president of Poland. Posthumously, he was honored with the Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

Selected scientific publications

• E.M. Eyring, N.F. Leite, S.J. Komorowski, and T. Masujima, "Photoacoustic Instrumentation," in Analytical Instrumentation Handbook, G.W. Ewing (Ed.), Marcel Dekker, Inc.: New York, 1990, Chapter 10, pp. 337–360.
• D.P. Cobranchi, N.F. Leite, J. Isak, S.J. Komorowski, A. Gerhard, and E.M. Eyring, "Pulsed Laser Photothermal Radiometry and Photothermal Beam Deflection Spectroscopy: Determination of Thermal Diffusivities of Liquids," in Photoacoustic and Photothermal Phenomena II (Springer Series in Optical Sciences, Vol. 62), J.C. Murphy et al., Eds., Springer-Verlag: Berlin, Germany, 1990, pp. 328–330.
• Isak S.J., S.J. Komorowski, C.N. Merrow, P.E. Poston, E.M. Eyring (1989), Thermal lens measurements in liquids on a submicronsecond time scale, Applied Spectroscopy, 43(3), 419–422.
• Komorowski S.J., I. Ekiel, E. Darzynkiewicz, D. Shugar (1981), C-13-NMR analysis of effects from hydroxyl group dissociation in 1-beta-d-arabinofuranosylcytosine and its O'-methyl derivatives on molecular conformation, Carbohydrate Research, 89(1), 21–32.
• Komorowski S.J., Z.R. Grabowski, W. Zielenkiewicz (1985), Quantum yield determination for triplet-state formation by pulsed photoacoustic methods, Journal of Photochemistry, 30(2), 141–151.
• Komorowski S.J., E.M. Eyring (1987), Nanosecond pulse shapes of photoacoustic signals in liquids detected via piezoelectric foil, Journal of Applied Physics, 62(9), 3066–3069.
• Mordzinski A., S.J. Komorowski (1985), Comparative study on electronic relaxation in aza derivatives of 1,2 benzanthracene and their protonated forms focusing on quantum yield of triplet state formation, Chemical Physics Letters, 114(2), 172–177.
• Sabbah R., S.J. Komorowski (1980), Enthalpie de sublimation de la diéthyl-1,3 thymine, Thermochimica Acta, 41(3), 379–381.
• Waluk J., S.J. Komorowski (1986), Photophysical properties of indoloquinoxaline dependent on solvent, Journal of Molecular Structure, 142(1-2), 159–162.
• Waluk J., S.J. Komorowski, J. Herbich (1986), Double proton treatment in excited states within 1-azacarbazole alcohol complexes, Journal of Physical Chemistry, 90(15), 3868–3871.
• Waluk J., S.J. Komorowski (1987), Influence of hydrogen bonding on photophysical behavior in indoloquinoxaline and its methyl derivatives, Chemical Physics Letters, 133(4-5), 368–372.
• Waluk J., B. Pakula, S.J. Komorowski (1987), Photophysical characterization of pseudoazulenes and 7-azaindole derivatives, Journal of Photochemistry, 39(1), 49–58.