Farewell to Jędrzej Miller (1937-2021)

The journalist of "Petro Echa", president of the DWSP "Akapit" Cooperative, long-time secretary of the editorial office of "Tygodnik Płocki" was a resident of Płock by choice.

He was born on September 15, 1937 in Łódź. His father Józef fought in the September campaign. He was taken prisoner by the Germans, he was in an oflag (a camp for prisoners of war). Mother Janina (née Wdowińska) moved to Warsaw at the outbreak of the war and lived with her son at his grandmother in Praga. She quickly became involved in conspiratorial activities at the Home Army Headquarters, at the "Stork" Aviation Department. Later, as a nurse, ps. "Wiga" and "Łuska" took part in the Warsaw Uprising. After the capitulation, in October 1944, she and a group of women were transported to the Zeithain camp. The boy brought up by his grandmother began in 1945 at a non-public primary school in Warsaw. Three years later, he left for his mother, who, after wandering, lived in Jarocin. There he graduated from elementary school, and then from high school. In 1954 he enrolled in the Journalism Department of the University of Warsaw. He did his internship in the editorial office of Życie Warszawy, Sztandar Młodych and Nowa Wieś. He started his first post-graduate work as an editor of the company's newspaper in 1959 at Fabryka Wyrobów Precyzyjnych. He also collaborated with the editorial office of "Around the World". In 1960 he went to work at the Polish Chamber of Commerce. He got married and together with his wife Anna they came to Płock, which then tempted with the prospects and the panache of the emerging Petrochemia. The first professional journalist with a diploma (Władysław Szcześniak was the second in the company newspaper "Petro Echo") was appointed editor and secretary of the editorial office. In 1970 he became the head of the general information department. In 1982, he started working for Tygodnik Płocki as a senior journalist. Later - a secretary of the editorial office, he collected materials from journalists and co-workers, he did substantive proofreading and proofreading, then proofreading and mock-ups. After the transformation, he initiated the establishment of the "AKAPIT" Journalism and Publishing Cooperative, which published a newspaper to provide jobs for employed journalists. The declaration of joining the Cooperative was synonymous with the obligation to jointly and severally liable in the event of deterioration in the condition of the journal. For some time he was the president, then the editor-in-chief of TP, deputy chief. Short, always smartly dressed. A light coat, a jacket, good ties that my wife chose. He was punctual. He was not late, although due to the position of the secretary of the editorial office, he could adjust his time freely. He always had a sandwich for lunch at the same time. Nobody knocked on the door of his room at the time, he didn't have a car or a driver's license. Every day, punctually at 2 p.m., he called a taxi driver he knew. A taxi came to the editorial office, but not to take Jędrus home (he lived in the Mariner). He traveled to Mazovia Refinery and Petrochemical Works. His wife, an economist by profession, worked in the design office there. They returned to town together. Time with the Millers ran at a set rhythm. Work until Friday from 8.00 to 14.00. On Saturday, a walk to Tumy ended with coffee and sultan cream on the terrace of the PTTK cafe (today Hotel Starzyński), or in the "Hortex" cafe on Tumska Street. On Sunday, guests, mostly friends of Mrs. Ania, were welcomed. She was the head of the house. Zakopane is a must in winter. Neither of the spouses was skiing, but the talks about going to the Tatra Mountains started in October. The Zakopane hostess was almost a member of the family. Strolling around Krupówki every day, they would do shopping, from which the owner of the wooden house prepared dinner. Peaceful, looking at everything a bit from the side, he did not get irritated or entered into discussions. He did not get in anyone's way. He was doing a job without which the newspaper could not exist. When he was going through a difficult moment in his life (illness and the death of his mother), he was even more involved in keeping the title. Co-workers changed, left, it lasted. - I am proud that I have had the honor of working for Tygodnik Płocki for many years. The newspaper was lucky with many wonderful and outstanding people - he said during the 40th anniversary of the newspaper. After the death of his wife, Mr. Jędrzej clearly dimmed. He was still visiting the office every Tuesday for a new issue of the newspaper. Increasingly leaning, smaller. He died after a short illness in a hospital in Winiary. We said goodbye on January 26, in the historic church at the Bródno Cemetery. He rested beside his wife.

Lena Szatkowska

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