This past Monday I was listening to the funeral services for Bronisław Geremek. Only listening, because I’m not into state funerals with full honors, unless of course, it’s one of the world’s famous despots who’s dead – their funerals are always fun. But the service on Monday was very dignified, sad and solemn.
Bronisław Geremek was by all accounts an outstanding man and a distinguished politician. You might have heard of him as one of the figures behind the Solidarity (Solidarność) movement. To many people, and especially to people abroad, Solidarność has become synonymous with Lech Wałęsa, but of course as with any political movement, it wasn’t just a one-man show. In 1989 Mr. Geremek participated in the Round Table negotiations, which resulted in the first free and democratic Polish elections after WW2.
Later on, he was appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs (1997-2000).
In addition to being a famous political figure, he was also a respected medieval historian. Actually, that’s how I became familiar with his name. I’m a total political ignoramus, I freely admit it. When exposed to political news of any kind, my brain performs an immediate emergency shut-down. And when exposed to Polish political news, the results are even worse.
). And young people often use it's shortened form "nara" (just like you said) 