Adam Mickiewicz
Adam Mickiewicz is considered Poland's national poet, comparable to Homer for Greeks or Shakespeare for English.
Born in 1798, his exact birthplace and date are uncertain.
Mickiewicz's biography has been subject to whitewashing, with his son destroying potentially controversial documents.
Recent scholarship has begun to examine previously taboo aspects of his life, including his mystical interests and possible Jewish heritage.
Mickiewicz's works, particularly his poetry and political writings, provided hope and inspiration to Poles under foreign rule and in exile.
He settled in Paris in 1832, becoming a spiritual leader for the Polish diaspora.
