Born in 1933 in Wlonice, central Poland, Turnau began his career in 1959 with Więź, a Catholic monthly that became an influential forum for intellectual and social debate during the communist era.
For decades he served as editor of its religious affairs section.
After the fall of communism, he joined Gazeta Wyborcza, one of Poland’s leading newspapers, where he edited a section called Noah’s Ark, devoted to questions of faith, ethics and dialogue across religious traditions. His writings also appeared in Tygodnik Powszechny, Gość Niedzielny and Myśl Protestancka.
Turnau was the author of several books, including Zdaniem laika (“In the Opinion of a Layman”), Karol Wojtyła–John Paul II: A Chronicle, and God for the Demanding.
His work was characterised by a gentle irony, moral clarity and a consistent appeal for empathy and intellectual openness.
Over his lifetime he received a number of honours, among them the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta - one of Poland’s highest state awards - and the Diamond Trace prize for lifetime achievement in religious journalism.
In 2017 he was also presented with the honorary “Warsaw Ghetto Uprising” medal for his contribution to Polish–Jewish dialogue.
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Source: Radio Poland/PAP