Jan Kowalewski

Jan Kowalewski was a Polish cryptologist, intelligence officer, engineer, journalist, military commander, and creator and first head of the Polish Cipher Bureau. He recruited a large staff of cryptologists who broke Soviet military codes and ciphers during the Polish-Soviet War, enabling Poland to weather the war and achieve victory in the 1920 Battle of Warsaw. He also served as a military attaché in Moscow and Berlin, and participated in the Polish resistance during World War II. He was awarded Poland's highest military decoration, the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari, and several other honors. He died in London in 1965, where he had settled after the war. He was a polyglot who spoke seven languages and had a keen interest in mathematics and history. He was also a devout Catholic and a supporter of Polish independence. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of cryptology and a hero of the Polish-Soviet War.