I’m devastated and in shock. I still can’t bring myself to believe this.
Waldemar Krysiak was an incredible conservative gay independent journalist based between Poland and Germany. He was also my friend. He fearlessly pursued stories on Trantifa, Antifa and the far left. He was the only journalist in the world who shared so much in common with me.
Today, I found out he died after suffering a health emergency at his family home overnight. He was only 36.
You may not have heard of him because he reported only in Polish, but his stories and videos had great influence and impact across Polish media and politics. He was a longtime contributor to the publication Tygodnik Solidarność and its news site, Tysol.pl, where he was known for being critical of the excesses of the LGBTQ+ movement. On social media, he went by “Myślozbir,” meaning “thought criminal.” Indeed, he repeatedly transgressed against the left in his writing.
I first met Waldemar in 2021, when he attended my speaking event on Antifa in Warsaw. We bonded over having shared enemies and became friends from then on. (Antifa and the SPLC later targeted me over that Polish event.) He was one of my first new friends after I had to leave the U.S. because of repeated violence against me by Antifa
Over the years, he helped me many, many times with my reporting on the ground. We were both undercover once in Berlin to discreetly report on Antifa rioting on May Day. We pretended to be boyfriends to better fit into the dangerous crowd.
Waldemar can be seen right at the beginning of this clip beside me as we reported undercover in the Antifa direct action in Berlin on May Day 2022. As it became darker, the leftist crowd turned violent and started fires.
In September 2022, Waldemar reported solo on an Antifa direct action aimed at shutting down Jordan Peterson’s live speaking event in Berlin. He sent me clips from the scene. In one video, a masked militant confronted him for recording. (Antifa regularly attack, rob and mob videographers in an effort to prevent their extremism and crimes from being documented.) Quick on his feet, Waldemar responded that he was filming the demonstration (“die Demo”) so he could show his comrades how to organize similar actions in Poland. The militant accepted that and walked away.
Waldemar even contributed to my upcoming new book, helping me locate Polish family members of one of the Zizian cult victims whom I had been unable to find, and acting as an interviewer and translator for one of the most crucial parts of the investigation.
Five days before he died, Waldemar texted me a screenshot of the Amazon page for The Zizians, writing in German: “I can hardly wait 😁.” Waldemar was completely fluent in English, but I had asked him to use basic German with me so I could practice. He asked me what I thought about the reporting on Candace Owens’ alleged lesbian life. When gays get together, we gossip.
I had been so excited to hear and read his reaction once the book came out. His name is in it, and at the end I have a personalized acknowledgment thanking him for his help. I will always be haunted by the fact that he never got to read it. This week is when media figures finally began receiving review copies ahead of the Oct. 13 release.
For several years, I kept inviting Waldemar to come see me in London, but he was always busy with his writing and traveling back and forth between Berlin and Warsaw. And then I was too busy to travel because of the book writing. I thought there would always be another opportunity.
Love the people in your life, don’t take them for granted, and forgive the slights they may cause you.
I want this to be a bad dream that I wake up from.
Waldemar, come back.
I am so, so sorry for your loss, Andy. He sounds like such a good, kind person.
So sorry for your loss and the worlds! He may be physically gone but will remain forever in your heart and will always guide you in your journey. Be safe, stay safe. Cannot wait to read your book!! From what I’m reading, I know he would have loved it! 🥰