
Prof Jan Glazewski on “Adventure and Resolve”
Jan Glazewski is a Professor of Law at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Law at the University of Cape Town. His research interests include climate change law, energy law and environmental law.
Before fleeing his family estate near Lviv, in what is now Ukraine, Jan Glazewski’s father buried what he could salvage of the family silver in the forest. The Glazewskis left war-ravaged Europe after World War II for a new life in South Africa. When Jan is born in Paarl in 1953, he nearly dies, like his elder brother before him, of severe haemophilia. Against the odds, he survives childhood – only to discover, at the start of his career, that he is HIV-positive from receiving contaminated blood products. Despite this setback, Jan goes on to have a remarkable legal and academic career, which includes his involvement in drafting the environmental clause in the new South African Constitution. It is only after retirement that Jan finally has the opportunity to indulge his lifelong obsession: to recover the family silver. He travels to Ukraine where, armed only with a hand-drawn map and enlisting the help of a Polish writer, a Ukrainian metal-detector operator and his shady sidekick, he sets out on what seems like a mad quest. Many misadventures ensue.
We are honoured to have Prof Glazewski address the Cape Town Press Club and share his colourful story. His book, Blood and Silver which will be on sale at the event is a riveting tale of adventure and resolve, told with insight and elegance.
Speaker
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Prof Jan Glazewski