David Mitzner turns 100 years old

Born in Poland into a Jewish family, the American businessman was responsible for the largest real estate transaction on the Polish market ever – the purchase of 28 shopping centres from Metro AG for over USD 1 bln. Eurobuild CEE had the opportunity to interview David Mitzner about his fascinating life when he was awarded the Eurobuild Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.

We wish Mr Mitzner many more achievements in business and his personal life and another 100 years of success!

Emil Górecki, ‘Eurobuild CEE’: Are such awards as the Eurobuild Lifetime Achievement Award important to you?

David Mitzner, president of the management board of Apollo Rida Poland: Yes, they are, even though they don’t excite me as much any more. I don’t seem to have been doing anything but receive awards over the last ten years: in Houston, Washington, Warsaw... awards in different environments for a variety of achievements. The certificates and congratulations now hang on my wall, but the Eurobuild Award statuettes stand on my desk.

Recently the anniversary of the imposition of martial law in Poland was observed. Did you maintain an interest in events in Poland during your time in the US?

After I left Poland in 1949 and was released from a Soviet forced-labour camp in Siberia, I followed events closely in communist Poland. I was always against this system. My family was orientated towards business and to industrial and economic development, just like everybody around us. In the 1980s when the system was on the verge of collapse, we were getting more and more news about Poland in the US. At the time I always wanted to come here very much. I always emphasise that I am, I was and I always will be a Polish patriot. (EG) Read more