Jan Popiel was born in Dzierżązno Wielkie, (formely Gross Drensen) in Poland. His ancestors came from the village of Dobra Szlachecka, near Sanok. He completed High School in the town of Strzelce Krajenskie (Friedeberg). Thereafter he attended the School of Law at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan. After graduation he took courses in journalism at the University of Warsaw. During his studies he spent a year in London, UK and another year in Germany, as well as some time in France and Belgium. As a journalist he traveled to India, Nepal, Malaysia, China and Singapore. Since 1987 he has lived in Brooklyn, NY and Mississauga, Ontario. He studied Business Administration in the United States. Jan Popiel has published some 200 articles in the Polish and Polish -American press. He is presently working on a monograph on the village Dobra Szlachecka, to which he has dedicated an Internet site at:
Jan provides historical material and edits the site dedicated to the history of Dobra Szlachecka. He has also collected material and edited the site of POPIELS: http://kingpopiel.tripod.com.