Karol Modzelewski (born 23 November 1937 in Moscow) is a Polish historian, writer and politician.
He is the adopted son of Zygmunt Modzelewski. Professor at the University of Wroclaw and the University of Warsaw, he was a member of the Polish United Workers Party but was expelled from it in 1964 for opposition to some policies of the party. Together with Jacek Kuroń he cowrote the Open Letter to the Party, for which he was imprisoned for 3 years. Took part in the Polish 1968 political crisis, and for his activities he was again imprisoned for 3 and a half years. During the 1980 strikes he came up with the name of 'Solidarity'. He was one of Solidarity press contacts people, and a member or Solidarity region in Silesia. Interned with many others during the martial law in Poland. From 1991 member of Polish Sejm supporting the left-wing, particularly Unia Pracy party and Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz.