|
LIST OF POLISH PRESIDENTS SINCE 1918 POLISH GOVERNMENT IN EXILE 1939-1989 Following German-Soviet invasion and occupation of Poland in September 1939 the Polish Government was evacuated to Romania and then to France. In 1940, following German invasion of France, the Polish Government was evacuated to London where it resided until the fall of communist dictatorship introduced to Poland by the Soviets in 1944/45.  President Władysław Raczkiewicz 1939-1947: WŁADYSŁAW RACZKIEWICZ Born in 1885 in Kutaisi, Georgia to Józef Raczkiewicz and Ludwika née Łukaszewicz. Nominated President in exile in 1939 (resided in Angers, France 1939-40 and in London 1940-47). Died in 1947 in Ruthin, Wales. Buried in the Polish Cemetery at Newark-on-Trent, England. 1947-1972: AUGUST ZALESKI Born in 1883 in Warsaw. Nominated President in exile in 1947. Died in 1972 in London. Buried in the Polish Cemetery at Newark-on-Trent, England. 1972-1979: STANISŁAW OSTROWSKI Born in 1892 in Lwów. Nominated President in exile in 1972. Died in 1982 in London. Buried in the Polish Cemetery at Newark-on-Trent, England. 1979-1986: Count EDWARD RACZYŃSKI Born in 1891 in Zakopane to Edward Raczyński and Róża née Potocka. Nominated President in exile in 1979. Died in 1993 in London. Buried in the Raczyński Mausoleum in the Church of St Marcellinus in Rogalin, Poland. 1986-1989: KAZIMIERZ SABBAT Born in 1913 in Bieliny Kapitulne to Ignacy Sabbat and Franciszka née Wiącek. Nominated President in exile in 1986. Died in 1989 in London. Buried in Gunnersbury Cemetery in London. 1989-1990: RYSZARD KACZOROWSKI Born in 1919 in Białystok to Wacław Kaczorowski and Jadwiga née Sawicka. Nominated President in exile in 1989. Handed over his office to President Lech Wałęsa in 1990. Died in an air crash in 2010 near Smolensk (Russia). Buried in the Church of Divine Providence in Warsaw. REPUBLIC OF POLAND 1944/45-1952 (1952-1989: People's Republic of Poland): Poland was occupied by Soviet forces in 1944/45 and a communist dictatorship was imposed by the USSR. The first communist president was "elected" in the rigged elections in 1947. In 1952 Polish presidency was abolished. It was reintroduced in 1989 when the communist dicatorship was already collapsing. 1947-1952: BOLESŁAW BIERUT Born in 1892 in Rury Jezuickie near Lublin as Bolesław Biernacki. Imposed as President in the rigged 1947 elections. Died in Moscow in 1956. Buried in Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw. 1952-1989: PRESIDENCY ABOLISHED 1989-1990: WOJCIECH JARUZELSKI Born in 1923 in Kurów. Nominated President in 1989. THIRD REPUBLIC OF POLAND FROM 1990: 1990-1995: LECH WAŁĘSA Born in 1943 in Popowo to Bolesław Wałęsa and Feliksa née Kamieńska. Elected President in 1990. 1995-2005: ALEKSANDER KWAŚNIEWSKI Born in 1954 in Białogard to Zdzisław Kwaśniewski and Aleksandra née Balasz. Elected President in 1995, reelected in 2000. 2005-2010: LECH KACZYŃSKI Born in 1949 in Warsaw to Rajmund Kaczyński and Jadwiga née Jasiewicz. Elected President in 2005. Died in an air crash in 2010 near Smolensk (Russia). Buried in the Royal Basilica on Wawel Hill in Cracow. FROM 2010: BRONISŁAW KOMOROWSKI Born in 1952 in Oborniki Śląskie to Zygmunt Leon Komorowski and Jadwiga née Szałkowska. Elected President in 2010. RESIDENCES AND BURIAL PLACES OF POLISH PRESIDENTS SINCE 1918  RESIDENCES OF POLISH PRESIDENTS (Only the most important and still existing residences are listed) CRACOW (Kraków): The Royal Castle of Wawel (Zamek Królewski na Wawelu) - had been recognized as a residence of Polish Head of State and of Polish Presidents in 1920. President Ignacy Mościcki resided here while in Cracow. Now the castle is a museum.  Wawel Castle in Cracow. ©ARB LONDON (ENGLAND): "THE CASTLE" ("Zamek") at 43 Eaton Place - former residence of Polish presidents in exile from 1940 to 1990, now a museum.  Former residence of Polish presidents in London. ©ARB WARSAW (Warszawa): THE BELVEDERE PALACE (Belweder) - the residence of President Bronisław Komorowski from 2010. The palace served as the residence of Polish Head of State, Józef Piłsudski, and of Polish presidents from 1918 to 1926, from 1947 to 1952 and from 1990 to 1994.  The Belvedere Palace in Warsaw (reproduced courtesy of Mr Jerzy Paździora) WARSAW (Warszawa): THE MANSION OF PRESIDENT NARUTOWICZ (dworek prezydenta Narutowicza, ul. Parkowa 23) - the private residence of President Narutowicz. The house had served as a temporary presidential residence in December 1922 before the former Head of State, Józef Piłsudski, left the official residence, the Belvedere Palace. The mansion is nowadays a seat of state instututions.  The Mansion of President Narutowicz in Warsaw (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczyński) WARSAW (Warszawa): THE ROYAL CASTLE (Zamek Królewski) - the former residence of Polish kings became the residence of Polish Head of State, Józef Piłsudski from 1920 to 1922 and of Polish presidents from 1926 to 1939. Now a museum.  The Royal Castle in Warsaw, a residence of Polish presidents (reproduced courtesy of Mr Jerzy Paździora) WARSAW (Warszawa): THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE (formerly the Palace of Viceroys; Pałac Namiestnikowski) - the former residence of Russian viceroys of Poland and Polish prime ministers from 1919. From 1994 to 2010 the seat of Polish presidents. Now the office of the Polish president.  The Presidential Palace in Warsaw (reproduced courtesy of Mr Jerzy Paździora) WISŁA: THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE (Zamek Prezydenta RP) - summer residence of Polish presidents 1931-1939, 1947-1952 and again from 2002. BURIAL PLACES OF POLISH PRESIDENTS CRACOW, ROYAL BASILICA ON WAWEL HILL (Kraków, Bazylika Królewska na Wawelu, ul. Podzamcze):   The Royal Basilica in Cracow and the the tomb of Józef Piłsudski. ©ARB 01. Józef Piłsudski (+1935), Poland's Head of State 02. President Lech Kaczyński (+2010) LONDON/ENGLAND, GUNNERSBURY CEMETERY (London, Gunnersbury Avenue/N. Circular Road): President in Exile Kazimierz Sabbat (+1989; section F near the Katyn Monument)  The grave of President Kazimierz Sabbat. ©ARB  NEWARK-ON-TRENT/ENGLAND, POLISH CEMETERY (Newark-on-Trent, London Rd./Elm Ave.): 01. President in Exile Władysław Raczkiewicz (+1947) 02. President in Exile August Zaleski (+1972) 03. President in Exile Stanisław Ostrowski (+1982) ROGALIN, THE CHURCH OF ST MARCELLINUS, THE RACZYŃSKI MAUSOLEUM (Rogalin, kościół Św. Marcelina, Mauzoleum Raczyńskich): President in Exile Count Edward Raczyński (+1993) WARSAW, BASILICA OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST (Warszawa, Bazylika Archikatedralna Św. Jana Chrzciciela, ul. Świętojańska):   Warsaw, St John's Basilica and the tomb of President Gabriel Narutowicz (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczyński and Ms Małgorzata Kosmala respectively) 01. President Gabriel Narutowicz (+1922) 02. President Ignacy Mościcki (+1946)  The tomb of President Ignacy Mościcki (reproduced courtesy of Ms Małgorzata Kosmala) WARSAW, CHURCH OF DIVINE PROVIDENCE (Warszawa, Świątynia Opatrzności Bożej, ul. Ks. Prymasa Augusta Hlonda): President in Exile Ryszard Kaczorowski (+2010) WARSAW, POWĄZKI CEMETERY (Warszawa, Cmentarz Powązkowski, ul. Powązkowska): President Stanisław Wojciechowski (+1953)   The grave of President Stanisław Wojciechowski (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczyński) WARSAW, THE MILITARY CEMETERY AT POWĄZKI (Warszawa, Cmentarz Wojskowy na Powązkach, ul. Powązkowska): President Bolesław Bierut (+1956)  The grave of President Bolesław Bierut (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczyński) WILNO, ROSSA CEMETERY (now Vilnius, Lithuania) (Wilno, cmentarz na Rossie, ul. Rossa): Heart of Józef Piłsudski (+1935) His heart had been buried in the Church of St Theresa in Wilno (1935-1936). In 1936 it was reburied in its present location in the tomb at Rossa Cemetery.   Wilno, the grave of Józef Piłsudski's heart and the inscription on the grave. ©ARB STANDARDS OF POLISH PRESIDENTS   Polish presidential standard c. 1919-1927 (left) Polish presidential standard 1927-1947 (in exile 1947-1990) and from 1990 (right)  Polish presidential standard, 1947-1952 REPUBLIC OF POLAND: TERRITORIAL CHANGES SINCE 1918    |
