|
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 Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz 1939-1947: WLADYSLAW RACZKIEWICZ Born in 1885 in Kutaisi, Georgia to Józef Raczkiewicz and Ludwika née Lukaszewicz. 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: STANISLAW 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 RACZYNSKI Born in 1891 in Zakopane. Nominated President in exile in 1979. Died in 1993 in London. Buried in the Raczynski Mausoleum in Rogalin, Poland. 1986-1989: KAZIMIERZ SABBAT Born in 1913 in Bieliny Kapitulne. 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 Bialystok to Waclaw Kaczorowski and Jadwiga née Sawicka. Nominated President in exile in 1989. Handed over his office to President Lech Walesa in 1990. 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: BOLESLAW BIERUT Born in 1892 in Rury Jezuickie near Lublin as Boleslaw Biernacki. Imposed as President in the rigged 1947 elections. Died in Moscow in 1956. Buried in Powazki 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 WALESA Born in 1943 in Popowo to Boleslaw Walesa and Feliksa née Kamienska. Elected President in 1990. 1995-2005: ALEKSANDER KWASNIEWSKI Born in 1954 in Bialogard to Zdzislaw Kwasniewski and Aleksandra née Balasz. Elected President in 1995, reelected in 2000. FROM 2005: LECH KACZYNSKI Born in 1949 in Warsaw to Rajmund Kaczynski and Jadwiga née Jasiewicz. Elected President in 2005. RESIDENCES AND BURIAL PLACES OF POLISH PRESIDENTS SINCE 1918  RESIDENCES OF POLISH PRESIDENTS (Only the most important and still existing residences are listed) LONDON (ENGLAND): "THE CASTLE" ("Zamek") at 43 Eaton Place - former residence of Polish presidents in exile from 1940 to 1990, now a museum. WARSAW (Warszawa): THE BELVEDERE PALACE (Belweder) - the former residence of Polish Head of State, Józef Pilsudski, and of Polish presidents from 1918 to 1926, again from 1947 to 1952, and finally from 1990 to 1994. Now a museum. 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 Pilsudski, left the official residence, the Belvedere Palace. The mansion is nowadays a seat of state instututions.  The Mansion of President Narutowicz (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczynski) WARSAW (Warszawa): THE ROYAL CASTLE (Zamek Królewski) - the former residence of Polish kings became the residence of Polish Head of State, Józef Pilsudski 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 Tomasz Moszczynski) WARSAW (Warszawa): THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE (formerly the Palace of Viceroys; Palac Namiestnikowski) - the former residence of Russian viceroys of Poland and Polish prime ministers from 1919. Since 1994 the seat of Polish presidents.  The Presidential Palace in Warsaw (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczynski) WISLA: 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): Józef Pilsudski (+1935), Poland's Head of State   The Royal Basilica in Cracow and the the tomb of Józef Pilsudski (+1935). ©ARB LONDON (ENGLAND), GUNNERSBURY CEMETERY: President in Exile Kazimierz Sabbat (+1989) NEWARK-ON-TRENT (ENGLAND), POLISH CEMETERY: President in Exile Wladyslaw Raczkiewicz (+1947) President in Exile August Zaleski (+1972) President in Exile Stanislaw Ostrowski (+1982) ROGALIN, THE RACZYNSKI MAUSOLEUM (Rogalin, Mauzoleum Raczynskich): President in Exile Count Edward Raczynski (+1993) VILNIUS (WILNO), ROSSA CEMETERY (Wilno, cmentarz na Rossie/Vilnius, Rasu kapines): Heart of Józef Pilsudski (+1935)   The grave of Józef Pilsudski's heart and the inscription on the grave. ©ARB WARSAW, BASILICA OF ST JOHN THE BAPTIST (Warszawa, Bazylika Archikatedralna sw. Jana Chrzciciela): President Gabriel Narutowicz (+1922) President Ignacy Moscicki (+1946)   Warsaw, St John's Basilica and the tomb of President Gabriel Narutowicz (+1922) (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczynski and Ms Malgorzata Kosmala respectively)  The tomb of President Ignacy Moscicki (+1946) (reproduced courtesy of Ms Malgorzata Kosmala) WARSAW, POWAZKI CEMETERY (Warszawa, Cmentarz Powazkowski): President Stanislaw Wojciechowski (+1953)   The grave of President Stanislaw Wojciechowski (+1953) (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczynski) WARSAW, THE MILITARY CEMETERY AT POWAZKI (Warszawa, Cmentarz Wojskowy na Powazkach): President Boleslaw Bierut (+1956)  The grave of President Boleslaw Bierut (+1956) (reproduced courtesy of Mr Tomasz Moszczynski) 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    |
