Kazimierz Świtalski

Col. Kazimierz Świtalski (March 4, 1886, Sanok – December 28, 1962, Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish officer, politician, and a Prime Minister of Poland.

Biographical note

Before the World War I he joined the Związek Walki Czynnej, an underground organisation formed by Józef Piłsudski. In 1914 Świtalski joined the Polish Legions and in 1918 the Polish Army, where he became one of the aides to Piłsudski. After the war he remained in the army.

During the 1926 coup d'etat in Poland Świtalski supported Piłsudski. Since 1926 he was given various political posts. In 1926 he was the Head of the Civilian Chancellery of the President, between 1926 and 1928 he commanded the Political Department of the Ministry of Military Affairs. In June 1928 Świtalski became a minister of education and in 1929 he was chosen the Prime Minister of Poland. In 1930 he was elected to the Sejm and between 1933 and 1935 he was its Marshall. After 1935 he retired from active political life and became the Voivod of Kraków (December 3, 1935 - April 20, 1936).

After the Polish Defensive War of 1939 Kazimierz Świtalski was taken POW and taken to Woldenberg camp, where he spent the entire World War II. In 1945 he returned to Poland. He was persecuted and imprisoned by the communist authorities. Rehabilitated after 1956, he died in 1962.

ee also

* Sanacja