- Mieczysław Rakowski
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Mieczysław Rakowski Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Poland
10th Premier of Communist PolandIn office
September 27, 1988 – August 2, 1989President Wojciech Jaruzelski Deputy Janusz Patorski, Ireneusz Sekuła, Kazimierz Olesiak Preceded by Zbigniew Messner Succeeded by Czesław Kiszczak 7th First Secretary of the Central Committee of the PUWP In office
July 29, 1989 – January 29, 1990Preceded by Wojciech Jaruzelski Succeeded by Dissolution of Communist Party Personal details Born December 1, 1926
Kowalewko, PolandDied November 8, 2008 (aged 81) Political party Polish United Workers' Party Spouse(s) Elżbieta Kępińska (2nd wife) Occupation Communist politician, Historian, Journalist Mieczysław Rakowski [mʲɛˈt͡ʂɨswaf raˈkɔfskʲi] (
listen) (December 1, 1926, Kowalewko, Poland—November 8, 2008) was a Polish communist politician, historian and journalist. He served as an officer in the Polish People's Army from 1945 to 1949. He began his political career in 1946 as a member of the Polish Workers' Party, and from 1948 to 1990 he was a member of the communist Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), serving on its Central Committee from 1975 to 1990.
He received a doctorate in history from Warsaw's Institute for Social Sciences in 1956. Rakowski served as the second-to-last communist Prime Minister of Poland from September 1988 to August 1989 (Czesław Kiszczak then served less than a month as the last communist, before the accession of Tadeusz Mazowiecki). He was the last First Secretary of the PZPR from July 1989 to January 1990. However, he was not, unlike his predecessors, the de facto leader of the country; the PZPR had given up its monopoly of power in early 1989.
Rakowski was also known as one of the founders and, from 1958 to 1982, first deputy and then chief editor of the weekly newspaper Polityka, one of the most influential newspapers at the time (Polityka continues to exist and is regarded by many as the most prestigious weekly in Poland). Today some people still remember him as a journalist and editor rather than a politician.
Rakowski was involved in the communist government during suppression of the Solidarity movement. He also played part of the Polish transformation from communism to democracy, as his communist government was forced to reform and he was one of the key players in the Polish Round Table Agreements.
Prior to becoming Prime Minister, he had been divorced from the violinist Wanda Wiłkomirska, with whom he had two sons and two grandchildren.
He died on November 8, 2008 from cancer in Warsaw at the age of 81.[1]
References
- ^ Martin, Douglas (November 11, 2008). "Mieczyslaw Rakowski, Poland’s Last Communist Premier, Dies at 81". The New York Times.
External links
Political offices Preceded by
Zbigniew MessnerPrime Minister of Poland
1988–1989Succeeded by
Czesław KiszczakParty political offices Preceded by
Wojciech JaruzelskiGeneral Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party
1989–1990Party dissolved Bolesław Bierut · Edward Ochab · Władysław Gomułka · Edward Gierek · Stanisław Kania · Wojciech Jaruzelski · Mieczysław RakowskiPrime Ministers of Poland Kingdom of Poland (1916–1918) Republic of Poland (1918–1939) Daszyński · Moraczewski · Paderewski · Skulski · Grabski · Witos · Ponikowski · Śliwiński · Nowak · Sikorski · Witos · Grabski · Skrzyński · Witos · Bartel · Piłsudski · Bartel · Świtalski · Bartel · Sławek · Piłsudski · Sławek · Prystor · Jędrzejewicz · Kozłowski · Sławek · Zyndram-Kościałkowski · SkładkowskiPolish government in Exile (1939–1990) Sikorski · Mikołajczyk · Arciszewski · Bór-Komorowski · Tomaszewski · Odzierzyński · Hryniewski · Mackiewicz · Hanke · Pająk · Zawisza · Muchniewski · Urbański · Sabbat · SzczepanikPeople's Republic of Poland (1944–1989) Osóbka-Morawski · Cyrankiewicz · Bierut · Cyrankiewicz · Jaroszewicz · Babiuch · Pińkowski · Jaruzelski · Messner · Rakowski · Kiszczak · MazowieckiRepublic of Poland (1989–present) Mazowiecki · Bielecki · Olszewski · Pawlak · Suchocka · Pawlak · Oleksy · Cimoszewicz · Buzek · Miller · Belka · Marcinkiewicz · Kaczyński · TuskCategories:- 1926 births
- 2008 deaths
- People from Kcynia
- Polish Workers' Party politicians
- Polish United Workers' Party members
- Prime Ministers of the People's Republic of Poland
- Polish atheists
- Polish journalists
- Polish historians
- Members of the Sejm of the People's Republic of Poland (1972–1976)
- Members of the Sejm of the People's Republic of Poland (1976–1980)
- Members of the Sejm of the People's Republic of Poland (1985–1989)
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