Mieczysław Rakowski

Mieczysław Rakowski
Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Poland 10th Premier of Communist Poland
In office September 27, 1988 – August 2, 1989
President	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, 1990
Preceded by	Wojciech Jaruzelski
Succeeded by	Dissolution of Communist Party
Personal details
Born	December 1, 1926(1926-12-01) Kowalewko, Poland
Died	November 8, 2008(2008-11-08) (aged 81)
Political party	Polish United Workers' Party
Spouse(s)	Elżbieta Kępińska (2nd wife)
Occupation	Communist politician, Historian, Journalist

Mieczysław Rakowski [mʲɛˈt​͡ʂɨswaf 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

1. ^ Martin, Douglas (November 11, 2008). "Mieczyslaw Rakowski, Poland’s Last Communist Premier, Dies at 81". The New York Times.

External links

• Gallery of photos
• Memories about Rakowski (Gazeta Wyborcza)
• Obituary of Rakowski in The Economist

Political offices
Preceded by Zbigniew Messner	Prime Minister of Poland 1988–1989	Succeeded by Czesław Kiszczak
Party political offices
Preceded by Wojciech Jaruzelski	General Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party 1989–1990	Party dissolved

Persondata
Name	Rakowski, Mieczyslaw
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 1, 1926
Place of birth	Kowalewko, Poland
Date of death	November 8, 2008
Place of death