Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski

Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski
Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski
Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland
27th Prime Minister of the Second Republic
In office
May 15, 1936 – September 20, 1939
President Ignacy Mościcki
Vice PM Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski
Preceded by Marian Zyndram-Kościałkowski
Succeeded by Władysław Sikorski
Personal details
Born July 9, 1885
Gąbin, Congress Poland
Died August 31, 1962 (aged 77)
London, United Kingdom
Resting place Brompton Cemetery, London
Spouse(s) Jadwiga Szoll
Profession Physician, military officer
Religion Calvinism[1]

Major General Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski (Polish pronunciation: [fɛˈlit͡sjan ˈswavɔj skwatˈkɔfskʲi]; 9 July 1885,[2] Gąbin - 31 August 1962[2]) was a Polish physician,[3] general and politician who served as Polish Minister of Internal Affairs and was the last Prime Minister of Poland before World War II.

Składkowski studied medicine at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, graduating in 1911. He then worked as a physician in Sosnowiec. He fought in the Polish Legions in World War I and later in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. In 1924, as a Brigadier-General, he was appointed head of the Polish military health service by Józef Piłsudski.

After the May Coup of 1926, Składkowski served as Minister of the Interior,[3] a post he held (with one short break)[2] until June 1931. After that, he was appointed Minister of Defense.

On 13 May 1936 Składkowski became Prime Minister[4] and Minister of the Interior. He was Poland's longest serving Prime Minister in the inter-war years, his cabinet lasting for 3 years and 4 months,[5] until 30 September 1939.[4][6] He was also the first Polish Protestant (he was himself Calvinist) to hold that position.

While serving as Prime Minister, he was appalled by the lack of sanitation in many of Poland's villages, and issued a decree that every household in Poland must have a latrine in working order. This prompted many village-dwellers to erect wooden sheds in their backyards for this purpose, which have been subsequently dubbed "slawojkis".

After the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, he fled to Romania and was interned there.[7] After the German occupation of Romania in 1940, he went to Turkey and thence to Palestine. In 1947, he went to London, where he died in 1962.[2] He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.

Honours and awards

and many international awards.

Składkowski has received honorary citizenship of Czeladz and Gabin.

References

  1. ^ Składkowski, Felicjan Sławoj (2003). "Wstęp". In Arkadiusz Adamczyk. Nie ostatnie słowo oskarżonego. Warszawa. pp. VI. ISBN 83-88736-32-9. 
  2. ^ a b c d http://www.generals.dk/general/S%C5%82awoj-Sk%C5%82adkowski/Felicjan/Poland.html
  3. ^ a b Waclaw Jedrzejewicz Piłsudski: A life for Poland Hippocrene, 1982 ISBN 0-87052-747-2 Page 246
  4. ^ a b Norman Davies White Eagle Red Star Pimlico, 1972 ISBN 0-7126-0694-7 Page 272
  5. ^ Richard Watt Bitter Glory Hippocrene, 1998 ISBN 0-7818-0673-9 Page 351
  6. ^ Jozef Garlinski 'Poland in the Second World War Macmillan, 1985 ISBN 0-333-39258-2 Page 48
  7. ^ Stanislaw Mikolajczyk The Pattern of Soviet Domination Sampson Low, Marston & Co 1948 Page 6
Political offices
Preceded by
Marian Kościałkowski-Zyndram		 Prime Minister of Poland
1936–1939		 Succeeded by
Władysław Sikorski
(Prime Minister of the Polish Republic in Exile)