| Stanisław Ostrowski | |
|---|---|
| President of the Republic of Poland 3rd President of Poland in Exile |
|
| In office 9 April 1972 – 24 March 1979 |
|
| Prime Minister | Alfred Urbański Kazimierz Sabbat |
| Preceded by | August Zaleski Rada Trzech |
| Succeeded by | Edward Bernard Raczyński |
| President of Lvov | |
| In office 1936–1939 |
|
| Preceded by | Wacław Drojanowski |
| Succeeded by | (Soviet occupation) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 October 1892 Lviv, then Austria-Hungary |
| Died | 22 November 1982 (aged 90) London, England |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Political party | BBWR (in country) Close to Polish Socialist Party (exile) |
Stanisław Ostrowski (29 October 1892 – 22 November 1982) was a Polish politician, best known for serving as the last President of Lwów and third President of Poland in exile.
Ostrowski was born in Lviv to Michał Ostrowski, who fought in a January uprising. Ostrowski studied medicine in Lviv University. He fought, as a doctor, in the Polish-Ukrainian War (battle of Lwów (1918)) and the Polish-Bolshevik War (1919–1920). Then he was President of Lwów (before that Vice President). He was also three-term Sejm member from BBWR. As a legislator he focused on health affairs as well as developed a reputation of defender of minorities rights.
After the Soviet invasion of Poland (1939), he was arrested and imprisoned in Moscow (until 1941). Among his cellmates was Anandyn Amar, former Prime Minister and President of Mongolia. He left the Soviet Union as an officer of the Polish Army in the East (commander-in-chief general Władysław Anders) in 1942.
He fought against Germans in Italy (1944–1945). When World War II ended, he moved to England and became involved in the politics of the Polish community there, which included the Polish government in exile.
Ostrowski was the third President of Poland in exile (1972–1979). He took office after death of President August Zaleski. In start he had to deal with a deep crisis in the emigre circles. Zaleski, despite earlier promises, declined to step down after seven years in office (1954), which caused formation of the Council of Three an opposition body recognized by a part of emigrees as a collective head of state. Ostrowski's selection was recognized by the Council, which then dissolved itself. Because of that Ostrowski is credited for uniting Polish emigree circles. He also strongly refused to acknowledge annexation of the eastern areas of the Second Polish Republic by the USSR after World War II.
As promised, President Ostrowski stepped down after a seven-years term in favor of Edward Bernard Raczyński.
Ostrowski died in London and is buried in a Polish military cemetery in Newark, along with past Presidents in exile.
In 1987 a table dedicated to Ostrowski was unveiled in Saint Stanisław Kostka church in Warsaw (Żoliborz).
Ostrowski died without children.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by August Zaleski |
President of the Polish Republic in exile 1972–1979 |
Succeeded by Edward Bernard Raczyński |
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