Jan Piekałkiewicz
Encyclopedia
Jan Piekałkiewicz was a Polish
economist
and statistician
, politician
and the Polish Underground State's Government Delegate.
, to a Polish intelligentsia
family. He studied in St. Petersburg and in Poznań
.
He was an employee of the Central Statistical Office, and was one of the organizers of the Polish census of 1921
. From 1923 to 1924 he was a professor at the University of Lwów. From 1924 to 1939 he lectured in the Main Political School in Warsaw, and published over 50 works on finances, economics (in particular, econometrics
) and statistics. He was a member of the Polish Statistical Society, and on 1927 he became a member of the International Statistical Institute
. He worked with the Statistical Commission of the League of Nations
. He was considered a leading Polish expert on economical statistics.
He was a member of the Polish People's Party "Piast" (PSL "Piast", from 1926) and People's Party (Stronnictwo Ludowe, from 1931). From 1938 to 1939 he was a member of the Main Council of the People's Party. Following the German invasion of Poland, from 1940 he was a member of the underground arm of the People's Party, the People's Party "Roch" (Stronnictwo Ludowe "Roch"). In December 1940 he became Deputy to the Polish Underground State's Government Delegate and on 2 August (or 17 September - sources vary) 1942 he replaced Cyryl Ratajski
as Delegate.
As Delegate, he confirmed the creation of the Council to Aid Jews Żegota
and extension of full aid to Polish political prisoners. He also ordered the full documentation of the Nazi crimes against ethnic Poles
and the Jews. He informed the Western Allies
about the Holocaust. He supported the studies on the creation of the post-war Polish-German border on Lusatian Neisse
and Oder
. In his speeches to the nation, published in Biuletyn Informacyjny
, he called up everyone to join in the civil struggles and warned collaborators that they faced the death penalty for betraying the Polish nation. He also wanted to establish cooperation between the Polish Underground State, loyal to the Polish government in exile
in London
, and the communist Polish Workers Party (PPR). As Delegate, he was succeeded by Jan Stanisław Jankowski.
He was arrested by the Germans on 19 February 1943, tortured, then murdered on 19 June 1943.
In 1995 he was posthumously awarded the Order of the White Eagle.
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and statistician
Statistician
A statistician is someone who works with theoretical or applied statistics. The profession exists in both the private and public sectors. The core of that work is to measure, interpret, and describe the world and human activity patterns within it...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and the Polish Underground State's Government Delegate.
Biography
He was born on the 19 September 1892 in KurskKursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
, to a Polish intelligentsia
Intelligentsia
The intelligentsia is a social class of people engaged in complex, mental and creative labor directed to the development and dissemination of culture, encompassing intellectuals and social groups close to them...
family. He studied in St. Petersburg and in Poznań
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
.
He was an employee of the Central Statistical Office, and was one of the organizers of the Polish census of 1921
Polish census of 1921
The Polish census of 1921 or First General Census in Poland was the first census in the Second Polish Republic, performed on September 30, 1921 by the Main Bureau of Statistics ....
. From 1923 to 1924 he was a professor at the University of Lwów. From 1924 to 1939 he lectured in the Main Political School in Warsaw, and published over 50 works on finances, economics (in particular, econometrics
Econometrics
Econometrics has been defined as "the application of mathematics and statistical methods to economic data" and described as the branch of economics "that aims to give empirical content to economic relations." More precisely, it is "the quantitative analysis of actual economic phenomena based on...
) and statistics. He was a member of the Polish Statistical Society, and on 1927 he became a member of the International Statistical Institute
International Statistical Institute
The International Statistical Institute is a professional association of statisticians. The Institut International de Statistique or International Statistical Institute was founded in 1885 although there had been international congresses from 1853.. The Institute publishes a variety of books and...
. He worked with the Statistical Commission of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
. He was considered a leading Polish expert on economical statistics.
He was a member of the Polish People's Party "Piast" (PSL "Piast", from 1926) and People's Party (Stronnictwo Ludowe, from 1931). From 1938 to 1939 he was a member of the Main Council of the People's Party. Following the German invasion of Poland, from 1940 he was a member of the underground arm of the People's Party, the People's Party "Roch" (Stronnictwo Ludowe "Roch"). In December 1940 he became Deputy to the Polish Underground State's Government Delegate and on 2 August (or 17 September - sources vary) 1942 he replaced Cyryl Ratajski
Cyryl Ratajski
Cyryl Ratajski was a Polish politician and lawyer.He was the president of Poznań in the years 1922-1924, 1925-1934 and in September 1939. In the years 1924-1925 he was the Polish Minister of the Interior.From 1937 he was a member of Labour Party, Stronnictwo Pracy...
as Delegate.
As Delegate, he confirmed the creation of the Council to Aid Jews Żegota
Zegota
"Żegota" , also known as the "Konrad Żegota Committee", was a codename for the Polish Council to Aid Jews , an underground organization of Polish resistance in German-occupied Poland from 1942 to 1945....
and extension of full aid to Polish political prisoners. He also ordered the full documentation of the Nazi crimes against ethnic Poles
Nazi crimes against ethnic Poles
In addition to about 2.9 million Polish Jews , about 2.8 million non-Jewish Polish citizens perished during the course of the war...
and the Jews. He informed the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
about the Holocaust. He supported the studies on the creation of the post-war Polish-German border on Lusatian Neisse
Lusatian Neisse
The Lusatian Neisse is a long river in Central Europe. The river has its source in the Jizera Mountains near Nová Ves nad Nisou, Czech Republic, reaching the tripoint with Poland and Germany at Zittau after , and later forms the Polish-German border on a length of...
and Oder
Oder
The Oder is a river in Central Europe. It rises in the Czech Republic and flows through western Poland, later forming of the border between Poland and Germany, part of the Oder-Neisse line...
. In his speeches to the nation, published in Biuletyn Informacyjny
Biuletyn Informacyjny
Biuletyn Informacyjny was a Polish weekly published covertly in occupied Poland during World War II.It was started in November 1939 in Warsaw as the main press release of the SZP, the first underground resistance organisation in Poland. Soon it was taken over by the Armia Krajowa and the Bureau of...
, he called up everyone to join in the civil struggles and warned collaborators that they faced the death penalty for betraying the Polish nation. He also wanted to establish cooperation between the Polish Underground State, loyal to the Polish government in exile
Polish government in Exile
The Polish government-in-exile, formally known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile , was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Poland of September 1939, and the subsequent occupation of Poland by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, which...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and the communist Polish Workers Party (PPR). As Delegate, he was succeeded by Jan Stanisław Jankowski.
He was arrested by the Germans on 19 February 1943, tortured, then murdered on 19 June 1943.
In 1995 he was posthumously awarded the Order of the White Eagle.
Works
- Atlas statystyczny Polski, with Ignacy Weinfeld and Edward Szturm de SztremEdward Szturm de SztremEdward Szturm de Sztrem was a Polish statistician and demographer. From 1929 till the German invasion of Poland in 1939 he was the director of the Polish Central Statistical Office. In 1937 he became the president of the newly founded Polish Statistical Society...
, tome 1 in 1924, tome 2 in 1925 - O programie gospodarczym Polski, with Brunon Balukiewicz
- La Pologne contemporaine : atlas statistique, 1926
- Bilans płatniczy polski = La Balance des payements de la Pologne, 1926
- Okrȩgi gospodarcze Polski : Les régions économiques de la Pologne, 1927
- Długi samorządu terytorjalnego = Les dettes des administrations autonomes territoriales, 1929
- Le service statistique des banques de crédit agricole hypothécaire, 1931
- La statistique de l'activité économique des entreprises d'état, 1933
- Statistique du crédit hypothécaire, 1933
- Sprawozdanie z badań skladu ludności robotniczej w Polsce metoda̜ reprezentacyjna̜, 1934
Further reading
- Janusz Gmitruk, Jan Piekałkiewicz - bohater zapomniany, Muzeum Historii Polskiego Ruchu Ludowego , 2009, ISBN 978-83-60093-36-8
