Jerzy Zietek
Encyclopedia
Jerzy Ziętek was a Polish
politician
and general
. A Silesian Insurrectionist
in his youth, during the Second World War
he joined the Polish armed forces in the U.S.S.R and later became an important politician representing Silesia in the People's Republic of Poland.
(Upper Silesia
), in the German Empire
. He was active in various Polish cultural movements, for which he was discharged from gymnasium
in 1919 and passed his matura
exams in front of the provisional Polish commission in Bytom
.
Ziętek was the advocate of Silesian independence and in the aftermath of the First World War he participated actively in the Silesian Uprisings
(1919-1921) against the Germans
. In 1920 he was introduced to Polish Military Organization. In the third Silesian Uprising (1921), he battled in the 8th Company of the 3rd Gliwice battalion. At first, he was commander of a platoon
, and later of the entire company. On more occasions he was involved in direct fighting, in Łabędy, Stare Koźle
, Januszkowice
and Sławięcice. He was also involved in organizing the plebiscite in Silesia, under the guidance of the League of Nations
, which eventually determined to award most of Silesia to the Second Polish Republic
.
Nonetheless Ziętek in his memoirs was disappointed with the results of the peace agreement that was pushed through by the British
: "Everywhere, our struggle for freedom was met with disdain, especially by British politicians. Lloyd George
was the most infamous of them all, having said that you can not give a watch
to a monkey
because the animal will break it, implying that the watch was Silesia and the monkey Poland“
From 1922 until 1939 he was a mayor
of Radzionków
and took part in the autonomous government of Silesia and from 1930 to 1935 he was a deputy
for the Polish parliament (Sejm
) from BBWR party.
In 1939, after the Germans invaded Poland he fled the Nazis and found himself in the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
, (which joined the Germans in their invasion). In the Soviet Union
he decided to cooperate with the Polish nationalists. In 1943 he enrolled in the Union of Polish Nationalists and joined the Polish Army, where he had the rank of pułkownik (colonel) and was the vice-commander of the Polish 3rd Infantry Division
. In 1945 he became a member of the communist controlled Polish Workers Party, (PPR), which later became the Polish United Workers Party, (PZPR).
In his political career, which lasted from 1945 until 1985, he occupied a number of different positions. First as the vice-voivod of the Silesian-Dąbrowa Voivodeship
, from 1950 its first representative and from 1964 the leader of the voivodeship sejmik
. In 1973 he became the voivod himself until 1975. He was also a representative in the Polish Sejm
from 1947 until 1952 and from 1957 until 1985. From 1961 to 1969 he was the chairman of the Sejm Commission of Building and Communal Economy. From 1963 to 1980 he was a member of the Polish Council of State
and from 1980 to 1985 one of its four deputy chairmen.
From 1949 until the end of his life he was the vice-president of Society of Fighters for Freedom. In 1959 the People's Republic of Poland awarded him the Order of the Builders of People's Poland
. In 1971, at the 30th anniversary of the Third Silesian Uprising, he was also promoted to the rank of generał brygady. In 1977 he received honorary PhD
diploma from Silesian University http://www.us.edu.pl/uniwersytet/usdoktoraty/index.php?dhcid=3
In 1946 he wrote his memoir
s about the times of Silesian Uprisings: "Powstańczy Szlak – rozważania powstańcze" (Insurgence trail - thoughts on uprising). His life was also the basis of the 1979 movie by Antoni Halor: Man with the cane (Człowiek z laską).
He was responsible for creation of the Silesian culture and refreshment park, Silesia Stadium
, Katowice Rondo and many other buildings important for the region. There are monuments to him in the Park as well as on the Katowice Rondo (which is named after him). He is also the patron of Silesian School of Management in Katowice. The Gazeta Wyborcza
named him as the second-most important Silesia
n person in the 20th century, coming second to Wojciech Korfanty
and before director Kazimierz Kutz
.
He died on November 20, 1985 in Katowice.
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
. A Silesian Insurrectionist
Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
in his youth, during the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he joined the Polish armed forces in the U.S.S.R and later became an important politician representing Silesia in the People's Republic of Poland.
Biography
Jerzy Ziętek was born in the city of Gleiwitz, PrussiaPrussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
(Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
), in the German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. He was active in various Polish cultural movements, for which he was discharged from gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in 1919 and passed his matura
Matura
Matura or a similar term is the common name for the high-school leaving exam or "maturity exam" in various countries, including Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia,...
exams in front of the provisional Polish commission in Bytom
Bytom
Bytom is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The central-western district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Bytom is located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Bytomka river .The city belongs to the Silesian Voivodeship since...
.
Ziętek was the advocate of Silesian independence and in the aftermath of the First World War he participated actively in the Silesian Uprisings
Silesian Uprisings
The Silesian Uprisings were a series of three armed uprisings of the Poles and Polish Silesians of Upper Silesia, from 1919–1921, against German rule; the resistance hoped to break away from Germany in order to join the Second Polish Republic, which had been established in the wake of World War I...
(1919-1921) against the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. In 1920 he was introduced to Polish Military Organization. In the third Silesian Uprising (1921), he battled in the 8th Company of the 3rd Gliwice battalion. At first, he was commander of a platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
, and later of the entire company. On more occasions he was involved in direct fighting, in Łabędy, Stare Koźle
Stare Kozle
Stare Koźle is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bierawa, within Kędzierzyn-Koźle County, Opole Voivodeship, in south-western Poland...
, Januszkowice
Januszkowice
Januszkowice may refer to the following places in Poland:*Januszkowice, Lower Silesian Voivodeship *Januszkowice, Subcarpathian Voivodeship *Januszkowice, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship...
and Sławięcice. He was also involved in organizing the plebiscite in Silesia, under the guidance 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...
, which eventually determined to award most of Silesia to the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
.
Nonetheless Ziętek in his memoirs was disappointed with the results of the peace agreement that was pushed through by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
: "Everywhere, our struggle for freedom was met with disdain, especially by British politicians. Lloyd George
David Lloyd George
David Lloyd George, 1st Earl Lloyd-George of Dwyfor OM, PC was a British Liberal politician and statesman...
was the most infamous of them all, having said that you can not give a watch
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
to a monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
because the animal will break it, implying that the watch was Silesia and the monkey Poland“
From 1922 until 1939 he was a mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Radzionków
Radzionków
Radzionków is a town in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. Borders on the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - metropolis with the population of 2 millions. Located in the Silesian Highlands....
and took part in the autonomous government of Silesia and from 1930 to 1935 he was a deputy
Legislator
A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. Legislators are usually politicians and are often elected by the people...
for the Polish parliament (Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
) from BBWR party.
In 1939, after the Germans invaded Poland he fled the Nazis and found himself in the Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
Polish areas annexed by the Soviet Union
Immediately after the German invasion of Poland in 1939, which marked the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union invaded the eastern regions of the Second Polish Republic, which Poles referred to as the "Kresy," and annexed territories totaling 201,015 km² with a population of 13,299,000...
, (which joined the Germans in their invasion). In the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
he decided to cooperate with the Polish nationalists. In 1943 he enrolled in the Union of Polish Nationalists and joined the Polish Army, where he had the rank of pułkownik (colonel) and was the vice-commander of the Polish 3rd Infantry Division
Polish 3rd Infantry Division
Polish 3rd Infantry Division can refer to several formations of that name:*Polish 3rd Legions Infantry Division *Polish 3rd Infantry Division , 1940*Polish 3rd Infantry Division , 1944...
. In 1945 he became a member of the communist controlled Polish Workers Party, (PPR), which later became the Polish United Workers Party, (PZPR).
In his political career, which lasted from 1945 until 1985, he occupied a number of different positions. First as the vice-voivod of the Silesian-Dąbrowa Voivodeship
Katowice Voivodeship
Katowice Voivodeship was a unit of administrative division and local government in Poland in the years 1975–1998, superseded by the Silesian Voivodeship...
, from 1950 its first representative and from 1964 the leader of the voivodeship sejmik
Voivodeship sejmik
A voivodeship sejmik is a provincial-level elected assembly for each of the 16 voivodeships of Poland. Sejmiks are elected to four-year terms, decided during nationwide local elections...
. In 1973 he became the voivod himself until 1975. He was also a representative in the Polish Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
from 1947 until 1952 and from 1957 until 1985. From 1961 to 1969 he was the chairman of the Sejm Commission of Building and Communal Economy. From 1963 to 1980 he was a member of the Polish Council of State
Polish Council of State
The Council of State of the Republic of Poland was introduced by the 1947 Small Constitution. It consisted of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Marshal and Vicemarshals of Constituent Sejm, President of the Supreme Chamber of Control and could consist of other members...
and from 1980 to 1985 one of its four deputy chairmen.
From 1949 until the end of his life he was the vice-president of Society of Fighters for Freedom. In 1959 the People's Republic of Poland awarded him the Order of the Builders of People's Poland
Order of the Builders of People's Poland
Order of the Builders of People's Poland was the highest civil decoration of Poland in the times of the People's Republic of Poland.-History:...
. In 1971, at the 30th anniversary of the Third Silesian Uprising, he was also promoted to the rank of generał brygady. In 1977 he received honorary PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
diploma from Silesian University http://www.us.edu.pl/uniwersytet/usdoktoraty/index.php?dhcid=3
In 1946 he wrote his memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s about the times of Silesian Uprisings: "Powstańczy Szlak – rozważania powstańcze" (Insurgence trail - thoughts on uprising). His life was also the basis of the 1979 movie by Antoni Halor: Man with the cane (Człowiek z laską).
He was responsible for creation of the Silesian culture and refreshment park, Silesia Stadium
Silesia Stadium
Silesian Stadium is a sport stadium located between Chorzów and Katowice, Silesia, Poland. It opened on 22 July 1956 and has since hosted crowds of over 120,000 for both football matches and motorcycle speedway world championships...
, Katowice Rondo and many other buildings important for the region. There are monuments to him in the Park as well as on the Katowice Rondo (which is named after him). He is also the patron of Silesian School of Management in Katowice. The Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza
Gazeta Wyborcza is a leading Polish newspaper. It covers the gamut of political, international and general news. Like all the Polish newspapers, it is printed on compact-sized paper, and is published by the multimedia corporation Agora SA...
named him as the second-most important Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
n person in the 20th century, coming second to Wojciech Korfanty
Wojciech Korfanty
Wojciech Korfanty , born Adalbert Korfanty, was a Polish nationalist activist, journalist and politician, serving as member of the German parliaments Reichstag and Prussian Landtag, and later on, in the Polish Sejm...
and before director Kazimierz Kutz
Kazimierz Kutz
Kazimierz Julian Kutz is a Polish film director, author, journalist and politician, one of the representatives of the Polish Film School and a deputy speaker of the Senate of Poland.- Biography :...
.
He died on November 20, 1985 in Katowice.
Further reading
- Jan Walczak, Generał Stanislas Ziętek. Wojewoda katowicki. Biografia Ślązaka 1901-1985., Śląsk Spółka z o.o. , 2002, ISBN 8371640005