Kazimierz Bartel
Encyclopedia
Kazimierz Władysław Bartel (kaˈʑimjɛʂ ˈbartɛl; 3 March 1882 – 26 July 1941) was a Polish
mathematician
and politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland three times between 1926 and 1930.
He was born in Lemberg (Lwów) Austria-Hungary
3 March 1882. After completing secondary school he studied at the Lviv Polytechnic
in the Mechanical Engineering Department. He graduated in 1907 and soon became an assistant in Descriptive Geometry. By 1914 he was a professor at his alma mater.
Conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian
army during World War I, in 1918 he returned to Lemberg. In 1919, as commander of railway troops, he fought in the defense of Lemberg against the Ukrainian siege
. Bartel was a friend and supporter of Poland's leader and commander-in-chief, Józef Piłsudski.
Appointed Minister of Railways (1919–1920), in 1922–1930 he was a member of Poland
's Sejm
(parliament). After Józef Piłsudski's May coup d'etat (1926) he became prime minister and held this post during three broken tenures: 1926, 1928–29,1929–1930. He was Deputy Prime Minister between 1926–1928 and Minister of Religious Beliefs and Public Enlightenment, when Piłsudski himself assumed the premiership, however Bartel was in fact de facto prime minister during this period as Piłsudski did not concern himself with the day to day functions of the cabinet and government.
In 1930 he gave up politics and returned to academia. In 1930 he became rector of the Lwów Polytechnic and was soon awarded an honorary doctorate and membership in the Polish Mathematical Association.
In this period he published his most important writings, among them a series of lectures on perspective in European painting throughout the ages. In 1937 he was appointed a senator of Poland and held this post until the war broke out.
After the invasion of Poland by the Soviet
and subsequent occupation he was allowed to continue giving lectures at the Lwów Polytechnical Institute
. In 1940 he was appointed to Moscow and offered a seat in the Soviet parliament. He refused and returned to Lwów.
Soon after the German invasion of the Soviet Union
, on 30 June 1941 the Wehrmacht
entered Lwów. Kazimierz Bartel was arrested two days later and imprisoned in Gestapo
prison. The Nazis made him an offer to create a Polish puppet government with himself as the head. He refused and, by order of Heinrich Himmler
, was shot at the Brygidki
prison on 26 July 1941, shortly after the mass murder of his colleagues ended. His place of burial remains unknown.
and the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
(1922).
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...
mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and politician who served as Prime Minister of Poland three times between 1926 and 1930.
He was born in Lemberg (Lwów) Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
3 March 1882. After completing secondary school he studied at the Lviv Polytechnic
Lviv Polytechnic
Lviv Polytechnic National University is the largest scientific university in Lviv. Since its foundation in 1844, it was one of the most important centres of science and technological development in Central Europe. In the interbellum period, the Polytechnic was one of the most important technical...
in the Mechanical Engineering Department. He graduated in 1907 and soon became an assistant in Descriptive Geometry. By 1914 he was a professor at his alma mater.
Conscripted into the Austro-Hungarian
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
army during World War I, in 1918 he returned to Lemberg. In 1919, as commander of railway troops, he fought in the defense of Lemberg against the Ukrainian siege
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
. Bartel was a friend and supporter of Poland's leader and commander-in-chief, Józef Piłsudski.
Appointed Minister of Railways (1919–1920), in 1922–1930 he was a member of Poland
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...
's 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 ....
(parliament). After Józef Piłsudski's May coup d'etat (1926) he became prime minister and held this post during three broken tenures: 1926, 1928–29,1929–1930. He was Deputy Prime Minister between 1926–1928 and Minister of Religious Beliefs and Public Enlightenment, when Piłsudski himself assumed the premiership, however Bartel was in fact de facto prime minister during this period as Piłsudski did not concern himself with the day to day functions of the cabinet and government.
In 1930 he gave up politics and returned to academia. In 1930 he became rector of the Lwów Polytechnic and was soon awarded an honorary doctorate and membership in the Polish Mathematical Association.
In this period he published his most important writings, among them a series of lectures on perspective in European painting throughout the ages. In 1937 he was appointed a senator of Poland and held this post until the war broke out.
After the invasion of Poland by the Soviet
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....
and subsequent occupation he was allowed to continue giving lectures at the Lwów Polytechnical Institute
Lviv Polytechnic
Lviv Polytechnic National University is the largest scientific university in Lviv. Since its foundation in 1844, it was one of the most important centres of science and technological development in Central Europe. In the interbellum period, the Polytechnic was one of the most important technical...
. In 1940 he was appointed to Moscow and offered a seat in the Soviet parliament. He refused and returned to Lwów.
Soon after the German invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, on 30 June 1941 the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
entered Lwów. Kazimierz Bartel was arrested two days later and imprisoned in Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
prison. The Nazis made him an offer to create a Polish puppet government with himself as the head. He refused and, by order of Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
, was shot at the Brygidki
Brygidki
Brygidki is the building of a former Bridgettine nunnery in Lviv, Ukraine. It was founded in 1614 at the behest of Anna Fastkowska and Anna Poradowska for girls from noble families. After the Partition of Poland the Austrian administration decided to secularise the convent...
prison on 26 July 1941, shortly after the mass murder of his colleagues ended. His place of burial remains unknown.
Honours and awards
He was decorated with, among others, the Order of the White Eagle (1932) for outstanding achievements, the French Legion of Honour (class I), the Cross of Valour, the Cross of IndependenceCross of Independence
Cross of Independence was one of the highest Polish military decorations between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had "fought heroically for the independence of Poland," and was released in three versions.- History :...
and the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
Virtuti Militari
The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
(1922).
External links
- Nürnberg. Crimes against humanity (Volume 5) (Russian) Нюрнбергский процесс. Преступления против человечности (том 5) Москва "Юридическая литература" 1991 ISBN 5-7260-0625-9 (part related to murder of Kazimierz Bartel and his colleagues)