KOWALSKI WŁADYSŁAW (1894 - 1958)
Marshal of the Legislative Sejm 4 February 1947 - 4 August 1952
Born 26 August 1894 at Paprotnia near Rawa Mazowiecka in a peasant's family. Self-taught.
Before World War I, he was a follower of a radical faction in the peasants' movement centred
round a magazine 'Zaranie'. During the 1914 - 18 war, he served in the Pulawy Legion for a
few months, then in the regular Russian army. From 1919, a member of the Polish Peasants'
Party (PSL) 'Wyzwolenie', the president of the PSL District Board at Rawa Mazowiecka
(1921 - 1922) and then a member of the PSL 'Wyzwolenie' Board 1923.
From December 1925, a member of the Central Committee of the Independent Peasants'
Party, and then, from 1927, one of the founders and activists of the Peasants' Left Union
'Samopomoc' . In the Polish Communist Party (KPP) after 1928. Worked in the KPP Central
Agricultural Department, in close contact with Soviet communists. On dissolving the
Peasants' Left Union 'Samopomoc' (25 May 1931), he settled in a village Solipse near
Warsaw and took to literary work. He made his debut as a publicist in a journal 'Wyzwolenie'
in 1918. In May 1923, arrested for his KPP membership and sentenced to three months'
prison. After the inquiry detention, released on bail. When the KPP was dissolved in 1938, he
remained in an informal communist group assembled round Alfred Fiderkiewicz. A co-
organiser of a Communist group 'Proletariusz' from 1941, head of the Rural Department of
the Polish Workers' Party (PPR) 1942 - 43. A participant of the first sitting of the National
People's Council (KRN) 31 Dec.1943. Recognised as a representative of the peasants'
movement by the PPR authorities, he took part in preliminary jobs to form the Polish
Committee of National Liberation (PKWN) as the vice-president of the Peasants' Party (SL)
Board. Active in the reborn Peasants' Party in Lublin in January 1945. The first deputy
chairman of the KRN (6 May 1945).
He participated in Moscow talks about the Provisional Government of National Unity, and as
soon as it was formed he was appointed minister of culture and art (28 June 1945). In the
KRN presidium till 1947. Elected to the Legislative Sejm from the state list, became sejm
marshal (1947 - 1952). At the same time, he was the chairman of the SL Deputy Club. As the
sejm marshal, he approved of the Ministry of Public Defence motions for temporary arrests of
the deputies, agreed to start legal proceedings against a deputy, even when they were arrested
beforehand without the Sejm consent (e.g. W.Lechowicz, W.Gomułka, M.Spychalski and
others). A member of the SL authorities 1945-49, from November 1949 the president of the
SL Chief Executive Committee. Recalled from that post in October 1956 and from the
Council of State in November 1956, he remained a member of the Chief Committee till 1958.
He committed suicide on 14 December 1958 in Warsaw. The author of novels, short stories
and articles on the rural problems. Awarded the Order of the Work Flag First Class, Grand
Cross of the Order of Rebirth of Poland, the Partisan Cross and others.
Portrait of Władysław Kowalski, 1989
- Painted by Stefan Garwatowski
- oil, canvas, 90x74,5cm
- Sejm Library, Museum Department, cat.no MSP 1228.