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Karol Michał Popiel (28 October 1887 – 6 June 1977) was a Polish
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
of the christian democracy
Christian democracy (sometimes named Centrist democracy) is a political ideology that emerged in 19th-century Europe under the influence of Catholic social teaching and neo-Calvinism.
It was conceived as a combination of modern democrati ...
tendency and writer
A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles and techniques to communicate ideas. Writers produce different forms of literary art and creative writing such as novels, short stories, books, poetry, travelogues, pla ...
. During World War II Popiel served as Minister of Justice
A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in ...
from 1941 to 1942 and Minister for the reconstruction of public administration from 1943 to 1944 in Polish government in exile
The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile ( pl, Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na uchodźstwie), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Pola ...
. After the end of war, he was a leader of Labor Party from 1945 to 1946.
Biography
He was active in Temporary Commission of Confederated Independence Parties. During World War I he fought in the Polish Legions. From 1918 to 1921 he worked in Ministers of Internal Affairs. In 1920 he was one of the founders of theNational Workers' Party
The National Workers' Party ( pl, Narodowa Partia Robotnicza, NPR) was a political party in Poland.
History
The NPR was established in Warsaw on 23 May 1920 by a merger of the National Workers' Union and the National Party of Workers.Jerzy Jan L ...
, from 1929 to 1937 he was the president of this party. From 1922 to 1927 he was a member of the Sejm.
From 1930 he was a member of Centrolew and Front Morges alliances. In the period from September to December 1930, he was imprisoned by the Sanation
Sanation ( pl, Sanacja, ) was a Polish political movement that was created in the interwar period, prior to Józef Piłsudski's May 1926 ''Coup d'État'', and came to power in the wake of that coup. In 1928 its political activists would go on ...
authorities in the Brest Fortress
Brest Fortress ( be, Брэсцкая крэпасць, '; pl, Twierdza brzeska, russian: Брестская крепость), formerly known as Brest-Litoŭsk Fortress, is a 19th-century fortress in Brest, Belarus. In 1965, the title " ...
for political reasons. From 1937 to 1939 he was the vice president and in practice leader of the Labor Party.
After German aggression against Poland, he went to France and later to United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and No ...
, where he worked in the structures of the Polish government-in-exile
The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile ( pl, Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na uchodźstwie), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Pola ...
. From autumn 1939 to November 1941, he was undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. He was a supporter of the policy of general Władysław Sikorski
Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader.
Prior to the First World War, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause for Polish i ...
. After the German invasion of the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named afte ...
, a supporter of the normalization of Polish-Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nationa ...
relations. From October 1941 to January 1942, he served as minister of justice. From January 1942 to July 1943, he served as minister without portfolio
A minister without portfolio is either a government minister with no specific responsibilities or a minister who does not head a particular ministry. The sinecure is particularly common in countries ruled by coalition governments and a cabinet w ...
and from July 1943 to November 1944, he served as minister of reconstruction of public administration.
In the summer of 1945 he returned to Poland. Until 1946, he was a leader of Labor Party. From December 1945 to March 1946, he was a member of the State National Council
Krajowa Rada Narodowa in Polish (translated as State National Council or Homeland National Council, abbreviated to KRN) was a parliament-like political body created during the later stages of World War II in German-occupied Warsaw, Poland. It wa ...
. In November 1947 he went to the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territo ...
. Later he stayed in Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...
. From 1962 he lived in Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
. In exile, he sought recognition by Western Europe
Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context.
The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...
an countries of the Poland-German border on the Oder and Lusatian Neisse.
He devoted himself to writing books. Publications issued in exile in Polish People's Republic
The Polish People's Republic ( pl, Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa, PRL) was a country in Central Europe that existed from 1947 to 1989 as the predecessor of the modern Republic of Poland. With a population of approximately 37.9 million near ...
due to censorship were not published until the 1980s.
He was buried at Powązki Cemetery
Powązki Cemetery (; pl, Cmentarz Powązkowski), also known as Stare Powązki ( en, Old Powązki), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one o ...
in Warsaw
Warsaw ( pl, Warszawa, ), officially the Capital City of Warsaw,, abbreviation: ''m.st. Warszawa'' is the capital and largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the River Vistula in east-central Poland, and its population is official ...
.
Awards
* Commander's Cross with Star of theOrder of Polonia Restituta
, image=Polonia Restituta - Commander's Cross pre-1939 w rib.jpg
, image_size=200px
, caption=Commander's Cross of Polonia Restituta
, presenter = the President of Poland
, country =
, type=Five classes
, eligibility=All
, awar ...
(1946)
References