Ryszard Kaczorowski facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ryszard Kaczorowski
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| President of Poland President-in-exile |
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| In office 19 July 1989 – 22 December 1990 |
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| Prime Minister | Edward Szczepanik |
| Preceded by | Kazimierz Sabbat |
| Succeeded by | Lech Wałęsa (As the first democratically elected president) |
| Minister of Home Affairs in Exile | |
| In office 8 April 1986 – 19 July 1989 |
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| President | Kazimierz Sabbat |
| Prime Minister | Edward Szczepanik |
| Preceded by | Edward Szczepanik |
| Succeeded by | Ryszard Zakrzewski |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 26 November 1919 Białystok, Poland |
| Died | 10 April 2010 (aged 90) Smolensk, Smolensk Oblast, Russia |
| Cause of death | Plane crash |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse | Karolina Kaczorowska (m. 1952) |
| Children | 2 |
| Awards | .svg){kind=small}           |
| Website | Official website: https://www.president.pl/en/president/polish-presidents/ryszard-kaczorowski/ |
Ryszard Kaczorowski (born November 26, 1919 – died April 10, 2010) was an important Polish leader. From 1989 to 1990, he was the last President of Poland-in-exile. A "government-in-exile" is a group of people who claim to be the rightful government of a country, but they are living outside that country. This happens when their home country is taken over by another power.
Kaczorowski took over from Kazimierz Sabbat. He stepped down when Poland became independent again from the Soviet Union. He handed over his power to Lech Wałęsa, who was the first president chosen by the people in a fair election after World War II. Ryszard Kaczorowski died on April 10, 2010, in a plane crash near Smolensk, Russia. The crash also killed the then-President of Poland, Lech Kaczyński, and many other government officials.
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Early Life and Education
Ryszard Kaczorowski was born on November 26, 1919, in Białystok, Poland. His parents were Wacław Kaczorowski and Jadwiga Sawicka. When he was very young, his hometown was briefly taken over by Soviet forces during the Polish–Soviet War. The city was later freed by Polish soldiers.
He went to a school that taught about business. He was also a Scouting leader for a local group of the Polish Scouting Association.
World War II and Exile
When World War II began in 1939, Poland was invaded. The Soviet authorities banned scouting. Ryszard Kaczorowski secretly helped to restart the scouting movement. He became a leader of the Białystok group of the Szare Szeregi, which was a secret scouting organization that fought against the occupation.
In 1940, Soviet police arrested him. He was sentenced to death, but this was changed to ten years in a gulag, which was a type of forced labor camp in a very cold place called Kolyma.
In 1941, he was set free because of an agreement between Poland and the Soviet Union. He then joined the Anders' Army, a Polish army formed in the Soviet Union. After leaving the Soviet Union, Kaczorowski joined the Polish 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division. He fought in many important battles, including the Battle of Monte Cassino in Italy.
After the war, he stayed in the United Kingdom. He could not go back to Poland because it was under Soviet control. He studied foreign trade at a polytechnic school. Until 1986, he worked as an accountant. From 1955 to 1967, he was the Chief Scout and later the President of the Polish Scouting Union for Poles living outside Poland.
Political Career in Exile
Kaczorowski was also active in Polish politics while living in the UK. He was a member of the National Council of Poland, which was like a parliament for the Polish government-in-exile. In 1986, he became the Minister for Home Affairs in this government.
In January 1988, the acting president-in-exile, Kazimierz Sabbat, chose Kaczorowski to be his successor. This was allowed by the 1935 Polish constitution, which was the legal basis for the government-in-exile. When President Sabbat suddenly died on July 19, 1989, Ryszard Kaczorowski automatically became the President-in-exile.
On December 22, 1990, he officially handed over the symbols of presidential power to Lech Wałęsa. Wałęsa had just been elected as the first truly democratic president of Poland since before World War II. This act showed that the government-in-exile recognized the new, free Polish government. It also showed a link between the old independent Poland and the new one.
Later Life and Legacy
Ryszard Kaczorowski lived in London during his retirement. He had two daughters, Jadwiga and Alicja, with his wife Karolina. He often visited Poland and was treated like a former president. This meant he received a pension and protection.
He was an honorary chairman of many social and historical groups. He was also made an honorary citizen of almost thirty cities in Poland. These included Warsaw, Gdańsk, Kraków, and his hometown of Białystok.
Even though he was a supporter of Józef Piłsudski, a famous Polish leader, Kaczorowski chose not to get involved in daily politics after he retired. In 2004, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom gave him a special award, the Order of St Michael and St George. This was for his great work with Polish people living in the UK.
Death
Ryszard Kaczorowski died on April 10, 2010, in a plane crash near Smolensk, Russia. He was the oldest person to die in the crash. On April 19, 2010, his coffin was taken to St John's Cathedral for a funeral service. He was then buried in a special crypt at the National Temple of Divine Providence in Warsaw.
See also
In Spanish: Ryszard Kaczorowski para niños
