Edward Szczepanik; Head of the Polish Government in Exile
Hyfler/Rosner
October 17, 2005, Monday
Obituary of Edward Szczepanik Head of the Polish Government
in Exile in the years leading up to the collapse of
Communism
EDWARD SZCZEPANIK, who died on October 11 aged 90, was the
last prime minister of the Polish Government in Exile, which
kept a lonely vigil in London for Poland's independence
during the 45 years of Soviet rule.
As the thirteenth holder of that office since the exiles'
government was "derecognised" by Britain in favour of the
Warsaw Communists after the Second World War, Szczepanik
took over in 1986, when Polish hopes of freedom had been
reinvigorated by the election of Pope John Paul II.
Long derided as a group of elderly dreamers, the "ministers"
at the government's Belgravia headquarters - known as "The
Castle" - could have had serious difficulties adjusting to
the new atmosphere of hope. But under the crisp Szczepanik,
they were led by a good listener who was skilled at keeping
speakers to the point.
Writing to The Daily Telegraph in 1989, he ignored the
bitter issue of Poland's eastern borders with the Soviet
Union and concentrated, as an economist, on the structural
changes that must come in a free Poland. Many in Poland
considered the London ministers, who ranged in age from 61
to 80, as both detached and irrelevant. But Szczepanik
warned the new coalition premier in Warsaw against giving in
to the Communists' demand for five cabinet seats, declaring
that General Jaruzelski would protect the "two million
non-productive people, the security forces and the
nomenklamatura" whose jobs depended on Communist power.
During the presidential elections in Poland in 1990, Lech
Walesa sent a messenger to tell the exiled government in
London that he wished to inherit office from its President
Kazarowski, rather than from the Soviet-sponsored
Jaruzelski. Szczepanik responded by publicly backing the
Solidarity leader, adding that the exiled government would
dissolve itself if Walesa became president, as indeed it
did.
Public opinion about the exiles in Poland underwent a marked
change. But it was Szczepanik's ill luck that, when members
of the Government in Exile flew to Warsaw for Walesa's
inauguration, he was prevented by heart trouble from
accompanying them.
The son of a restaurateur, Edward Franciszek Szczepanik was
born on August 21 1915 at Suwalki, northern Poland, and was
educated at the Karol Brzotowski Grammar School, taking
outside lessons in Latin. He then started to train as a
mounted artillery officer, learning to drive a team of six
horses and to lay telephone cables across frozen countryside
on horseback. Young Edek next began to study Economics in
Warsaw, before going on to the London School of Economics,
where students found Friedrich von Hayek's Viennese accent
even harder to understand than Szczepanik's Polish English.
But Szczepanik left before completing his PhD, and arrived
home in August 1939 to be demobbed as part of a gesture
aimed at reassuring Germany that Poland had no aggressive
intentions. A few days later, however, Szczepanik found
himself back in uniform as a chief NCO with an artillery
unit on the Bug river.
After the German invasion from the west and the Soviet
incursion from the east, his unit was sent to Vilnius in
Lithuania, where it was interned after the Russians
liberated the Lithuanians from "fascist dictatorship". The
unit was dispatched by cattle truck to a deserted Orthodox
monastery, then moved to a camp on the Kola peninsula in the
north, where the local Eskimos said its members would be
lucky to survive a few months.
Following the German invasion of Russia in June 1941, Poles
were granted an amnesty. Szczepanik was commissioned into a
Polish infantry regiment, and sent to Iraq, where he was
attached to a Royal Artillery unit to learn how the Poles
would fit into the British military system.
On going on to Taranto, Szczepanik became operations officer
to General Roman Odzierzynski (also a future prime minister
of the exiled government) as Polish II Corps fought its way
up Italy. At Monte Cassino, he wrote a vivid account of the
desolation he found there, then continued up to the Gothic
Line before becoming one of the first to enter Bologna,
where he was greeted by kisses, flowers and wine.
For a time he had a Russian servant, who regularly became
drunk on Szczepanik's cologne, beating himself on the breast
next day and saying, "I'll never drink again, sir" before
repeating the offence.
Even before his retirement from the army with a Polish Cross
of Valour, Szczepanik was demonstrating his exceptional
organising capabilities. He arranged a conference of
economists at Bologna University, helped to set up the
Council of Poles, and became the emigr government's
representative to the Vatican.
It was while there that he met and married Hanna
Jankinowska, the 18-year-old daughter of a member of the
embassy staff; he and Hanna were to have two sons and two
daughters.
On returning to England, Szczepanik completed his thesis at
the LSE and became deeply involved in the life of the
150,000 Poles who arrived in Britain to be demobbed. He
started with the Society of Combatants, joined the Polish
Resettlement Corps, helped to found the Polish Institute and
lectured at the Polish University College in London while
embarking on 12 books dealing with economic development,
national income and agriculture.
In 1953 Szczepanik was offered a post at Hong Kong
University, where he specialised in fisheries and also made
the first estimate of the crown colony's population, based
on garbage collection figures. He went to Karachi for the
Harvard Advisory Corporation, and then to Rome, where he was
with the UN Food and Agricultural Organisation for 14 years.
Settling down at Lewes, where he lectured briefly at Sussex
University on the European Commission's agriculture policy,
he enjoyed talking to his children about Polish history
while walking in the Sussex countryside. Soon he was
reappointed director of the Polish Institute, and then
invited to join the Government in Exile as minister of
national affairs, charged with monitoring events in Poland,
before becoming prime minister five years later.
Although Szczepanik was too ill to go to Poland in 1990, he
returned the following year, when he was awarded the Grand
Order of the Rebirth of Poland.
After 50 years he was delighted by the evidence of renewed
economic activity, but appalled by the drab housing estates.
On a later visit he attended a reunion at his old school,
where a scholarship was founded in his name.
Louis Epstein
: THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
:
: October 17, 2005, Monday
:
:
:
: Obituary of Edward Szczepanik Head of the Polish Government
: in Exile in the years leading up to the collapse of
: Communism
:
:
: EDWARD SZCZEPANIK, who died on October 11 aged 90, was the
: last prime minister of the Polish Government in Exile, which
: kept a lonely vigil in London for Poland's independence
: during the 45 years of Soviet rule.
:
: As the thirteenth holder of that office since the exiles'
: government was "derecognised" by Britain in favour of the
: Warsaw Communists after the Second World War, Szczepanik
: took over in 1986, when Polish hopes of freedom had been
: reinvigorated by the election of Pope John Paul II.
To be clear,he was the Head of Government of the Polish
Government in Exile...but its Head of State would be
considered the Head of the Polish Government in Exile.
It was the President of the Government-in-Exile,not the
Prime Minister,who handed the insignia of the Presidency
over to Walesa.
:
: During the presidential elections in Poland in 1990, Lech
: Walesa sent a messenger to tell the exiled government in
: London that he wished to inherit office from its President
: Kazarowski, rather than from the Soviet-sponsored
: Jaruzelski. Szczepanik responded by publicly backing the
: Solidarity leader, adding that the exiled government would
: dissolve itself if Walesa became president, as indeed it
: did.
:
: Public opinion about the exiles in Poland underwent a marked
: change. But it was Szczepanik's ill luck that, when members
: of the Government in Exile flew to Warsaw for Walesa's
: inauguration, he was prevented by heart trouble from
: accompanying them.
-=-=-
The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again,
at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.
Hyfler/Rosner
"Louis Epstein" <l...@main.put.com> wrote
> Hyfler/Rosner <rel...@rcn.com> wrote:
> : THE DAILY TELEGRAPH(LONDON)
> :
> : October 17, 2005, Monday
> :
> :
> :
> : Obituary of Edward Szczepanik Head of the Polish
> Government
> : in Exile in the years leading up to the collapse of
> : Communism
> :
>
> To be clear,he was the Head of Government of the Polish
> Government in Exile...but its Head of State would be
> considered the Head of the Polish Government in Exile.
>
> It was the President of the Government-in-Exile,not the
> Prime Minister,who handed the insignia of the Presidency
> over to Walesa.
>
PROOF! Someone reads these damned obits.
Steve Miller - A Famous Rock Star!
>Government in Exile...but its Head of State would be
>considered the Head of the Polish Government in Exile.
>
This is clear?
--
Steve Miller
Editor and Chief Copyboy
Goodbye! The Journal of Contemporary Obituaries - http://www.goodbyemag.com
If in NYC, buy the Sun and read the obits!
Charlene
Steve Miller - A Famous Rock Star! wrote:
> In article <IfOdnZPa6Zg57Mne...@velocitywest.net>,
> Louis Epstein <l...@main.put.com> wrote:
> >Hyfler/Rosner <rel...@rcn.com> wrote:
> >
> >To be clear,he was the Head of Government of the Polish
> >Government in Exile...but its Head of State would be
> >considered the Head of the Polish Government in Exile.
> >
>
> This is clear?
Most nations have two leaders, the Head of State and the Head of
Government. The Head of State formally outranks the Head of Government
in most nations.
For instance, in the UK, the Queen is the head of state, while Tony
Blair is the head of government. Blair has more power than the Queen,
but she outranks him.