Stanisław Ostrowski | |
|---|---|
 | |
| President of Poland | |
| In exile 9 April 1972 – 24 March 1979 | |
| Prime Minister | Alfred Urbański Kazimierz Sabbat |
| Preceded by | August Zaleski Rada Trzech |
| Succeeded by | Edward Bernard Raczyński |
| Mayorof Lwow | |
| In office 1936–1939 | |
| Preceded by | Wacław Drojanowski |
| Succeeded by | post liquidated,Fedir Yeremenko as head of the city executive committee |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 29 October 1892 Lemberg, thenAustria-Hungary |
| Died | 22 November 1982(1982-11-22) (aged 90) London, England |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Political party | BBWR (in country) Polish Socialist Party (exile) |
Stanisław Ostrowski (29 October 1892 – 22 November 1982) was aPolish politician, best known for serving as the last Polish Mayor ofLwow, and wasPresident of Poland-in-exile.
Ostrowski was born inLemberg,Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria. His father, Michał Ostrowski, had earlier fought in the pro-PolishJanuary Uprising of 1863 for which he was sent to the Russiankatorga inSiberia.
Stanisław Ostrowski studied medicine atLwow University. During thePolish-Ukrainian War (battle of Lwów (1918)) and thePolish-Bolshevik War (1919–1920) Ostrowski participated as a physician with the Polish Army. Following these conflicts he became Vice Mayor, and later Mayor, of Lwow. He was also a three-term member of theSejm from theBBWR Bloc. As a legislator he focused on health affairs as well as developing a reputation of being a defender of minorities' rights.
After theSoviet invasion of Poland (1939), he was arrested and imprisoned in Moscow (until 1941). Among his fellow prisoners wasAnandyn Amar, former Prime Minister and President ofMongolia. He was released from Soviet captivity on amnesty following theSikorski–Mayski agreement as an officer of thePolish Army in the East by efforts of (commander-in-chief generalWładysław Anders) in 1942.
In 1944–1945 he participated in theanti-Nazi Germany Italian campaign as a physician of military hospitals. When World War II ended, he moved to England and became involved in the politics of the Polish community there, which included thePolish government in exile.
Ostrowski was the third president of Poland in exile (1972–1979). He took office after death of PresidentAugust Zaleski. To begin with he had to deal with a deep crisis within the emigre circles. Zaleski, despite earlier promises, declined to step down after seven years in office (1954), which caused formation of theCouncil of Three, an opposition body, recognized by a part of the emigres as a collective head of state. Ostrowski's selection was recognized by the council, which then dissolved itself. Because of that Ostrowski is credited for uniting Polish emigree circles. He also strongly refused to acknowledge annexation of the eastern areas of theSecond Polish Republic by theUSSR after World War II.
As promised, President Ostrowski stepped down after a seven-years term in favor ofEdward Bernard Raczyński.
Ostrowski died in London and was buried in a Polish military cemetery inNewark-on-Trent, along withAugust Zaleski andWładysław Raczkiewicz, other past Presidents in exile. In November 2022, the trio's remains were moved from the cemetery at Newark-on-Trent in England to the mausoleum for emigree presidents at theTemple of Divine Providence in Warsaw.[1]
In 1987 a plaque dedicated to Ostrowski was unveiled in theSt. Stanislaus Kostka Church, Warsaw.
Ostrowski died without children.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President of the Polish Republic in exile 1972–1979 | Succeeded by |
| Kingdom of Poland (1917–1918) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Republic of Poland (1918–1939) | ||
| Polish government-in-exile (1939–1990) | ||
| Polish People's Republic (1944–1989) | ||
| Republic of Poland (1990–present) | ||
Acting presidents are denoted by italics. •List of Polish monarchs •First Lady of Poland | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
