Józef Rymer (1882–1922) was a Polish and
Silesian
activist
Activism (or Advocacy) consists of efforts to promote, impede, direct or intervene in social, political, economic or environmental reform with the desire to make changes in society toward a perceived greater good. Forms of activism range fro ...
and
politician.
Rymer was born in
Zabełków
Zabełków is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Krzyżanowice, within Racibórz County, Silesian Voivodeship, in southern Poland, close to the Czech border. It lies approximately south-east of Krzyżanowice, south-east of Rac ...
on February 2, 1882. Before the
First World War he was an activist in the
Zjednoczenie Zawodowe Polskie (Polish Union of Unions), a Polish
labor union
A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ( ...
organization in
Imperial Germany (see also
German partition
The Prussian Partition ( pl, Zabór pruski), or Prussian Poland, is the former territories of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth acquired during the Partitions of Poland, in the late 18th century by the Kingdom of Prussia. The Prussian acquis ...
). He was also a member of the
Naczelna Rada Ludowa The Supreme People's Council ( pl, Naczelna Rada Ludowa, NRL) was a political organization in the Prussian Partition of Poland, which played a major role during the Greater Poland Uprising (1918–19). It was established in 1916 in Poznań as an ...
(pro-
endecja) Polish political organization in Germany. He was the target of assaults and even an assassination by nationalist German extremists (
Freikorps); eventually he became one of the leaders of the
Silesian Uprisings. Elected to Polish parliament (
Sejm), he also became the first
voivode of the
Silesian Voivodeship in June 1922. On December 5 that year, he died of a
stroke
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop functionin ...
and was buried at
Francuska Street Cemetery in
Katowice
Katowice ( , , ; szl, Katowicy; german: Kattowitz, yi, קאַטעוויץ, Kattevitz) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Upper Silesian metropolitan area. It is the 11th most popul ...
.
1882 births
1922 deaths
People from Racibórz County
People from the Province of Silesia
Polish politicians
Politicians of the Silesian Voivodeship (1920–1939)
Polish trade unionists
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