Kazimierz Rynkowski (9 September 1933 – 10 June 2022) was a Polish Communist politician who was the mayor of

Gdańsk Gdańsk ( , also ; ; csb, Gduńsk;Stefan Ramułt, ''Słownik języka pomorskiego, czyli kaszubskiego'', Kraków 1893, Gdańsk 2003, ISBN 83-87408-64-6. , Johann Georg Theodor Grässe, ''Orbis latinus oder Verzeichniss der lateinischen Benen ...

from 1981 to 1989. He was notably the last mayor completely during the

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 nea ...

. Born to Bernard Rynkowski and Marianna Kowal with 8 siblings, he became a construction worker in Gdańsk after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. In 1964, he graduated from

Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań The Adam Mickiewicz University ( pl, Uniwersytet im. Adama Mickiewicza w Poznaniu; Latin: ''Universitas Studiorum Mickiewicziana Posnaniensis'') is a research university in Poznań, Poland. It traces its origins to 1611, when under the Royal Ch ...

with a master's degree in law. From 1957 to 1960, he was an employee of the Municipal Committee of the

Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party ( pl, Polska Zjednoczona Partia Robotnicza; ), commonly abbreviated to PZPR, was the communist party which ruled the Polish People's Republic as a one-party state from 1948 to 1989. The PZPR had led two other lega ...

(PZPR) in Gdańsk, later serving in multiple positions in the party's bureaucracy in the city. From 1970 to 1973, he was the first deputy chairman of the Municipal National Council under Jan Nikołajew. From 1981 to 1989, he was the mayor of the city, the last fully under the Polish People's Republic. He was mayor during the rise of the

Solidarity ''Solidarity'' is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. It is based on class collaboration.''Merriam Webster'', http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictio ...

movement, which started in the city, as well as the institution of martial law in Poland and the subsequent periods of civil unrest throughout Poland in the 1980s that led to the unraveling of Communist Poland. He was succeeded by Jerzy Pasiński. After the establishment of post-Communist Poland, from 2002 to 2012, he was the Pomeranian Spokesperson for party discipline of the

Democratic Left Alliance The Democratic Left Alliance () was a social-democratic political party in Poland. It was formed in 9 July 1991 as an electoral alliance of centre-left parties, and became a single party on 15 April 1999. It was the major coalition party in Po ...

. He had one daughter.

Awards

(Source:) *

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta ( pl, Order Odrodzenia Polski, en, Order of Restored Poland) is a Polish state decoration, state Order (decoration), order established 4 February 1921. It is conferred on both military and civilians as well as on al ...

(Knight's Cross (1974); Officer's Cross (1986)) * Cross of Merit (Silver (1964); Gold (1969))

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rynkowski, Kazimierz 1933 births 2022 deaths 20th-century Polish lawyers People from Pelplin Mayors of Gdańsk 20th-century Polish politicians Polish Workers' Party politicians Democratic Left Alliance politicians Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań alumni Recipients of the Gold Cross of Merit (Poland) Recipients of the Silver Cross of Merit (Poland) Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta (1944–1989) Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta