Stefan Jędrychowski (19 May 1910 – 26 May 1996) was a Polish

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

politician, economist, and journalist, who served as

deputy prime minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a Minister (government), government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to th ...

minister of foreign affairs In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and foreign relations, relations, diplomacy, bilateralism, ...

, and

minister of finance A ministry of finance is a ministry or other government agency in charge of government finance, fiscal policy, and financial regulation. It is headed by a finance minister, an executive or cabinet position . A ministry of finance's portfolio ...

Early life and education

Jędrychowski was born on 19 May 1910 in

Warsaw Warsaw, officially the Capital City of Warsaw, is the capital and List of cities and towns in Poland, largest city of Poland. The metropolis stands on the Vistula, River Vistula in east-central Poland. Its population is officially estimated at ...

to a middle-class

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

family. His mother was of German origin. His family owned properties and apartment houses in

Wilno Vilnius ( , ) is the capital of and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city in Lithuania and the List of cities in the Baltic states by population, most-populous city in the Baltic states. The city's estimated January 2025 population w ...

, in the Russian part of Poland. Jędrychowski graduated from Stefan Batory University in Wilno in 1932 with degrees in law and social science. He went on to earn his master's degree in law and PhD in economics from the same university. He began his political career as a radical leftist in a group called the Renaissance () as an undergraduate student. He went on to join the Legion of Youth (), which was founded by

Józef Piłsudski Józef Klemens Piłsudski (; 5 December 1867 – 12 May 1935) was a Polish statesman who served as the Chief of State (Poland), Chief of State (1918–1922) and first Marshal of Poland (from 1920). In the aftermath of World War I, he beca ...

after he took over the Polish government in 1926. Jędrychowski became a member of the group's regional command.

Career and activities

Jędrychowski began his career as an assistant lecturer in economics at Stefan Batory University. In 1936, he joined the Communist Party. In September 1939, he began to work as a journalist in Wilno. Then he was named deputy editor of the local communist daily which had been published by the Soviet authorities. He became a Soviet citizen and a member of the

Soviet Communist Party The Communist Party of the Soviet Union (CPSU),. Abbreviated in Russian as КПСС, ''KPSS''. at some points known as the Russian Communist Party (RCP), All-Union Communist Party and Bolshevik Party, and sometimes referred to as the Soviet ...

. Following the annexation of Lithuania to the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

he served at the Supreme Soviet of the

Supreme Soviet The Supreme Soviet () was the common name for the legislative bodies (parliaments) of the Soviet socialist republics (SSR) in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR). These soviets were modeled after the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, establ ...

as a deputy. Later Jędrychowski continued his activities in the

Polish Committee of National Liberation The Polish Committee of National Liberation ( Polish: ''Polski Komitet Wyzwolenia Narodowego'', ''PKWN''), also known as the Lublin Committee, was an executive governing authority established by the Soviet-backed communists in Poland at the la ...

(PKWN), which was formed on 22 July 1944. Shortly after he began to serve as the PKWN's representative in

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

. He was also the Warsaw government's delegate in France in 1945. In addition, he headed the department of information and propaganda under the PKWN. From 1945 to 1947 he served as minister of navigation and foreign trade in the national unity government. Next he joined the

Polish United Workers' Party The Polish United Workers' Party (, ), 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 legally permitted subordinate minor parti ...

. And he became an alternate member of the party's central committee or politburo. Jędrychowski served as the vice president or deputy prime minister at the Polish cabinet, also known as Rada Ministrów, from 12 December 1951 to 24 October 1956. He worked as the head of the planning office, Komisja Planowania, from 1956 to 1971. He was also promoted to the full membership of the party's central committee on 21 October 1956, being one of nine members. At the committee he assumed the post of chief economic advisor. He served as the minister of foreign affairs from 22 December 1968 to 22 December 1971. In December 1971, his membership at the central committee of the party ended. Next he was named

on 22 December 1971, and his term ended on 21 November 1974.

Death

Jędrychowski died in Warsaw on 26 May 1996.

Awards and decorations

Order of the Builders of People's Poland Order of the Builders of People's Poland () was the highestORDER BUDOWNICZYCH POLSKI LUDOWEJ ...

(1964) * Order of the Banner of Labour, 1st Class (1950) * POL Polonia Restituta Komandorski ZG BAR

Commander's Cross with Star of

Order of Polonia Restituta The Order of Polonia Restituta (, ) 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 alien (law), foreigners for outstanding achievements in ...

* Cross of Grunwald, 3rd Class (1946) * Golden Medal of Merit for National Defence (1973) * Silver Medal of Merit for National Defence * Bronze Medal of Merit for National Defence * Medal of Ludwik Waryński (1986) * Badge of the 1000th Anniversary of the Polish State (1966) * Order of the Dannebrog S

Grand Cross of

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog () is a Denmark, Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V of Denmark, Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the Order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single cla ...

(Denmark, 1949)) *

Order of merits for the people with golden star Rib

Order of Merits for the People with Golden Star (Yugoslavia, 1946)) * Grande ufficiale OMRI BAR

Grand Officer of

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of Italy, President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-ranking honour of the Republi ...

(Italy, 1965)) * SU Order of the Red Banner of Labour ribbon

Order of the Red Banner of Labour The Order of the Red Banner of Labour () was an order of the Soviet Union established to honour great deeds and services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of production, science, culture, literature, the arts, education, sports ...

(USSR, 1967) * SU Medal In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin ribbon

Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (USSR, 1969)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jedrychowski, Stefan 20th-century Polish journalists 1910 births 1996 deaths Politicians from Warsaw Journalists from Warsaw People from Warsaw Governorate Polish people of German descent Communist Party of Poland politicians Communist Party of Lithuania politicians Polish Workers' Party politicians Members of the Politburo of the Polish United Workers' Party Deputy prime ministers of Poland Ministers of finance of Poland Ministers of foreign affairs of Poland Members of the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic Members of the State National Council Members of the Polish Sejm 1947–1952 Members of the Polish Sejm 1952–1956 Members of the Polish Sejm 1957–1961 Members of the Polish Sejm 1961–1965 Members of the Polish Sejm 1965–1969 Members of the Polish Sejm 1969–1972 Ambassadors of Poland to the Soviet Union Ambassadors of Poland to Hungary Natolin faction Vilnius University alumni Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 3rd class Recipients of the Order of the Builders of People's Poland Recipients of the Order of the Banner of Work