Ignacy Mościcki (; 1 December 1867 – 2 October 1946) was a Polish

chemist A chemist (from Greek ''chēm(ía)'' alchemy; replacing ''chymist'' from Medieval Latin ''alchemist'') is a graduated scientist trained in the study of chemistry, or an officially enrolled student in the field. Chemists study the composition of ...

and politician who was the country's president from 1926 to 1939. He was the longest serving president in Polish history. Mościcki was the President of Poland when

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

invaded the country on and started

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Early life and career

Mościcki was born on 1 December 1867 in Mierzanowo, a small village near Ciechanów,

Congress Poland Congress Poland or Congress Kingdom of Poland, formally known as the Kingdom of Poland, was a polity created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna as a semi-autonomous Polish state, a successor to Napoleon's Duchy of Warsaw. It was established w ...

. After completing school 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 ...

, he studied

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

at the Riga Polytechnicum, where he joined the Polish underground leftist organization, ''

Proletariat The proletariat (; ) is the social class of wage-earners, those members of a society whose possession of significant economic value is their labour power (their capacity to work). A member of such a class is a proletarian or a . Marxist ph ...

''. Upon graduating, he returned to

where he married Michalina Czyżewska but was soon threatened by the Tsarist secret police with life imprisonment in

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

and was forced to emigrate with his family in 1892 to London. In 1896, he was offered an assistantship at the

University of Fribourg The University of Fribourg (; ) is a public university located in Fribourg, Switzerland. The roots of the university can be traced back to 1580, when the notable Jesuit Peter Canisius founded the Collège Saint-Michel in the City of Fribourg ...

in Switzerland. There, he patented a method for cheap industrial production of

nitric acid Nitric acid is an inorganic compound with the formula . It is a highly corrosive mineral acid. The compound is colorless, but samples tend to acquire a yellow cast over time due to decomposition into nitrogen oxide, oxides of nitrogen. Most com ...

. In 1912, Mościcki moved to

Lwów Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...

, in the

Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria, also known as Austrian Galicia or colloquially Austrian Poland, was a constituent possession of the Habsburg monarchy in the historical region of Galicia (Eastern Europe), Galicia in Eastern Europe. The Cr ...

, in

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

, where he accepted a chair in

physical chemistry Physical chemistry is the study of macroscopic and microscopic phenomena in chemical systems in terms of the principles, practices, and concepts of physics such as motion, energy, force, time, thermodynamics, quantum chemistry, statistical mech ...

and technical

electrochemistry Electrochemistry is the branch of physical chemistry concerned with the relationship between Electric potential, electrical potential difference and identifiable chemical change. These reactions involve Electron, electrons moving via an electronic ...

at the Lviv Polytechnic.

Norman Davies Ivor Norman Richard Davies (born 8 June 1939) is a British and Polish historian, known for his publications on the history of Europe, Poland and the United Kingdom. He has a special interest in Central and Eastern Europe and is UNESCO Profes ...

, ''God's Playground'', vol. II, Oxford University Press, 1986, , p. 422. In 1925, he was elected rector of the Lwów Polytechnic (as it was then called), but soon moved to

to continue his research at the Warsaw Polytechnic. In 1926, he became an Honorary Member of the

Polish Chemical Society The Polish Chemical Society () is a professional learned society of Polish chemists founded in 1919 to represent the interests of Polish chemists on the local, national and international levels. History The society was founded of 118 Charter Me ...

Presidency

After

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 ...

's May 1926 coup d'état on 1 June 1926, Mościcki, once an associate of Piłsudski in the

Polish Socialist Party The Polish Socialist Party (, PPS) is a democratic socialist political party in Poland. It was one of the most significant parties in Poland from its founding in 1892 until its forced merger with the communist Polish Workers' Party to form ...

, was elected

President of Poland The president of Poland ( ), officially the president of the Republic of Poland (), is the head of state of Poland. His or her prerogatives and duties are determined in the Constitution of Poland. The president jointly exercises the executive ...

by the

National Assembly In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repr ...

on the recommendation of Piłsudski, who had refused the post for himself. As president, Mościcki was subservient to Piłsudski and never openly showed dissent from any aspect of the

Marshal Marshal is a term used in several official titles in various branches of society. As marshals became trusted members of the courts of Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the title grew in reputation. During the last few centuries, it has been used fo ...

's leadership. After Piłsudski's death in 1935, his followers divided into three main factions: those supporting Mościcki as Piłsudski's successor, those supporting General

Edward Rydz-Śmigły Marshal Edward Śmigły-Rydz also called Edward Rydz-Śmigły, (11 March 1886 – 2 December 1941) was a Polish people, Polish politician, statesman, Marshal of Poland and Commander-in-Chief of Poland's armed forces, as well as a painter and ...

and those supporting Prime Minister

Walery Sławek Walery Jan Sławek (; 2 November 1879 – 3 April 1939) was a Polish politician, freemason, military officer and activist, who in the early 1930s served three times as Prime Minister of Poland. He was one of the closest aides of Polish lead ...

. With a view to eliminating Sławek from the game, Mościcki concluded a power-sharing agreement with Rydz-Śmigły, which had caused Sławek to be marginalised as a serious political player by the end of the year. As a result of the agreement, Rydz-Śmigły would become the ''de facto'' leader of Poland until the outbreak of the war, and Mościcki remained influential by continuing in office as president. Mościcki was the leading moderate figure in the regime, which was referred to as the " colonels' government" because of the major presence of military officers in the Polish government. Mościcki opposed many of the nationalist excesses of the more right-wing Rydz-Śmigły, but their pact remained more or less intact. Mościcki remained president until September 1939, when he was interned in

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

Stanislaw Mikolajczyk, ''The Pattern of Soviet Domination'', Sampson Low, Marston & Co., 1948, p. 6. after the German invasion of Poland and was forced by France to resign his office. He transferred the office to General

Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski Bolesław Ignacy Florian Wieniawa-Długoszowski (22 July 1881 – 1 July 1942) was a Polish general, adjutant to Chief of State Józef Piłsudski, politician, freemason, diplomat, poet, artist and formally for one day the President of the Republi ...

, who held it for only one day before General

Władysław Sikorski Władysław Eugeniusz Sikorski (; 20 May 18814 July 1943) was a Polish military and political leader. Before World War I, Sikorski established and participated in several underground organizations that promoted the cause of Polish independenc ...

and the French government ousted him in favour of Władysław Raczkiewicz.

Later life

Mościcki was planning to leave for

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

after leaving office as president. From 1908 to 1920, he was a citizen of Switzerland; he was also an honorary citizen of

Fribourg or is the capital of the Cantons of Switzerland, Swiss canton of Canton of Fribourg, Fribourg and district of Sarine (district), La Sarine. Located on both sides of the river Saane/Sarine, on the Swiss Plateau, it is a major economic, adminis ...

. The Romanian authorities gave their provisional consent to his departure, but

opposed it. Mościcki was offered to

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

President

Franklin Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...

, who was determined to have Mościcki go to Switzerland. The intervention of the US government forced the Romanian authorities to agree. General Sikorski also ordered the Polish embassy in

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

to provide all assistance to Mościcki. The president stayed in

until December 1939. Mościcki came to Switzerland through

Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...

, where he met with Wieniawa-Długoszowski. Initially, he lived in

, where he was allowed to continue his scientific work. During this period, among others, he wrote down his memories, which were published by the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

magazine ''Independence''. Mościcki donated money to soldiers of the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

, Warsaw residents in

prisoner-of-war camp A prisoner-of-war camp (often abbreviated as POW camp) is a site for the containment of enemy fighters captured as Prisoner of war, prisoners of war by a belligerent power in time of war. There are significant differences among POW camps, inte ...

concentration camps A concentration camp is a prison or other facility used for the internment of political prisoners or politically targeted demographics, such as members of national or ethnic minority groups, on the grounds of national security, or for exploit ...

and

labour camps A labor camp (or labour camp, see spelling differences) or work camp is a detention facility where inmates are forced to engage in penal labor as a form of punishment. Labor camps have many common aspects with slavery and with prisons (especi ...

. For five months, he taught at the

. Later, he was forced to take up paid work. In 1940, he moved to

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, where he worked in the Hydro-Nitro Chemical Laboratory. Mościcki's health deteriorated rapidly after 1943. He died on 2 October 1946, in

Versoix Versoix () is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the Canton of Geneva, in Switzerland. It is located in the northern suburbs of Geneva. Geography Versoix has an area, , of . Of this area, or 29.1% is used for agricultural purpose ...

, near

, and was buried at the cemetery of the town. His daughter Helena (1897-1962) and her second husband Aleksander Bobkowski (1885-1966) were buried next to him.

Legacy

In 1984, his descendants requested for the remains of Mościcki and his wife to be moved from

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

. The relevant Polish authorities agreed that a funeral was to be held in

and be completely private, without any state ceremonies. However, the authorities of the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland withdrew their agreement for political reasons after protests related to

Solidarity Solidarity or solidarism is an awareness of shared interests, objectives, standards, and sympathies creating a psychological sense of unity of groups or classes. True solidarity means moving beyond individual identities and single issue politics ...

from emigrants. On 10 September 1993, Mościcki's remains were exhumed from the cemetery of Versoix and transported to Poland. Three days later they were deposited on behalf of incumbent President

Lech Wałęsa Lech Wałęsa (; ; born 29 September 1943) is a Polish statesman, dissident, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate who served as the president of Poland between 1990 and 1995. After winning the 1990 Polish presidential election, 1990 election, Wałę ...

in the

crypt A crypt (from Greek κρύπτη (kryptē) ''wikt:crypta#Latin, crypta'' "Burial vault (tomb), vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, Sarcophagus, sarcophagi, or Relic, religiou ...

of St. John's Archcathedral, Warsaw. Mościcki's symbolic grave is located in the Avenue of Merit at the

Powązki Cemetery Powązki Cemetery (; ), also known as Stare Powązki (), is a historic necropolis located in Wola district, in the western part of Warsaw, Poland. It is the most famous cemetery in the city and one of the oldest, having been established in 179 ...

, where his second wife is buried next to him. The mortal remains of his daughter Helena and her husband Aleksander Bobkowski were also moved in September 1993 to the Mościcki family tomb at the Powązki Cemetery in Warsaw

Gallery

File:I. Moscicki.jpg, President of Poland in around 1928 File:Narcyz Witczak-Witaczyński - 15. rocznica bitwy pod Krechowcami. Obchody w Augustowie (107-457-12).jpg, Polish president on presidential yacht in

Augustów Augustów is a town in north-eastern Poland. It lies on the Netta River and the Augustów Canal. It is the seat of Augustów County and of Gmina Augustów in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Augustów has an area of , and as of June 2022 it has a popul ...

, 1932 File:Mościcki 1934.jpg, President Mościcki in his office, 1934 File:Aprils Constitution.jpg, April's Constitution File:Inaugural session of Polish Academy of Literature in 1933.PNG, Session of the Polish Academy of Literature in 1933 File:Mościcki Plaque Craiova.jpg, Plaque commemorating Mościcki's stay as a refugee in the Mihail Constantine Palace in Romania.

Notes

External links

* * * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Moscicki, Ignacy 1867 births 1946 deaths People from Ciechanów County People from Płock Governorate Polish Socialist Party politicians Presidents of Poland Polish physical chemists Polish inventors People of the Polish May Coup (pro-Piłsudski side) Members of the Lwów Scientific Society Lviv Polytechnic rectors 19th-century Polish politicians 20th-century Polish politicians Riga Technical University alumni Burials at St. John's Archcathedral, Warsaw Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) People from Congress Poland 20th-century presidents in Europe