Kazimierz Świtała
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Kazimierz Czesław Switala (
Rakoniewice Rakoniewice is a town in Grodzisk Wielkopolski County, Greater Poland Voivodeship, Poland, with 3,332 inhabitants (2010). History As part of the region of Greater Poland, i.e. the cradle of the Polish state, the area formed part of Poland since ...
, Poland on 21 April 1923 –
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 ...
, 6 March 2011) was a Polish communist politician. He was the
Minister of Internal Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
from 1968 to 1971, but was forced to resign as a result of the December 1970 massacre of 44 revolting Polish workers. He was a member of the
Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party (, KC PZPR) was the central ruling body of the Polish United Workers' Party, the dominant political party in the People's Republic of Poland (1948-1990). Functions Members of the Committee con ...
from 1968 to 1971, and the head of the Chancellery of the Sejm of the
Polish People's Republic The Polish People's Republic (1952–1989), formerly the Republic of Poland (1947–1952), and also often simply known as Poland, was a country in Central Europe that existed as the predecessor of the modern-day democratic Republic of Poland. ...
(1972–1986).


Biography

Son of Wacław and Maria. In August 1944 he joined 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 ...
. He was assigned to the 37th Artillery Regiment, then sent to the Officers' School of Artillery at the 2nd Polish Army. He graduated at the end of 1944 with the rank of second lieutenant. He took part in the fights of the 2nd Polish Army, as a commander of a fire platoon and a liaison officer of the artillery staff. He was demobilized in 1946 with the rank of lieutenant. From 1948 he was a member of 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 ...
. In 1951 he graduated from law studies at the Higher School of Law in Warsaw, and then from the
University of Poznań A university () is an institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars". Univ ...
, obtaining a master's degree in law. From 1951 he was a judge of the District Court and the Provincial Court in
Poznań Poznań ( ) is a city on the Warta, River Warta in west Poland, within the Greater Poland region. The city is an important cultural and business center and one of Poland's most populous regions with many regional customs such as Saint John's ...
. He also held the position of Provincial Director of Ideological and Professional Training. In the years 1955–1958 he was the president of the Provincial Court in
Katowice Katowice (, ) is the capital city of the Silesian Voivodeship in southern Poland and the central city of the Katowice urban area. As of 2021, Katowice has an official population of 286,960, and a resident population estimate of around 315,000. K ...
. From 1958 he was the vice-president of the Provincial Court for the capital city of
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 ...
, and then the president of the Provincial Court for the Warsaw Voivodeship. In the years 1960–1961 he was the director of the Department of Court Supervision in the
Ministry of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice, is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...
. For 1961 he was the president of the Provincial Court for the capital city of Warsaw, and in the years 1961–1965 the deputy Public Prosecutor General. In the years 1965–1967 he was the undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Justice. From 1967 he was the deputy minister of internal affairs, deputy of general Mieczysław Moczar. From 15 July 1968 to 13 February 1971 he was the
Minister of Internal Affairs An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and identification, emergency ...
in the government of
Józef Cyrankiewicz Józef Adam Zygmunt Cyrankiewicz (; 23 April 1911 – 20 January 1989) was a Polish Socialist (PPS) and after 1948 Communist politician. He served as premier of the Polish People's Republic between 1947 and 1952, and again for 16 years between 1 ...
and in the government of
Piotr Jaroszewicz Piotr Jaroszewicz (; 8 October 1909 – 1 September 1992) was a post-World War II Poland, Polish political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, Prime Minister of Poland between 1970 and 1980. After he was forced out ...
. As Minister of Internal Affairs, he did not play a decisive role in managing the ministry, as he did not come from the security apparatus. In December 1970, he participated in a meeting in the office of the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party,
Władysław Gomułka Władysław Gomułka (; 6 February 1905 – 1 September 1982) was a Polish Communist politician. He was the ''de facto'' leader of Polish People's Republic, post-war Poland from 1947 until 1948, and again from 1956 to 1970. Born in 1905 in ...
, during which a decision was made to use weapons against protesters on the Coast. After the events of December 1970, he was removed from the position of Minister of Internal Affairs and transferred to the position of head of the Chancellery of the
Sejm The Sejm (), officially known as the Sejm of the Republic of Poland (), is the lower house of the bicameralism, bicameral parliament of Poland. The Sejm has been the highest governing body of the Third Polish Republic since the Polish People' ...
, which he held in the years 1972–1986. In the years 1979–1990 a member of the presidium of the Main Board of the Union of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy, from 1985 chairman of the Verification Commission. From 1951 he was also a member of the Union of Polish Lawyers, and from 1968 he was its vice-president. In 1995 he was accused of directing the massacre of workers during the protests in 1970. Due to poor health he was excluded from the court proceedings in this case. He was married to Urszula Maria née Stróżyk. He was buried at the
Powązki Military Cemetery Powązki Military Cemetery (; ) is an old military cemetery located in the Żoliborz district, western part of Warsaw, Poland. The cemetery is often confused with the older Powązki Cemetery, known colloquially as "Old Powązki". The Old Pową ...
in Warsaw.


Awards and decorations

*
Order of the Banner of Labour The Order of the Banner of Labour () was a governmental award in Poland during the 20th-century era of the Polish People's Republic, a former Marxist-Leninist state. The order was established by the Sejm (a chamber of the Polish parliament) on 2 ...
, 1st Class * Commander's Cross with Star of the
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 ...
(1978) * Commander's Cross of the
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 ...
* Gold Cross of Merit * Silver Cross of Merit (1955) *
Medal of the 30th Anniversary of People's Poland The Medal of the 30th Anniversary of People's Poland (Polish: ''Medal 30-lecia Polski Ludowej'') is a former civil decoration of Poland established by the Council of State on 7 February 1974 to recognize contribution of working people in developmen ...
*
Medal of the 40th Anniversary of People's Poland The Medal of the 40th Anniversary of People's Poland ( Polish: ''Medal 40-lecia Polski Ludowej'') is a former civil decoration of Poland established by the Sejm on 26 April 1984 to recognize the contribution of working people in the development of ...
*
Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland The Medal of the 10th Anniversary of People's Poland (Polish: ''Medal 10-lecia Polski Ludowej'') is a former Polish civil state award established by the Council of State on 23 May 1954 to recognize services to the state. It was created to mark ...
(1955) . * Gold
Medal of Merit for National Defence The Medal of Merit for National Defence () is a military decoration, decoration of the Ministry of National Defence (Poland), Ministry of National Defence of Poland. Established 21 April 1966 and revised in 1991, the medal recognizes meritorious s ...
* Silver
Medal of Merit for National Defence The Medal of Merit for National Defence () is a military decoration, decoration of the Ministry of National Defence (Poland), Ministry of National Defence of Poland. Established 21 April 1966 and revised in 1991, the medal recognizes meritorious s ...
* Bronze
Medal of Merit for National Defence The Medal of Merit for National Defence () is a military decoration, decoration of the Ministry of National Defence (Poland), Ministry of National Defence of Poland. Established 21 April 1966 and revised in 1991, the medal recognizes meritorious s ...
* Badge of the 1000th Anniversary of the Polish State *
Order of the Red Banner The Order of the Red Banner () was the first Soviet military decoration. The Order was established on 16 September 1918, during the Russian Civil War by decree of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. It was the highest award of S ...
(USSR, 1968) *
Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" The Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" () was a state commemorative medal of the Soviet Union established on April 12, 1985, by decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR to denote th ...
(USSR, 1985)


Bibliography

* Z. Branach, Pierwszy grudzień Jaruzelskiego, Wydawnictwo Cetera, 1998 Dzieje Sejmu Polskiego (opracowanie zbiorowe), Wydawnictwo Sejmowe, Warszawa 1997 * W. Jaruzelski, Przeciwko bezprawiu, Wydawnictwo Adam Marszałek, Toruń 2004 * Kto jest kim w Polsce 1984. Informator encyklopedyczny, Wydawnictwo Interpress, Warszawa 1984, str. 985 * H. Kula, Grudzień 1970: „oficjalny” i rzeczywisty, Wydawnictwo L&L, 2006 * Leksykon Historii Polski, Wydawnictwo „Wiedza Powszechna”, Warszawa 1996 * T. Mołdawa, Ludzie władzy 1944–1991, Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN, Warszawa 1991 * P. Pytlakowski, Republika MSW, Wydawnictwo Andy Grafik, 1991 * B. Seidler, Kto kazał strzelać: Grudzień ’70, Polska Oficyna Wydawnicza „BGW”, Warszawa 1991 * Tajne dokumenty Biura Politycznego. Grudzień 1970, Wyd. „Aneks”, Londyn 1991 * A. Walicki, Polskie zmagania z wolnością: widziane z boku, Biblioteka „Kuźnicy”, Universitas, 2000 * „Za Wolność i Lud”, 1985, nr 21 (1118), str. 5 * VI Kongres ZBoWiD Warszawa 7–8 maja 1979, Wydawnictwo ZG ZBoWiD, Warszawa 1979 * VII Kongres ZBoWiD, Wydawnictwo ZG ZBoWiD, Warszawa 1985


References

Government ministers of Poland Interior ministers of Poland 1923 births 2011 deaths Recipients of the Medal of the 10th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland Recipients of the Medal of the 40th Anniversary of the People's Republic of Poland {{Poland-politician-stub