Wanda Izabela Pełczyńska (6 January 1894 – 5 September 1976) was a Polish journalist, educator and politician. She served in the Legislative Sejm for the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 7 October 1918 and 6 October 1939. The state was established in the final stage of World War I ...

from 1935 to 1938. The daughter of Józef Filipkowski, a railway engineer, and Zofia Kwiatkowska, she was born Wanda Izabela Filipkowska in

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

. She took teaching courses 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 ...

and studied Polish at

Jagiellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by Casimir III the Great, King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the List of oldest universities in con ...

. During

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, she was a courier in the 1st Brigade, Polish Legions. In 1919, she was head of couriers for the . In 1920, she began teaching at a teacher's college in Warsaw. From 1923 to 1926, she was editor for ', from 1927 to 1931, was editor of ''Kobiety Współczesnej'' and, from 1927 to 1934, she was co-editor of ''Młodej Matki''. Pełczyńska served on the board for the Polish section of

FIDAC FIDAC (''French: Fédération Interalliée Des Anciens Combattants, English: The Interallied Federation of War Veterans Organisations'') was established in Paris in November 1920, at the initiative of the veterans from World War I predominant Pac ...

. She was also associated with the

Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government The Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government (, ; abbreviated ''BBWR'') was a "non-political" organization in the interwar Second Polish Republic, in 1928–35. It was closely affiliated with Józef Piłsudski and his Sanation moveme ...

(BBWR). During

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 ...

, she was associated with the

Union of Armed Struggle The Union of Armed StruggleThus rendered in Norman Davies, ''God's Playground: A History of Poland'', vol. II, p. 464. (; ZWZ), also translated as the Union for Armed Struggle, Association of Armed Struggle, and Association for Armed Struggle ...

(ZWZ) in

Vilnius 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 ...

. She was arrested by the

Soviet 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 ...

authorities in July 1940 and imprisoned in Lukiškės Prison and later in Warsaw. She took care of the wounded during the

Warsaw Uprising The Warsaw Uprising (; ), sometimes referred to as the August Uprising (), or the Battle of Warsaw, was a major World War II operation by the Polish resistance movement in World War II, Polish underground resistance to liberate Warsaw from ...

. After 1945, she lived in exile in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

. In 1923, she married

Tadeusz Pełczyński Tadeusz Walenty Pełczyński (codenames: ''Grzegorz'', ''Adam'', ''Wolf'', ''Robak''; Warsaw, 14 February 1892 – 3 January 1985, London) was a Polish Army major general (''generał brygady''), intelligence officer and chief of the General Sta ...

, a general in the Polish army. Her son died in the Warsaw Uprising. She was awarded the: * Silver Cross of the

Virtuti Militari The War Order of Virtuti Militari (Latin: ''"For Military Virtue"'', ) is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war. It was established in 1792 by the last King of Poland Stanislaus II of Poland, ...

* the Knight's Cross and the Officer's Cross in 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 ...

* the

Cross of Independence Cross of Independence () was the second highest Polish military decoration between World Wars I and II. It was awarded to individuals who had fought actively for the independence of Poland, and was released in three classes. History The Cr ...

with Swords She died in London at the age of 82. She was originally buried in London but was later interred in 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 ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pełczyńska, Wanda 1894 births 1976 deaths Jagiellonian University alumni Polish women journalists Nonpartisan Bloc for Cooperation with the Government politicians Women members of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland 20th-century Polish women politicians Recipients of the Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari Knights of the Order of Polonia Restituta Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Cross of Independence with Swords Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery 20th-century Polish journalists 20th-century Polish women Expatriates from the Russian Empire