Władysław Wicha (born 3 June 1904 in Warsaw; died 13 December 1984 in Warsaw) was a Polish politician in the early communist period.

Minister of Interior 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 years 1954–1964, member of the

Council of State A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...

(1965–1969), deputy to 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' ...

of the Polish People's Republic of the first and fourth term.

Biography

He was born into a working family and had secondary education as metallurgist. From 1924, he was a member of the

Young Communist League of Poland The Young Communist League of Poland (, abbreviated ZMKwP), in February 1930 renamed as the Communist League of Youth in Poland , abbreviated KZMP), was the youth wing of the interbellum Communist Party of Poland between 1922 and 1938.Cimek, Henry ...

, then an activist of the

Communist Party of Poland The interwar Communist Party of Poland (, KPP) was a communist party active in Poland during the Second Polish Republic. It resulted from a December 1918 merger of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (SDKPiL) and the ...

, secretary of the district committees of the Warsaw-Lewa Podmiejska, Częstochowa-Piotrków, Łódź, Warsaw branches of the party. In the years 1938–1945 he worked as a metal worker in

western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's extent varies depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the Western half of the ancient Mediterranean ...

(Belgium, France, Spain and Great Britain). In 1945 following the end of World War II, he returned to Poland, joined the

Polish Workers' Party The Polish Workers' Party (, PPR) was a communist party in Poland from 1942 to 1948. It was founded as a reconstitution of the Communist Party of Poland (KPP) and merged with the Polish Socialist Party (PPS) in 1948 to form the Polish United W ...

. He was the chairman of the Delegation of the Special Commission in Warsaw, deputy director of the Control Office at the State Council. From 1948 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 ...

, the ruling communist party in the country. In the years 1949–1950, he was the first secretary of the Provincial Committee of the

PZPR 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 Kielce, in the years 1950–1953 he was the first secretary of the Warsaw Committee. In the years 1954–1959 he was a member of the Central Audit Committee of the PZPR, in the years 1959–1968 he was a member of the Central Committee of PZPR, and in the years 1964–1968 secretary of the Central Committee. In the years 1952–1954 Undersecretary of State (Deputy Minister) in the Ministry of State Control and between the years 1954–1964 he served as the

Minister of the Interior 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 years 1965–1969 a member of the State Council. He was a member of the Sejm of the first and fourth term of office. His wife was a KPP activist, Teofila née Lewin.

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 (1964) * POL Polonia Restituta Kawalerski BAR

Knight'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 ...

(1947) * Badge of the 1000th Anniversary of the Polish State (1966)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wicha, Władysław 1904 births 1984 deaths Politicians from Warsaw Politicians from Warsaw Governorate Communist Party of Poland politicians Polish Workers' Party politicians Members of the Politburo of the Polish United Workers' Party Interior ministers of Poland Burials at Powązki Military Cemetery