List of presidents of Poland

This article lists the presidents of Poland. The president of Poland is the head of state of the country.

Presidents of the Polish National Government (1830–1831)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office
1 Prince Czartoryski by Nadar.jpg Prince
Adam Jerzy Czartoryski
(1770–1861)
3 December 1830 15 August 1831
Józef Chłopicki 1.PNG Józef Chłopicki
(1771–1854)
(dictator)
5 December 1830 17 January 1831
2 Jan Krukowiecki litografia (cropped).jpg General
Jan Stefan Krukowiecki
(1772–1850)
17 August 1831 7 September 1831
3 Bonawentura Niemojowski.JPG Bonawentura Niemojowski
(1787–1835)
8 September 1831 23 September 1831
4 Jan Nepomucen Umiński.PNG Jan Nepomucen Umiński
(1778–1851)
23 September 1831 23 September 1831
5 Maciej Rybinski (33955444).jpg Maciej Rybiński
(1784–1874)
25 September 1831 9 October 1831

Presidents of the National Government of the Republic of Poland (1846)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office
Jan Tyssowski.jpg
Tyssowski
National Government of the Republic of Poland (triumvirate):

Jan Tyssowski (President)
(1811–1857)
Ludwik Gorzkowski
(1811–1857)
Aleksander Grzegorzewski
(1806–1855)

22 February 1846 24 February 1846
Jan Tyssowski.jpg Jan Tyssowski
(1811–1857)
(dictator)
24 February 1846 3 March 1846

President of the National Committee in Poznań (1848)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office
1 Gustaw Eugeniusz Potworowski ca 1850 (33366472) (cropped).jpg Gustaw Potworowski
(1800–1860)
20 March 1848 9 May 1848

Presidents of the Polish National Government (1863–1864)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office
1 Stefan Bobrowski ca 1862 (76732429) (cropped).jpg Stefan Bobrowski
(1840–1863)
21 January 1863 17 February 1863
Ludwik Mieroslawski 1845-1855 (428656) (cropped).jpg Ludwik Mierosławski
(1814–1878)
(dictator)
17 February 1863 11 March 1863
Marian Langiewicz 1863 (338183) (cropped).jpg Marian Langiewicz
(1827–1887)
(dictator)
11 March 1863 18 March 1863
2 Stefan Bobrowski ca 1862 (76732429) (cropped).jpg Stefan Bobrowski
(1840–1863)
21 March 1863 12 April 1863
3 Agaton Giller.JPG Agaton Giller
(1831–1887)
12 April 1863 23 May 1863
4 Franciszek Dobrowolski 1830-1896.jpg Franciszek Dobrowolski
(1830–1896)
23 May 1863 9 June 1863
5 No image.png Piotr Kobylański
(1823–1868)
9 June 1863 10 June 1863
6 Karol Majewski (Beyer).jpg Karol Majewski
(1833–1897)
14 June 1863 17 September 1863
7 Franciszek Dobrowolski 1830-1896.jpg Franciszek Dobrowolski
(1830–1896)
17 September 1863 17 October 1863
8 Romuald Traugutt 111.PNG Romuald Traugutt
(1826–1864)
(dictator.)
17 October 1863 10 April 1864
Aleksander Waszkowski.PNG Aleksander Waszkowski
(1841–1865)
12 April 1864 19 December 1864
9 No image.png Bronisław Brzeziński
(1837–1865)
20 April 1864 October 1864

Republic of Poland (1918–1939)

Chief of State

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office Political party Notes
Jozef Pilsudski1.jpg
Józef Piłsudski
(1867–1935)
14 November 1918 11 December 1922 Independent Provisional Chief of State until 1918

President of the Republic

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office Political party Election Notes
Previous office
1 Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski 13 grudnia 1981.JPG Wojciech Jaruzelski
(1923–2014)
19 July 1989 22 December 1990+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(Resigned) Polish United Workers' Party+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(to 30 January 1990) 1989 Following the Polish Round Table Agreement between the Polish United Workers' Party and Solidarity, the Council of State was abolished. Its chairman was elected President of the People's Republic by the Parliament.
2 Lech Wałęsa (2019), FORUM 2000, Prague (2).jpg Lech Wałęsa
(born 1943)
22 December 1990 22 December 1995 Solidarity Citizens' Committee 1990 First president elected by popular vote
3 Aleksander kwasniewski konferencja (cropped).jpg Aleksander Kwaśniewski
(born 1954)
23 December 1995 23 December 2005 Democratic Left Alliance 1995+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}2000 Member of the Sejm (1991–95). First President of the Third Republic elected twice
4 Lech Kaczyński.jpg Lech Kaczyński
(1949–2010)
23 December 2005 10 April 2010+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(Died in office) Law and Justice 2005 Senator (1989–91), Member of the Sejm (1991–93 and 2001–02), Mayor of Warsaw (2002-2005). Died in a plane crash
Bronisław Komorowski official cropped.jpg Bronisław Komorowski
(born 1952)
Acting President
10 April 2010 8 July 2010 Civic Platform Marshal of the Sejm. Resigned as Marshal of the Sejm, and thus as Acting President, after being confirmed as the winner of the 2010 presidential election
Bogdan Borusewicz 02 Senate of Poland.jpg Bogdan Borusewicz
(born 1949)
Acting President
8 July 2010 8 July 2010 Civic Platform Marshal of the Senate. Acting president for less than a day, between Komorowski's resignation as the Marshal of the Sejm and Grzegorz Schetyna being sworn in.
Grzegorz Schetyna Sejm 2019.jpg Grzegorz Schetyna
(born 1963)
Acting President
8 July 2010 6 August 2010 Civic Platform Marshal of the Sejm. Served as Acting President until Komorowski was sworn in as president as the result of the 2010 presidential election
5 Bronisław Komorowski official cropped.jpg Bronisław Komorowski
(born 1952)
6 August 2010 6 August 2015 Civic Platform 2010 Member of the Sejm (1991–2010), Marshal of the Sejm (2007–10); Acting President (2010).
6 Prezydent Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej Andrzej Duda.jpg Andrzej Duda
(born 1972)
6 August 2015 Incumbent Law and Justice 2015+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}2020 Member of the Sejm (2011–14), Member of the European Parliament (2014–15); Duda was the Law and Justice candidate in the 2015 election, but resigned his membership on 26 May 2015. Second President of the Third Republic elected twice

Government of the Republic of Poland in Exile (1939–1990)

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office Political party Notes
1
Raczkiewicz.png
Władysław Raczkiewicz
(1885–1947)
30 September 1939 6 June 1947+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(Died in office) Independent Raczkiewicz's government lost recognition by the Western Allies on 6 July 1945.
2
Bundesarchiv Bild 102-11032, August Zaleski.jpg
August Zaleski
(1883–1972)
9 June 1947 7 April 1972+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(Died in office) Independent From 1954 onwards, opposed by the Rada Trzech (Council of Three)
3
Stanislaw Ostrowski.gif
Stanisław Ostrowski
(1892–1982)
9 April 1972 24 March 1979 Independent
4
Edward Raczyński (-1939).jpg
Edward Raczyński
(1891–1993)
8 April 1979 8 April 1986 Independent
5
Sabbat.jpg
Kazimierz Sabbat
(1913–1989)
8 April 1986 19 July 1989+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(Died in office) Independent
6
Polski prezydent bywaly.jpg
Ryszard Kaczorowski
(1919–2010)
19 July 1989 22 December 1990 Independent Kaczorowski resigned on 22 December 1990, upon the election of Lech Wałęsa as President of the Republic of Poland.

Polish People's Republic (1944–1989)

President of the State National Council

The Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland was founded under Soviet protection on 31 December 1944 and recognised by the United States and the United Kingdom since 6 July 1945. It evolved into the Government of National Unity on 28 June 1945, and eventually into the Polish People's Republic on 19 February 1947.

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office Political party Notes
1 PL Bolesław Bierut (1892-1956).jpg Bolesław Bierut
(1892–1956)
31 December 1944 4 February 1947 Polish Workers' Party

Chairman of the Council of State

In 1952, the July Constitution abolished the office of president and made the Council of State the collective head of state, chairmen of which are listed below. Real power rested with the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), its Central Committee, and the secretary general/first secretary.

Portrait Name
(Birth–Death)
Entered office Left office Political party Notes
1 Aleksander Zawadzki 1.jpg Aleksander Zawadzki
(1899–1964)
20 November 1952 7 August 1964+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(Died in office) Polish United Workers' Party Died in office (cancer)
In accordance with the constitution, the vice presidents of the Council of State, Edward Ochab, Stanisław Kulczyński, Oskar R. Lange, and Bolesław Podedworny, became collegially acting heads of state.
2 Edward Ochab 2.jpg Edward Ochab
(1906–1989)
12 August 1964 10 April 1968 Polish United Workers' Party
3 Marian Spychalski.jpg Marian Spychalski
(1906–1980)
10 April 1968 23 December 1970 Polish United Workers' Party
4 Cyrankiewicz.jpg Józef Cyrankiewicz
(1911–1989)
23 December 1970 28 March 1972 Polish United Workers' Party
5 Henryk Jabłoński, The Chairman of the Council of State (Head of State) of the People's Republic of Poland 1972-1985.jpg Henryk Jabłoński
(1909–2003)
28 March 1972 6 November 1985 Polish United Workers' Party
6 Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski 13 grudnia 1981.JPG Wojciech Jaruzelski
(1923–2014)
6 November 1985 19 July 1989 Polish United Workers' Party Also the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party

First Secretaries of the Polish Workers' Party (PPR)/Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR)

Since 1954, the head of the party was also the Chairman of the Central Committee.

Name
(Birth–Death)
Portrait Entered office Left office Position
Władysław Gomułka
(1905–1982)
Władysław Gomułka 1960.jpg 23 November 1943 10 August 1948 First Secretary of PPR
Bolesław Bierut
(1892–1956)
PL Bolesław Bierut (1892-1956).jpg 10 August 1948 12 March 1956+{{{1}}}−{{{2}}}(Died in office) First Secretary of PPR to 16 December 1948;

First Secretary of PZPR from 22 December 1948

Edward Ochab
(1906–1989)
Edward Ochab 2.jpg 20 March 1956 21 October 1956 First Secretary of PZPR
Władysław Gomułka
(1905–1982)
Władysław Gomułka 1960.jpg 21 October 1956 20 December 1970
Edward Gierek
(1913–2001)
Edward Gierek 1980.jpg 20 December 1970 6 September 1980
Stanisław Kania
(1927–2020)
Stanisław Kania -1979-.jpg 6 September 1980 18 October 1981
Wojciech Jaruzelski
(1923–2014)
Gen. Wojciech Jaruzelski 13 grudnia 1981.JPG 18 October 1981 29 July 1989
Mieczysław Rakowski*
(1926–2008)
Mieczysław Rakowski crop.jpg 29 July 1989 29 January 1990
  • By the second half of 1989, the office of First Secretary, occupied at the time by Mieczysław Rakowski, ceased to hold any real power.

Republic of Poland (1989–present)

List Of Presidents Of Poland Media