ADAMSKI Stanisław

1875

1967

Commissar of the Supreme People’s Council, priest. Born on 12 May 1875 in Zielona Góra, near Obrzycko, to the family of a level crossing attendant - Piotr, and Józefa née Wasilewska. He studied at a school in Obrzycko and at secondary schools in Wronki, Poznań and Miedzyrzecz. In the year 1896, he entered the Seminary in Poznań. After being ordained to the priesthood in 1899, he became the vicar of the Gniezno cathedral. He was a member of the Catholic Society of Polish Workers and the Society of Young Industrialists, he acted as the general secretary of the Diocesan Union of Catholic Societies of Polish Workers (he was an editor of the society’s press arm called ”Robotnik”), he was involved in the activities of the People’s Libraries Society and the Scientific Help Society for the Youth established by Karol Marcinkowski, he held managerial positions and with time, became the President of the supervisory council of the St. Adalbert Printing House and Bookshop where he edited the journal ”Ruch Chrześcijańsko-Społeczny”. From the year 1906, he was a member of the Union of Earning and Economic Associations, and in the year 1911, after the death of Priest P. Wawrzyniak, he became the leader of that organisation as its patron. In 1904, he was made a canon. With time, he developed his organisational and economic activities, becoming the successor to Priest Piotr Wawrzyniak in his initiatives, and was a leading figure in the Polish national movement. He was an advocate of national solidarity and a fierce opponent of the socialist movement. In the year 1916, he became a member of the secret Inter-Party Citizen’s Committee and then the leader of the Executive Committee of the Central Citizen's Committee. In November 1918, Adamski was appointed (alongside W. Korfanty and A. Poszwiński) to serve in the Commissariat of the Supreme People’s Council - and immediately became the leader in that group, responsible for political matters. He coordinated the establishment of the system of people’s councils and the Civil Guard, conducted negotiations with Germans and together with A. Poszwiński, contributed to the organisation of the proceedings of the Partition Sejm of Poznań. He was a proponent of the separation of the lands remaining under Prussian rule from the Reich, however, by way of diplomatic activities, he believed that the Polish Uprising in that area might end with failure and would worsen the situation of the region in the eyes of Entente states and during the future peace conference. He assumed that there would be an annexation of the territories of Greater Poland, (Vistula) Pomerania, Silesia, Warmia and Masuria to the newly revived Polish state. However, as time passed, and taking into account the news arriving from Paris, his views started to become more realistic and he did not rule out an uprising, but a well organised one, under the leadership of a general sent from Warsaw. Initially, after the spontaneous outbreak of the uprising, he did not believe in its success, and assumed that it would only be possible to win certain autonomy. Adamski did not stop negotiations with the Germans but at the same time he strengthened the Polish authorities within the territories controlled by the insurgents. In fact, from 8 January 1919 he took over the administration and management of the entire region (being already a member of the Commissariat of the Supreme People’s Council consisting of 6 people). His leadership resulted in the appointment of the Polish administration, the Polonisation of the schools and the formation of the Greater Poland Army. Measures were also taken to establish a Polish university in Poznań. It was the idea and achievement of Priest Adamski to organise the authorities in the territories liberated as a result of the uprising, based on the structure of an economic association and with the appropriate terminology - to avoid any diplomatic risks during the peace conference in the event of any associations with the nomenclature of the state administration. After the insurgent fighting was over, he coordinated the negotiations with the Warsaw government on conditions for accession of the Greater Poland region to the Polish state. As a result of elections to the Legislative Parliament (Sejm), he became a member of parliament from the list of the National Workers’ Party and was one of the main authors of the act of 1 August 1919 regarding the interim administration of the former Prussian partition. After the liquidation of the Commissariat of the Supreme People’s Council (12 April 1919), he continued his political activities in the ranks of the Polish Christian Democracy Party and was one of the leaders of the Polish Christian Democrats. In 1919, he was appointed papal chamberlain. In July 1920, he was the leader of the delegation from the Poznań region, which charged J. Piłsudski with the betrayal of Polish interests. This initiated the gradual hampering of Adamski's political career. However, on 22 October 1920 he became a member of the Citizen's Executive Committee for State Defence. In the years 1922-1927, he was a senator, but after that period he withdrew from political activities. He was still involved in the activities of the People's Libraries Society and the Union of Earning Associations and from the year 1930 he was appointed General Director of the General Institute of Catholic Action, and in the years 1924-1927 he held the position of president of the Union of Cooperative Associations. In September 1930, he was appointed bishop ordinary in Katowice. Particular emphasis was placed by him on the development of Polish national life in the Silesian region? from the year 1938, his pastoral activity also covered the Trans-Olza region. He established the Catholic Press Agency. After the outbreak of World War II, initially, he was tolerated by the occupiers, in 1941 he was deported to the General Government? during the Warsaw uprising, he conducted his pastoral activities in the capital city. In 1945 he took up the post which he had held before the war and in 1952, he was removed from office. He died in Katowice on 12 November 1967. He was the author of many works regarding economic issues and was honoured with the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta.

A. Czubiński, Adamski Stanisław (1875-1967) (in:) Słownik biograficzny powstańców wielkopolskich 1918-1919 ed. A. Czubiński, B. Polak, Poznań 2002, pp.19-20? M. Tomkowiak, Adamski Stanisław (1875-1967) (in:) Powstańcy wielkopolscy. Biogramy uczestników powstania wielkopolskiego 1918-1919, v. XIII, ed. B. Polak, Poznań 2010, pp. 11-12.

Marek Rezler