List of heads of state of Poland

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This article lists the heads of state of Poland. Currently, the president of Poland is the head of state of the country.

Poland in the Early Middle Ages

See: Poland in the Early Middle Ages

Legendary rulers

Most of these rulers appear for the first time in chronicles from the 13th century.

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Latin: Past Ckosisconis, Pazt filius Chosisconisu Duke	9th century	9th century	9th century	A legendary founder of the Piast dynasty. Son of Chościsko, father of Siemowit. He appears in the oldest Polish chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum from the early XII century.	Piast

Semi-legendary dukes of the Polans in Greater Poland

Several historians tend to believe that three legendary rulers of early Poland before Mieszko I might actually be historical persons. They appear in the oldest Polish chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum from the early 12th century.

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Siemowit Ziemowit Duke	9th century	9th century	9th century	Son of Piast the Wheelwright and Rzepicha	Piast
Lestek Leszek, Lestko Duke	9th / 10th centuries	9th / 10th centuries	9th / 10th centuries	Son of Siemowit	Piast
Siemomysł Ziemomysł Duke	10th century	10th century	10th century	Son of Lestek	Piast

Kingdom of Poland and Duchy of Poland, 966–1569

Piast dukes and kings

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
senioral principle	Piast

Fragmentation of the Kingdom of Poland, 1138–1314

Piast high dukes

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Władysław I the Elbow-high Polish: Władysław I Łokietek High Duke Supreme Prince	1261 – 2 March 1333	1289	1289	Grandson of Konrad I of Masovia. Son of Kazimierz I of Kujawia and Euphrosyne of Opole	Piast
Henryk IV Probus Polish: Henryk IV Prawy High Duke Supreme Prince	ca. 1257/58 – 23 June 1290	1289	1290	Restored	Piast

Reunification attempts in the Kingdom of Poland 1232–1305

Piast kings

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Przemysł I and Elisabeth of Wrocław. Also Duke of Poznań, Greater Poland, and Pomerania	Piast

Přemyslid kings

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Elisabeth Richeza of Poland. Also King of Bohemia	Přemyslid
Wenceslaus III of Bohemia Polish: Wacław III Czeski	(1289-10-06)6 October 1289 – 4 August 1306(1306-08-04) (aged 16)	1305	1306	Son of Wenceslaus II and Judith of Habsburg. Uncrowned. Assassinated	Přemyslid

Reunited Kingdom of Poland, 1314–1569

Piast kings

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Władysław I the Elbow-high Polish: Władysław I Łokietek	1261 – 2 March 1333	1320	1333	Restored. Reunited the Kingdom of Poland	Piast
Casimir III the Great Polish: Kazimierz III Wielki	(1310-04-30)30 April 1310 – 5 November 1370(1370-11-05) (aged 60)	1333	1370	Son of Władysław I the Elbow-high and Jadwiga of Kalisz. Regarded as one of the greatest Polish monarchs	Piast

Anjou kings

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Louis I of Hungary Polish: Ludwik Węgierski	(1326-03-05)5 March 1326 – 10 September 1382(1382-09-10) (aged 56)	1370	1382	Son of Charles I of Hungary and Elizabeth of Poland. Nephew of Casimir III. Elected king and crowned on 17 November. Also King of Hungary	Anjou
Jadwiga of Poland Polish: Jadwiga Andegaweńska	1373/4 – 17 July 1399	16 October 1384	17 July 1399	Daughter of Louis I and Elizabeth of Bosnia. Crowned king to emphasise her monarchical status, 1384. Reigned jointly with her husband Władysław II Jagiełło from 1386	Anjou

Jagiellonian kings

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Elisabeth of Austria	Jagiellonian
Alexander I Jagiellon Aleksander I Jagiellończyk King	(1461-08-05)5 August 1461 – 19 August 1506(1506-08-19) (aged 45)	12 December 1501	19 August 1506	Son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria. Also Grand Duke of Lithuania, 1492-1506	Jagiellonian
Sigismund I the Old Zygmunt I Stary King	(1467-01-01)1 January 1467 – 1 April 1548(1548-04-01) (aged 81)	8 December 1506	1 April 1548	Son of Casimir IV and Elisabeth of Austria. Also Grand Duke of Lithuania. Forced Prussian Homage in 1525. Annexed the Duchy of Masovia in 1526. Entered an alliance with Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor	Jagiellonian
Sigismund II Augustus Zygmunt II August King	(1520-08-01)1 August 1520 – 7 July 1572(1572-07-07) (aged 51)	1 April 1548	7 July 1572	Son of Sigismund I and Bona Sforza. Also Grand Duke of Lithuania. Replaced the personal union of the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania with a real union and an elective monarchy (Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth) in 1569	Jagiellonian

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1569–1795

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Duke of Lorraine until his death	Leszczyński
Augustus III August III Sas King	17 October 1696 – 5 October 1763(1763-10-05) (aged 66)	17 January 1734 (in opposition) 30 June 1734 (effectively)	5 October 1763	Son of Augustus II and Christiane Eberhardine of Brandenburg-Bayreuth	Wettin
Stanisław II Augustus Stanisław August Poniatowski King	(1732-01-17)17 January 1732 – 12 February 1798(1798-02-12) (aged 66)	25 November 1764	7 January 1795	Son of Stanisław Poniatowski and Konstancja Czartoryska. Forced to abdicate when the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (a hereditary monarchy since May 3, 1791) ceased to exist	Poniatowski

Duchy of Warsaw, 1807–1815

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Frederick Augustus I Fryderyk August I Duke	(1750-12-23)23 December 1750 – (1827-05-05)5 May 1827 (aged 76)	9 June 1807	22 May 1815	Son of Frederick Christian, Elector of Saxony and Duchess Maria Antonia of Bavaria. Duke of Warsaw. Designated as King of Poland by the General Confederation of the Kingdom of Poland in 1812	Wettin

Republic of Poland (1918–1939)

Chief of State

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
–		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
1		Gabriel Narutowicz (1865–1922)	11 December 1922	16 December 1922 (Died in office)	Independent supported by Polish People's Party "Wyzwolenie"	Dec 1922 (I)	First President of Poland. Assassinated after only 5 days in office
–		Maciej Rataj (1884–1940) Acting President	16 December 1922	22 December 1922	Polish People's Party "Piast"	—	Marshal of the Sejm
2		Stanisław Wojciechowski (1869–1953)	22 December 1922	14 May 1926 (Deposed)	Polish People's Party "Piast"	Dec 1922 (II)	Deposed in the May Coup by Marshal Józef Piłsudski
–		Maciej Rataj (1884–1940) Acting President	14 May 1926	4 June 1926	Polish People's Party "Piast"	—	Marshal of the Sejm
–		Józef Piłsudski (1867–1935) President-elect	Did not take office		Sanation	May 1926	Piłsudski was elected President by the National Assembly but declined to take office due to minor powers vested by the constitution.
3		Ignacy Mościcki (1867–1946)	4 June 1926	30 September 1939	Sanation	Jun 1926 1933	Mościcki's government was exiled to Romania after Poland's defeat in World War II on 17 September.

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

After the German conquest of Poland, a Polish government-in-exile was formed under the protection of France and Britain. The President of the Republic and the government-in-exile were recognised by the United Kingdom and, later, by the United States until 6 July 1945, when the Western Allies accepted the Communist-led government backed by Joseph Stalin. Despite having lost recognition by other governments, the government-in-exile continued in London until the election of Lech Wałęsa as President of the Republic of Poland in December 1990, upon which it handed over its formal powers and the insignia of the Polish Second Republic to President-elect Wałęsa in a ceremony at the Warsaw Royal Castle on 22 December 1990.

The sole internationally recognised president of the exiled government was Władysław Raczkiewicz, who took office after Ignacy Mościcki's resignation in September 1939.

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
1		Władysław Raczkiewicz (1885–1947)	30 September 1939	6 June 1947 (Died in office)	Independent	Raczkiewicz's government lost recognition by the Western Allies on 6 July 1945.
2		August Zaleski (1883–1972)	9 June 1947	7 April 1972 (Died in office)	Independent	From 1954 onwards, opposed by the Rada Trzech (Council of Three)
3		Stanisław Ostrowski (1892–1982)	9 April 1972	24 March 1979	Independent
4		Edward Raczyński (1891–1993)	8 April 1979	8 April 1986	Independent
5		Kazimierz Sabbat (1913–1989)	8 April 1986	19 July 1989 (Died in office)	Independent
6		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		Bolesław Bierut (1892–1956)	31 December 1944	4 February 1947	Polish Workers' Party

President of the Republic

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Election	Notes
–		Franciszek Trąbalski (1870–1964) Acting	4 February 1947		Polish Workers' Party	—
–		Władysław Kowalski (1894–1958) Acting	4 February 1947	5 February 1947	Polish Workers' Party		Marshal of the Sejm
1		Bolesław Bierut (1892–1956)	5 February 1947	20 November 1952	Polish Workers' Party/ Polish United Workers' Party	1947	From December 1948, also Secretary General of the Polish United 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 (1899–1964)	20 November 1952	7 August 1964 (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 (1906–1989)	12 August 1964	10 April 1968	Polish United Workers' Party
3		Marian Spychalski (1906–1980)	10 April 1968	23 December 1970	Polish United Workers' Party
4		Józef Cyrankiewicz (1911–1989)	23 December 1970	28 March 1972	Polish United Workers' Party
5		Henryk Jabłoński (1909–2003)	28 March 1972	6 November 1985	Polish United Workers' Party
6		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)		23 November 1943	10 August 1948	First Secretary of PPR
	Bolesław Bierut (1892–1956)		10 August 1948	12 March 1956 (Died in office)	First Secretary of PPR to 16 December 1948; First Secretary of PZPR from 22 December 1948
	Edward Ochab (1906–1989)		20 March 1956	21 October 1956	First Secretary of PZPR
	Władysław Gomułka (1905–1982)		21 October 1956	20 December 1970
	Edward Gierek (1913–2001)		20 December 1970	6 September 1980
	Stanisław Kania (1927–2020)		6 September 1980	18 October 1981
	Wojciech Jaruzelski (1923–2014)		18 October 1981	29 July 1989
	Mieczysław Rakowski* (1926–2008)		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)

President of the Republic

	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Election	Notes Previous office
1		Wojciech Jaruzelski (1923–2014)	19 July 1989	22 December 1990 (Resigned)	Polish United Workers' Party (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 (born 1943)	22 December 1990	22 December 1995	Solidarity Citizens' Committee	1990	First president elected by popular vote
3		Aleksander Kwaśniewski (born 1954)	23 December 1995	23 December 2005	Democratic Left Alliance	1995 2000	Member of the Sejm (1991–95). First President of the Third Republic elected twice
4		Lech Kaczyński (1949–2010)	23 December 2005	10 April 2010 (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 (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 (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 (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 (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		Andrzej Duda (born 1972)	6 August 2015	Incumbent	Law and Justice	2015 2020	Member of the Sejm (2011–14), Law and Justice candidate in the 2015 election, but resigned his membership on 26 May 2015. Second President of the Third Republic elected twice

Timeline since 1918

See also

• List of Polish monarchs
• Prime Minister of Poland
  • List of prime ministers of Poland

References