Wacław Olszak

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Wacław Olszak
Wacław Olszak
Mayor of Karviná
In office
1929–1936
Personal details
Born(1868-05-29)29 May 1868
Šenov, Austrian Silesia
Died11 September 1939(1939-09-11) (aged 71)
Karviná, Nazi Germany
Resting placeKarviná
NationalityPolish
SpouseMaria Olszakowa (née Krus)
ChildrenWacław, engineer
Feliks, engineer
Antoni
Maria
Alma materUniversity of Vienna
OccupationPhysician

Dr. Wacław Olszak (29 May 1868 – 11 September 1939) was a Polish physician, activist and politician. He came from the region of Trans-Olza in Czechoslovakia and was a mayor of the town of Karviná for seven years. Ten days after outbreak of World War II he was murdered by Nazis.

Biography

Olszak was born in

coal miners in that town. He also worked as a doctor at the château in Fryštát
for count Larisch-Mönnich, and as a family doctor for many local German engineers and administration workers. Olszak however, working mostly with poor coal miners and their families, helped to organize a social help for them.

Olszak was a member and co-founder of various Polish organizations in Trans-Olza. He was a member of the general committee of Związek Polaków w Czechosłowacji (Association of Poles in Czechoslovakia) and Związek Śląskich Katolików w Czechosłowacji (Association of Silesian Catholics in Czechoslovakia). After World War I, as a member of the Association of Silesian Catholics, he took active part in the work of the National Council of the Duchy of Cieszyn, provisional Polish political body working for joining Cieszyn Silesia to independent Poland.[1]

Olszak was regularly elected to the city council of Karviná and in 1929 became a mayor, beating in the elections Czech candidate Oskar Kučera. On 6 July 1930 he hosted in the town the Czechoslovak president Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk and welcomed him in Polish. President Masaryk later made a speech in both Polish and Czech languages. On 4 July 1936 Olszak contested in next mayoral elections but lost to Czech candidate Antonín Krůta.[2] After the elections Olszak worked again as a general doctor for coal miners, he maintained this position after Poland annexed Trans-Olza in October 1938.

On 1 September 1939

Bleeding to the brain was given as a cause of death in the official documents.[2] His funeral was highly restricted by Nazi German authorities who were aware of Olszak's popularity. Although crowds of locals followed the funeral procession, only four people were allowed to enter the cemetery - wife, two sons and priest. He is buried at a cemetery in the Doly
district of Karviná.

Streets in Cieszyn and Karviná are named after him. His son Wacław became an internationally acclaimed engineer and construction theorist; his son Feliks became a metallurgical engineer.[3]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wacław Olszak.
  1. ISBN 978-83-89835-40-6
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  2. ^
    ISBN 80-902252-3-3
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  3. ISBN 83-01-11967-5
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