Polish Senate Authorities (1493-1997)
In the old days the Polish Sejm consisted of three Sejm estates: the King, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. This was the case in 1493, when a long list of Polish Senate authorities begins.
The old Senate did not include the separate post of the Senate Speaker. The Senate's sessions were presided over by the King, represented by the great royal marshal who was the prime minister of the Kingdom. The grand crown marshal, on behalf of the King, presided over the sessions of joint Chambers of the Sejm, i.e. the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies. When the grand crown marshal was absent, the sessions were presided over by the court crown marshal. The two marshals sat on the Senate and, like other senators, enjoyed lifelong appointment by the King.
The most important senator, i.e. the President of the Senate, was the archbishop of Gniezno as the Primate and the first Duke of the Kingdom. He presided over the Senate's sessions during the King's absence. The Primate had a right to convene the Senate to a "secret" council even against the King's will. During the interregnum the Primate was the interrex, i.e. the acting King, and he could convene the Sejm. In old Poland the Senate existed up to 1794, i.e. to the Kościuszko insurrection. In 1795 the third partition of Poland took place, ending this chapter of the Senate's history.
In the periods of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw and the Congress Kingdom of Poland, the Senate would be presided over by the President of the Senate, who was appointed for life by the King from among the secular senators.
In the newly re-established Poland after World War I, the Constitution of March 1921 determined that the Senate would be presided over by its Speaker and Deputy Speakers elected by senators from among their ranks for the Senate's term of office. The same rule was followed under the Constitution of April 1935, and in the Senate after its re-establishment in 1989.
|
1492 - 1501 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Jan Olbracht |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Cardinal Fryderyk Jagiellończyk, 1493 to his death in 1503, King 's brother, bishop of Cracow |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Piotr Kmita, 1494 until his death in 1505, ex-royal envoy |
|
1501 - 1506 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Aleksander Jagiellończyk |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Cardinal Fryderyk Jagielloń czyk, 1493 until his death in 1503,Andrzej Boryszewski, 1504 until his death in 1510, ex-archbishop of Lwów |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Piotr Kmita, 1494 until his death in 1505, Stanisław Chodecki, 1505 until his death in 1529, ex-castellan of Lwów |
|
1506 - 1548 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Zygmunt I Stary |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Andrzej Boryszewski, 1504 until his death in 1510, Jan Łaski, 1510 until his death in 1531, ex-grand crown chancellor, Maciej Drzewiecki, 1531 until his death in 1535, ex-grand crown chancellor, ex-bishop of Kujawy, Andrzej Krzycki, 1535 until his death in 1537, ex-royal secretary, ex-bishop of Płock, Jan Latalski, 1537 until his death in 1545, ex-royal secretary, ex-bishop of Cracow, Piotr Gamrat, 1541 until his death in 1545, bishop of Cracow, Mikołaj Dzierzgowski, 1546 until his death in 1559, ex-bishop of Kujawy |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Stanisław Chodecki, 1505 until his death in 1529, Piotr Kmita, 1529 until his death in 1553, castellan of Wojnów |
|
1548 - 1572 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Zygmunt II August |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Mikołaj Dzierzgowski, 1546 until his death in 1559, Jan Przerębski, 1559 until his death in 1562, ex-crown sub-chancellor, Jakub Uchański, 1562 until his death in 1581, interrex 1572-1573, ex-grand crown referendary, ex-bishop of Kujawy, |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Piotr Kmita, 1529 until his death in 1553, Jan Mielecki, 1555 until his death in 1561, voivod of Podole, Jan Firlej, 1563 until his death in 1574, voivod of Lublin |
|
1573 - 1574 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Henryk Walezy |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Jakub Uchański, 1562 until his death in 1581, interrex 1575 |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Jan Firlej, 1563 until his death in 1574, Andrzej Opaliński, 1574 until his death in 1593, ex-court crown marshal |
|
1576 - 1586 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Stefan Batory |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Jakub Uchański, 1567 until his death in 1581, Stanisła w Karnkowski, 1582 until his death in 1603, interrex 1586-1587, ex-grand crown secretary, ex-bishop of Kujawy |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Andrzej Opaliński, 1574 until his death in 1593 |
|
1587 - 1632 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Zygmunt III Waza |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Stanisław Karnkowski, 1582 until his death in 1603, Jan Tarnowski, 1604 until his death in 1604, ex-grand crown referendary, ex-bishop of Kujawy, Cardinal Bernard Maciejowski, 1606 until his death in 1608, ex-bishop of Cracow, Wojciech Baranowski, 1608 until his death in 1615, ex-crown sub-chancellor, ex-bishop of Kujawy, Wawrzyniec Gembicki, 1616 until his death in 1624, ex-grand crown chancellor, ex-bishop of Kujawy, Henryk Firlej, 1624 until his death in 1626, ex-crown sub-chancellor, ex-bishop of Płock, Jan Wężyk, 1627 until his death in 1638, interrex 1632, ex-bishop of Poznań |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Andrzej Opaliński, 1574 until his death in 1593, Stanisław Przyjemski, 1593 until his death in 1595, ex-court crown marshal, Prokop Sieniawski, 1595 until his death in 1596, ex-court crown marshal, Mikołaj Zebrzydowski, 1596-1601 (promoted to voivod of Cracow), voivod of Lublin, Zygmunt Gonzaga-Myszkowski, 1603 until his death in 1615, ex-castellan of Wojnice, Mikołaj Wolski, 1616 u ntil his death in 1630, ex-court crown marshal,Łukasz Opaliński, 1630-1649/50, ex-court crown marshal |
|
1632 - 1648 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Władysław IV |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Jan Wężyk, 1627 until his death in 1638, Jan Lipski, 1639 until his death in 1641, ex-crown sub-chancellor, ex-bishop of Chełm, Maciej Łubieński, 1641 until his death in 1652, interrex 1648, ex-royal secretary, ex-bishop of Kujawy |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Łukasz Opaliński, 1630-1649/50 |
|
1648 - 1668 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Jan II Kazimierz |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Maciej Łubieński, 1641 until his death in 1652, Andrzej Leszczyński, 1653 until his death in 1658, ex-grand crown chancellor, ex-bishop of Chełm, Wacław Leszczyński, 1659 until his death in 1666, ex-gra nd crown referendary, ex-bishop of Warmia,Mikołaj Prażmowski, 1666 until his death in 1673, interrex 1668, ex-grand crown chancellor, ex-bishop of Łuck |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Łukasz Opaliński, 1630-1649/50 (quit the office), Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski, 1650-1664 (removed from the office by the Sejm's court), ex-court crown marshal, Jan Sobieski, 1665-1674, ex-grand crown cornet |
|
1669 - 1673 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Michał Wiśniowiecki |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Mikołaj Prażmo wski, 1666 until his death in 1673,Kazimierz Florian Czartoryski, 1673 until his death in 1674, interrex 1674, ex-royal secretary, ex-bishop of Kujawy |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Jan Sobieski, 1665-1674, elected King of Poland |
|
1674 - 1696 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Jan III Sobieski |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Andrzej Olszowski, 1674 until his death in 1677, ex-crown sub-chancellor, ex-bishop of Chełm, Jan Wydżga, 1679 until his death in 1685, ex-grand crown secretary, ex-bishop of Warmia, Cardinal Michał Radz iejowski, 1688 until his death in 1705, interrex 1696, ex-bishop of Warmia |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Stanisław Herakliusz Lubomirski, 1676 until his death in 1702, ex-court crown marshal |
|
1697 - 1733 |
|
|
King of Poland |
August II Mocny |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Cardinal Michał Radziejowski, 1688 until his death in 1705, Stanisław Szembek, 1706 until his death in 1721, ex-bishop of Kujawy, Teodor Potocki, 1723 until his death in 1738, interrex 1733, ex-royal secretary, ex-bishop of Warmia |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Józef Lubomirski, 1702-died in1702, ex-court crown marshal, Kazimierz Ludwik Bieliński, 1702 until his death in 1713, ex-court crown marshal, Józef Mniszech, 1713-1742, ex-court crown marshal |
|
1733 - 1763 |
|
|
King of Poland |
August III Sas |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Teodor Potocki, 1723 until his death in 1738, Krzysztof Szembek, 1739 until his death in 1748, ex-grand crown referendary, ex-bishop of Kujawy, Adam Komorowski, 1749 until his death in 1759, ex-nominee bishop of Inflanty, Władysław Łubieński, 1759 until his death in 1767, interrex 1763, ex-grand crown writer, ex-archbishop of Lwów |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Józef Mniszech, 1713-1742, (promoted to castellan of Cracow), Franciszek Bieliński, 1742 until his death in 1766, ex- court crown marshal |
|
1764 - 1793 |
|
|
King of Poland |
Stanisław August Poniatowski |
|
Primate of the Kingdom of Poland |
Władysław Łubieński, 1759 until his death in 1767, Gabriel Podoski, 1767 until his death in 1777, ex-grand crown referendary, Antoni Ostrowski, 1777 until his death in 1784, ex-bishop of Włocławek, Michał Jerzy Poniatowski, 1785 until his death in 1794, King's brother, ex-bishop of Płock |
|
Grand crown marshal |
Franciszek Bieliński, 1742 until his death in 1766, Stanisław Lubomirsk i, 1766 until his death in 1783, ex-grand crown guard,Franciszek Rzewuski, 1783-1783 (quit the office), ex-court crown marshal, Michał Jerzy Mniszech, 1783-1793 (quit the office), ex-court marshal of Lithuania, Fryderyk Moszyński, 1793-1794, ex-grand secr etary of Lithuania |
|
1807 - 1815 The Grand Duchy of Warsaw |
|
|
President of the Senate |
Stanisław Małachowski, 1807 until his death in 1809, ex-Speaker of the Four-Year Sejm, ex-President of the Council of State and the Council of Minister s of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw,Ludwik Gutakowski, 1809 until his death in 1811, ex-President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, Tomasz Antoni Ostrowski, 1811-1815, ex-Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw |
|
1815 - 1831 The Congress Kingdom of Poland |
|
|
President of the Senate |
Tomasz Antoni Ostrowski, 1815 until his death in 1817, ex-President of the Senate of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, Stanisław Kostka Potocki, 1818 until his death in 1821, ex-President of the Council of State and the Council of Ministers of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw,Stanisław Zamoyski, 1822-1831, ex-senator of the Grand Duchy of Warsaw |
|
1922 - 1927 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Wojciech Trąmpczyński, barrister, ex-Speaker of the Legislative Sejm |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Jakub Bojko, school-teacher, ex-Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Sejm, father Antoni Stychel, ex-Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Sejm, Jan Woźnicki, teacher, ex-deputy to the Legislative Sejm |
|
1928 - 1930 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Julian Juliusz Szymański, medical professor at the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius, ex-Polish emigration activist in South America |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Hipolit Gliwic, economist, mining engineer, ex-Minister of Industry and Trade, Michał Hałuszczyński, retired secondary school teacher, president of the "Proświta" Ukrainian society in Lwów, Stanisław Posner, sociology professor at the State Teacher Training Institute in Warsaw, ex-adviser to the Ministry of Labour and Social Policy |
|
1930 - 1935 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Władysław Raczkiewicz, barrister, ex-Minister of the Interior |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Antoni Bogucki, barrister, Jakub Bojko, ex-Deputy Senate Speaker, Zygmunt Leszczyń ski, landlord, ex-member of the Council of State of the Kingdom of Poland |
|
1935 - 1938 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Aleksander Prystor, colonel, ex-Prime Minister |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Mikołaj Kwaśniewski, doctor, colonel, ex-voivod of Poznań, Wacław Makowski, l aw professor at Warsaw University, ex-Deputy Sejm Speaker,Kazimierz Świtalski, Ph.D. in philosophy, ex-Sejm Speaker, he resigned from a senator's seat in 1935, Jerzy Barański, specialist in pedagogy, ex-deputy to the Sejm, elected Deputy Senate Speaker to replace Świtalski on 12 December, 1935 |
|
1938 - 1939 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Bogusław Miedziński, colonel, ex-Deputy Sejm Speaker |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Stefan Dąbkowski, colonel, ex-commander of the Engineering Officer Cadet School in Warsaw, Alojzy Pawelec, doctor, ex-deputy to the Silesian Sejm, Błażej Stolarski, farmer, ex-Minister of Agriculture |
|
1989 - 1991 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Andrzej Stelmachowski, law professor at Warsaw University, ex-president of the Catholic Intelligentsia Club in Warsaw |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Zofia Kuratowska, medical professor at the Warsaw Medical Academy, Józef Ślisz, farmer, ex-president of the Individual Farmers' Solidarity Trade Union, Andrzej Wielowieyski, lawyer, economist |
|
1991 - 1993 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
August Chełkowski, physics professor at the Silesian University, ex-rector of the Silesian University |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Alicja Grześkowiak, law professor at Lublin Catholic University, senator of the 1st term Senate of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Czapski, economist, senator of the 1st term Senate of the Republic of Poland, Józef Ślisz, farmer, Deputy Senate Speaker of the 1st term Senate of the Republic of Poland |
|
1993 - 1997 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Adam Krzysztof Struzik, medical doctor, senator of the 2nd term Senate of the Republic of Poland |
|
Deputy Senate Speakers |
Zofia Kuratowska, medical professor at Medical Academy in Warsaw, senator of the 1st and 2nd term Senate of the Republic of Poland, Deputy Senate Speaker of the 1st term Senate Ryszard Czarny, professor at the Teacher Training College in Kielce, Stefan Stanisław Jurczak, mechanic, senator of the 2nd term Senate of the Republic of Poland, Grzegorz Kurczuk, lawyer, Ph.D. in political science |
|
1997 |
|
|
Senate Speaker |
Alicja Grześ kowiak, law professor at Lublin Catholic University, Deputy Senate Speaker of the 2nd term Senate, senator of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd terms |
|
Deputy Senate Speaker |
Andrzej Chronowski, metal founding engineer, senator of the 3rd term Senate of the Republic of Poland, Tadeusz Rzemykowski, economist, senator of the 3rd term Senate of the Republic of Poland, Donald Tusk, historian, politician, deputy to the 1st term Sejm. |
Jerzy Pietrzak, 1991
Later amended and supplemented.