Maciej Rataj

Maciej Rataj studied at Lviv University. The recorded working language is Polish. The field of work recorded is opinion journalism and politics. Positions recorded include President of the Republic of Poland and Marshal of the Sejm. Distinctions recorded are Medal of Victory and Freedom 1945, Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 1st class, Cross of Independence with Swords and Cross of Liberty.

• Name — Maciej Rataj • Born — 19 February 1884 • Birthplace — Chłopy, near Lemberg, Austria-Hungary • Died — 21 June 1940 • Place of death — Palmiry, General Government • Office — Acting President of Poland • Term Start — 15 May • Term End — 4 June 1926 • Prime Minister — Kazimierz Bartel • Predecessor — Stanisław Wojciechowski • Successor — Ignacy Mościcki • Term Start2 — 16 December • Term End2 — 22 December 1922 • Prime Minister2 — Julian Nowak Władysław Sikorski • Predecessor2 — Gabriel Narutowicz • Successor2 — Stanisław Wojciechowski • Order3 — 2nd Marshal of the Sejm • Term Start3 — 23 November 1922 • Term End3 — 26 March 1928 • President3 — Józef Piłsudski (Chief of State) Gabriel Narutowicz Himself (acting) Stanisław Wojciechowski Himself (acting) Ignacy Mościcki • Prime Minister3 — Julian Nowak Władysław Sikorski Wincenty Witos Władysław Grabski Aleksander Skrzyński Wincenty Witos Kazimierz Bartel Józef Piłsudski • Predecessor3 — Wojciech Trąmpczyński • Successor3 — Ignacy Daszyński • Party — Polish People's Party "Piast" • Occupation — Politician • Resting Place — Palmiry • Alma Mater — University of Lwów Politicians

• Illustration — Rataj's grave Born in the village of Chłopy, near Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine), on 19 February 1884, he attended a gymnasium in Lwów and studied classical linguistics at the University of Lwów. Upon the completion of his studies, he became a gymnasium teacher first in Lwów, and later in Zamość. He became involved in politics after the Second Polish Republic gained independence following the First World War. He was a member of the Polish People's Party "Piast" political party, and, from 1931, a member of the People's Party. He became president of the Stronnictwo and the chief editor of the party's official paper, the "Zielony Sztandar" in 1935. From 1919 to 1930, and from 1934 to 1935, he was a member of parliament for the Sejm (Polish Parliament), and from 1922 to 1928 he was the Marshal of the Sejm. Between 1920 and 1921 he was the Minister of Religion and Public Education, and prior to this in 1919 he was deputy to the Constitutional Commission, which developed the March Constitution. He was President of Poland twice: first in December 1922, as Acting President of the Republic of Poland for one week, after the assassination of president Gabriel Narutowicz and again in May 1926, following Józef Piłsudski's May Coup and the resignation of president Stanisław Wojciechowski. His second term lasted half a month. On both occasions, he oversaw special elections and appointed new governments. In December 1939 he was arrested by Nazi Germany and executed in Palmiry during the German AB-Aktion operation in Poland. In 2018, at a ceremony held at the Royal Castle in Warsaw on the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining its independence, Polish President Andrzej Duda posthumously conferred the country's highest distinction, the Order of the White Eagle, upon 25 distinguished Poles including Rataj.

• Pamiętniki (Memoirs) (1965) • Wskazania obywatelskie i polityczne: Wybór pism i przemówień z lat 1919–1938 (1987) • Maciej Rataj o parlamentaryzmie, państwie demokratycznym i sanacji (1998)

Maciej Rataj is recorded with the occupation politician. Recorded as politician, writer, classical philologist and journalist.