Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski

Felicjan Sławoj Składkowski (9 June 1885, Gąbin - 31 August 1962 ) was a Polish physician, general and politician who served as Polish Minister of Internal Affairs and was the last Prime Minister of Poland before World War II.



Składkowski studied medicine at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków, graduating in 1911. He then worked as a physician in Sosnowiec. He fought in the Polish Legions in World War I and later in the Polish-Soviet War of 1919-1921. In 1924, as a Brigadier-General, he was appointed head of the Polish military health service by Józef Piłsudski.

After the May Coup of 1926, Składkowski served as Minister of the Interior, a post he held (with one short break) until June 1931. After that, he was appointed Deputy Minister of War.

On 13 May 1936 Składkowski became Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior. He was Poland's longest serving Prime Minister in the inter-war years, his cabinet lasting for 3 years and 4 months, until 30 September 1939. He was also the first Polish Protestant (he was himself Calvinist) to hold that position.

While serving as Prime Minister, he was appalled by the lack of sanitation in many of Poland's villages, and issued a decree that every household in Poland must have a latrine in working order. This prompted many village-dwellers to erect wooden sheds in their backyards for this purpose, which have been subsequently dubbed "slawojkis".

After the German invasion of Poland on 1 September 1939, he fled to Romania and was interned there. After the German occupation of Romania in 1940, he went to Turkey and thence to Palestine. In 1947, he went to London, where he died in 1962. He is buried in Brompton Cemetery, London.

Honours and awards
and many international awards.
 * Silver Cross of the Virtuti Militari
 * Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
 * Cross of Independence
 * Cross of Valour (three times)
 * Gold Cross of Merit
 * Academic Golden Laurel of the Polish Academy of Literature (1935)

Składkowski has received honorary citizenship of Czeladz and Gabin.