Kajetan Dzierżykraj-Morawski

Kajetan Dzierżykraj-Morawski
Kajetan Dzierżykraj-Morawski, before 1939
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office 10 May 1926 – 15 May 1926
Prime Minister	Wincenty Witos Kazimierz Bartel
Preceded by	Aleksander Skrzyński
Succeeded by	August Zaleski
Polish High Commissioner of Danzig
In office 1 October 1923 – 28 February 1924
Preceded by	Leon Pluciński
Succeeded by	Henryk Strasburger
Personal details
Born	(1892-04-19)19 April 1892 Jurkowo, German Empire (now Poland)
Died	2 November 1973(1973-11-02) (aged 81) Lailly-en-Val, France
Political party	Independent

Kajetan Dzierżykraj-Morawski (also known as Jan Chomęcki;[1] 19 April 1892 – 2 November 1973) was a Polish politician, diplomat, and journalist. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland and the "Polish High Commissioner of Danzig".[2]

Life and career

After Poland regained independence in 1918, Kajetan became the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Polish resident minister for the League of Nations, and became involved in various other governmental roles.[3] After the May Coup in 1926 he was forced to withdraw from politics until he was offered by Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski a position in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during World War II.[4][5] The war caused his evacuation first to Romania, then to Paris, and after the German occupation of Paris he evacuated to London. His ambadassor and diplomatic work for France earned the respect of Charles de Gaulle. Despite his withdrawal from diplomacy in Poland, he remained an active ambassador and helped Polish refugees (particularly in France).[5]

Kajetan is the great-grandson of Franciszek Morawski, as well as the cousin of politician Edward Dzierżykraj-Morawski and military commander Witold Dzierżykraj-Morawski.

Death

Kajetan lived out his life in the Polish veterans' care home in Lailly-en-Val near Beaugency and died on 2 November 1973 at the age of 81. He was buried in a cemetery in Lailly-en-Val along with other Polish veterans. Kajetan posthumously received the Order of the White Eagle (Poland) on 11 November 1996 for his duties in World War II.[6]

Awards and honours

Polish honours

• Order of the White Eagle (Poland) (11 November 1996, posthumously)[7]
• Order of Polonia Restituta
  • Officer's Cross (2 May 1923)[8]
  • Commander's Cross with Star (11 November 1937)[9]
• Medal of the Decade of Independence Regained[8]

Foreign honours

•  Kingdom of Romania
  • Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown (Romania)[8]
•  Yugoslavia:
  • Grand Officer of the Order of St. Sava[8]
•  Holy See:
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Sylvester[8]
•  France:
  • Commander of the Legion of Honour[8]
•  Belgium:
  • Commander of the Order of the Crown (Belgium)[8]
•  Kingdom of Italy:
  • Commander of the Order of the Crown of Italy[8]

References

1. "Popiersie Kajetana Morawskiego na wystawie | Józef Czapski" (in Polish). Retrieved 12 June 2021.
2. Majchrowski, Jacek (1994). Kto był kim w Drugiej Rzeczypospolitej (in Polish). Warsaw: BGW. ISBN 83-7066-569-1.
3. Latawski, Paul (1991). Reconstruction of Poland, 1914-23. Palgrave Macmillan UK. p. 193. ISBN 9781349221851.
4. "Kajetan Morawski". Lubimyczytać.pl. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
5. "Kajetan Dzierżykraj-Morawski – polityczny outsider". PolskieRadio.pl. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
6. "Dzierzykraj-Morawski, Kajetan - TracesOfWar.com". www.tracesofwar.com. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
7. "Postanowienie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej z dnia 11 listopada 1996 r. o nadaniu orderu". isap.sejm.gov.pl. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
8. Loza, Stanisław (1938). Czy wiesz kto to jest? (in Polish). Warsaw: Warszawa, Gtówna Ksiȩg. Wojskowa. p. 502.
9. "Zarządzenie o nadaniu Wielkiej Wstęgi Orderu Odrodzenia Polski, Krzyża Komandorskiego z Gwiazdą Orderu Odrodzenia Polski, Krzyża Komandorskiego Orderu Odrodzenia Polski, Krzyża Oficerskiego Orderu Odrodzenia Polski oraz Krzyża Kawalerskiego Orderu Odrodzenia Polski". isap.sejm.gov.pl. Retrieved 12 June 2021.

Further reading

• Gaulle, C.., & Morawski, K. (1960). Polska w pamiętnikach gen. de Gaulleá, 1944-1946: Wybór tekstów z przedmową Kajetana Morawskiego. (in Polish) Paris: Księgarnia Polska w Paryżu.