Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 19:46, 31 May 2007

If a notable Pole is missing and without article, please add your request for a new article here.

The Polish people, who in 1930 had a world-wide population of some 22 million, experienced a major population surge in the 1960s and by 2005 had attained a world-wide population of over 53 million.

This is a partial list of famous Polish or Polish-speaking/writing persons. In the interest of fairness and accuracy, a minority of persons of mixed heritage have their respective ancestries credited.

Please add names to the various categories of this list in alphabetical order. The order of the Polish alphabet is:
a ą b c ć d e ę f g h i j k l ł m n ń o ó p r s ś t u w y z ź ż.

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items.

History

Gallus Anonymus, medieval monk, probably from Venice Szymon Askenazy Wojciech Bobowski, translation Michał Bobrzyński Jan Długosz, medieval historian of Poland Marceli Handelsman Paweł Jasienica Wincenty Kadłubek Józef Kasparek Hugo Kołłątaj Feliks Koneczny, Polish history, social philosophy Władysław Kozaczuk, military and military intelligence, World War II Marian Kukiel, military Joachim Lelewel, translation of Skaldic poetry to Polish Tadeusz Manteuffel, medievalist Teodor Narbutt, military engineering Adam Naruszewicz Szymon Okolski, theology, Polish heraldry Michael Alfred Peszke, Polish Armed Forces, World War II Władysław Tatarkiewicz, philosophy and esthetics Piotr S. Wandycz, Polish-American Richard Woytak, World War II Norbert Wójtowicz, theology

Science

Astronomy

Biology

File:Babinski15.jpg File:Ncybul.jpg File:Ludwik Hirszfeld.png Joseph Babiński, physician Edmund Biernacki, physician Czesław Bieżanko, entomologist Jan Czekanowski, anthropologist Adam Gruca, surgeon Stanisław Burzyński, physician Tytus Chałubiński, physician Napoleon Cybulski, neurophysiologist Maria Antonina Czaplicka, anthropologist Wiktor Dega, revolutionary surgeon August Dehnel, biologist Jozef Dietl, physician Jan Dzierżon, zoologist Władysław Taczanowski, zoologist Marian Gieszczykiewicz, physician Ryszard Gryglewski, physician Emil Godlewski, embryologist Ludwik Hirszfeld, microbiologist Feliks Paweł Jarocki, zoologist Walery Jaworski, physician Karol Marcinkowski, physician Zbigniew Kabata, biologist

Stefan Kopec, biologist Marek Kotański, psychologist Hilary Koprowski, biologist Wojciech Jastrzębowski, biologist Konstanty Jelski, ornithologist Jerzy Konorski, microbiologist Tadeusz Krwawicz, medical pioneer Ludwik Mlokosiewicz, botanist Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, biologist Andrew Paulukiewichz, biologist Zbigniew Religa, cardiologist Józef Rostafiński, biologist Andrzej Wiktor Schally, Nobel laureate enrocrinologist. Bolesław Skarżyński, biologist Eduard Adolf Strasburger (born in Poland, of German descent), botanist Jan Sztolcman, ornithologist Andrzej K. Tarkowski, embryologist Zbylut Twardowski, physician Rudolf Weigl, biologist Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska, physician

Chemistry

File:Casimir Funk.gif Józef Boguski Jan Czochralski Maria Skłodowska (Marie Curie; two Nobel Prizes) Tadeusz Estreicher Kazimierz Fajans Kazimierz Funk Antoni Grabowski Roald Safran (Nobel Prize, 1981) Adolf Joszt Sylwester Porowski Wiktor Kemula Stanisław Kostanecki Marek Gatty-Kostyal Ignacy Łukasiewicz, inventor of kerosene lamp.

File:C001swie.jpg Leon Marchlewski Ignacy Mościcki Marceli Nencki Karol Olszewski Tadeusz Reichstein Michał Sędziwój Edward Sucharda Jędrzej Śniadecki Wojciech Świętosławski Bohdan Szyszkowski Włodzimierz Trzebiatowski Józef Zawadzki

Engineering

Karol Adamiecki Krzysztof Arciszewski Mieczysław G. Bekker, first moon rover Stefan Bryła Romuald Cebertowicz, soil solidification Zdzisław Celiński Jerzy Dąbrowski, designer of PZL.37 Łoś bomber Kazimierz Gzowski Edward Jan Habich Jacek Jędruch Alfred Korzybski, mathematics Jerzy Bolesław Lewandowski, Mechanical, Industrial and Systems Engineering Ernest Malinowski Ralph Modjeski, bridges Henryk Magnuski

File:Kazimierz siemenowicz.jpg File:Tsiolkovsky.jpg Tytus Maksymilian Huber Walter Golaski Wojciech Rostafiński, NASA Kazimierz Siemienowicz, pioneer of rocketry Avraham Stern Tadeusz Tański Konstantin Tsiolkovski (Konstanty Ciołkowski), spaceflight pioneer Piotr Wilniewczyc, weponry Stanisław Wigura, aviation Henry Millicer, aviation Zygmunt Puławski, designer of PZL P.11 fighter

Economics

• Leszek Balcerowicz, implementer of 1990s "shock therapy."
• Władysław Grabski
• Michał Kalecki
• Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski
• Oskar Lange, PRL economy
• Jerzy Bolesław Lewandowski, III RP Economic Sciences
• Hilary Minc, PRL economy
• Sławomir Szwedowski

Invention

Bruno Abakanowicz, mathematician, engineer Stefan Drzewiecki Rudolf Gundlach, tank periscope Jozef Kosacki, mine detector Stefan Kudelski, Nagra audio recorders

File:Jan Szczepanik.jpg Jozef Piotrowski Kazimierz Proszyński, first cinematic camera Jan Szczepanik Tadeusz Sendzimir Józef Tykociński, sound film

Computer Science

Linguistics

Mathematics

File:Stefan Mazurkiewicz.jpeg Stefan Banach Tadeusz Banachiewicz Kazimierz Bartel Andrzej Białynicki-Birula Karol Borsuk Jacob Bronowski Jan Brożek Samuel Eilenberg Witold Hurewicz Henryk Iwaniec Zygmunt Janiszewski Stanisław Jaśkowski Mark Kac Stefan Kaczmarz Marek Karpinski, computer scientist Krystyna Kuperberg Kazimierz Kuratowski Bronisław Knaster Zdzisław Krygowski Kazimierz Kordylewski Robert Kowalski Franciszek Leja Stanisław Leśniewski Adolf Lindenbaum Stanisław Łojasiewicz Antoni Łomnicki Jerzy Łoś Jan Łukasiewicz Benoît Mandelbrot (born in Poland of Lithuanian-Jewish descent) Edward Marczewski Józef Marcinkiewicz Stefan Mazurkiewicz

File:Alfred Tarski.jpg File:AZygmund.jpg Stanisław Mazur Jan Mikusinski Andrzej Mostowski Jerzy Spława-Neyman Otton M. Nikodym Andrew Odlyzko Władysław Orlicz Józef H. Przytycki Helena Rasiowa Marian Rejewski Jerzy Różycki Stanisław Ruziewicz Czesław Ryll-Nardzewski Stanisław Saks Juliusz Schauder Wacław Sierpiński Roman Sikorski Piotr Smoleński, cryptographer Władysław Ślebodziński Jan Śniadecki Yulian Sokhotski Hugo Steinhaus Włodzimierz Stożek Alfred Tarski Stanisław Ulam, codesigner of hydrogen bomb with Edward Teller Tadeusz Ważewski Józef Hoëné-Wroński Kazimierz Zarankiewicz Stanisław Zaremba Kazimierz Żorawski Henryk Zygalski Antoni Zygmund

Physics

Czesław Białobrzeski Georges Charpak (Nobel Prize, 1995) Maria Skłodowska (Marie Curie; two Nobel Prizes) Jan Kazimierz Danysz Marian Danysz James Gimzewski Leopold Infeld Aleksander Jabłoński Theodor Kaluza Sylwester Kaliski Stanisław Mrozowski Władysław Natanson Georges Nomarski Jerzy Pniewski Wojciech Rubinowicz Marian Smoluchowski (father of kinetics) Witelo (medieval philosopher and scientist, specialist in optics) Mieczysław Wolfke (Polish scientist, partially of German descent) Stanisław Lech Woronowicz Zygmunt Wróblewski Wojciech H. Zurek

Social sciences

Other sciences

Henryk Arctowski, explorer Piotr Ignacy Bieńkowski, scholar, archaeologist, professor Karol J. Bobko, NASA astronaut Gerard Ciołek, architect and historian of gardens Kazimierz Dąbrowski, psychologist Ignacy Domeyko, Polish geologist Mirosław Hermaszewski, the first Polish astronaut Henryk Jordan, founding father of physical education Antoni Kępiński, psychiatrist Janusz Korczak, pedagogist Józef Kostrzewski, archeologist, museologist Henryk Lipszyc, specialist in Japanese culture, translator, embassador of Poland in Tokyo Rosa Luxemburg, Marxist political theorist, socialist philosopher, and revolutionary Kazimierz Michałowski, archaeologist Karol Myśliwiec, archaeologist Scott E. Parazynski, NASA astronaut James A. Pawelczyk, NASA astronaut Michael Alfred Peszke, psychiatrist Jan Potocki, linguist, Egyptologist, sociologist Józef Rotblat (Nobel Peace Prize, 1995) Stefan Starzyński, economist Antoni Józef Śmieszek, Egyptologist Stanisław of Skarbimierz, political scientist Tadeusz Sulimirski, archeologist Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, explorer Paweł Śpiewak, Professor of Sociology, politician Paweł Włodkowic, scholar and lawyer

File:Karol Bobko.jpg

Music

see also: List of Polish composers

File:Komeda, Krzysztof.jpg Grażyna Bacewicz, composer Edyta Bartosiewicz, singer Fryderyk Chopin, (French father of distant Polish heritage, Polish mother), composer Krzysztof Czerwinski, conductor and organist Adam Darski, singer-songwriter Krzesimir Dębski, composer Andrzej Dobrowolski, composer Urszula Dudziak, singer Mikołaj Gomołka, composer Henryk Górecki, composer Edyta Górniak, singer Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki, composer Mieczyslaw Horszowski, pianist Anna Jantar, singer Adam Jarzębski, composer Reni Jusis, singer Jan A. P. Kaczmarek, film composer (Oscar prize) Bronisław Kaper, film composer Mieczysław Karłowicz, composer Kayah, singer Stefan Kisielewski, composer, writer Wojciech Kilar, composer Krzysztof Komeda, jazz composer Kasia Kowalska, singer Gene Krupa, jazz drummer Natalia Kukulska, singer Theodor Kullak, composer Karol Kurpiński, composer Wanda Landowska, harpsichordist Teodor Leszetycki, pianist, pedagogue Franciszek Lilius, composer Karol Lipiński, composer Witold Lutosławski, composer Carl Mikuli, composer Maciek Miernik, producer Marcin Mielczewski, composer Moritz Moszkowski, composer Stanisław Moniuszko, composer

File:Karolszymanowski.jpg Leszek Możdżer, pianist and composer Czesław Niemen, composer, singer-songwriter Michał Kleofas Ogiński, composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski, pianist, composer Andrzej Panufnik, composer Krzysztof Penderecki, composer Bartłomiej Pękiel, composer Piotr Półtorak, guitarist Zbigniew Preisner, composer Zbigniew Robert Promiński, drummer and percussionist Krzysztof Raczkowski, drummer and percussionist Mikołaj z Radomia, Middle Ages composer Maryla Rodowicz, singer Piotr Rubik, composer Arthur Rubinstein, pianist Bogusław Schaeffer, composer Xaver Scharwenka, composer Kazimierz Serocki, composer Tomasz Stańko, jazz trumpeter Zygmunt Stojowski, composer Leopold Stokowski, conductor Wacław z Szamotuł, composer Władysław Szpilman, pianist Patryk Dominik Sztyber, guitarist and vocalist Karol Szymanowski, composer (Polish father, Swedish mother) Paweł Szymański, composer Barbara Trzetrzelewska, singer Andrzej Wasowski, pianist Henryk Wieniawski, composer Piotr Wiwczarek, guitarist and vocalist Tomasz Wróblewski, bassist, guitarist, and vocalist Mikołaj Zieleński, composer Krystian Zimerman, pianist

Literature

See also: List of Polish writers

Agnieszka Lipska Baranowska, author Joseph Conrad (Teodor Józef Korzeniowski), English writer Lucyna Ćwierczakiewiczowa, the first Polish cook book author Maria Dąbrowska, novelist Johannes Dantiscus (Jan Dantyszek), Latin poet and Prince-Bishop of Warmia Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz, novelist Jacek Dukaj, science-fiction writer Adolf Dygasiński, novelist Aleksander Fredro, humorist, artist Janusz Głowacki, play-writer, non-fiction writer Witold Gombrowicz, novelist and drama writer Rene Goscinny, cartoonist Stefan Grabiński, horror writer Marek Hłasko, writer Paweł Huelle, essayist Wincenty Kadłubek political scientist, writer Ryszard Kapuściński, writer and journalist Tadeusz Konwicki Jerzy Kosiński Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, author and resistance fighter Ignacy Krasicki, author of Fables and Parables and of the first Polish novel Józef Ignacy Kraszewski, writer Stanisław Lem, science-fiction writer, essayist, philosopher Stanisław Lubieniecki writer, astronomer Józef Mackiewicz, writer, journalist Andrzej Majewski, aphorist, writer, poet Eliza Orzeszkowa, Positivist writer Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, writer Jan Chryzostom Pasek (memoirist) Sergiusz Piasecki, writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz, screenwriter and politician Jan Potocki (author of The Manuscript Found in Saragossa). Bolesław Prus — journalist; novelist, author of The Doll and Pharaoh. Ksawery Pruszyński, non-fiction writer Władysław Reymont, writer, Nobel Prize in Literature (1924) Maria Rodziewiczówna, novelist Andrzej Sapkowski, fantasy writer Joanna Siedlecka, non-fiction writer Henryk Sienkiewicz, writer, Nobel Prize in Literature (1905) Isaac Bashevis Singer, writer, Nobel Prize in Literature (1966). Piotr Skarga, poet, writer, humanist Robert Stiller, polyglot, writer, poet, translator, editor Jędrzej Śniadecki, terminologist, writer Olga Tokarczuk, Polish-Ukrainian writer Melchior Wańkowicz, non-fiction writer, author of book on Battle of Monte Cassino Lucjan Wolanowski, writer, journalist, and traveller Stanisław Wyspiański, painter and writer Rafał A. Ziemkiewicz, writer Franciszek Zabłocki, comic dramatist and satirist Janusz A. Zajdel, science-fiction writer Gabriela Zapolska, novelist Roger Zelazny (Żelazny), American writer of fantasy and science fiction, son of a Pole Aleksandra Ziolkowska-Boehm, non-fiction writer Stefan Żeromski, novelist Eugeniusz Żytomirski, novelist

File:Joseph Conrad.jpg File:Jozef Ignacy Kraszewski.jpg

Poetry

See also: List of Polish poets.

File:Galczynski.jpg Adam Asnyk, Positivism Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński Władysław Broniewski Jan Brzechwa Andrzej Bursa Piotr Czerniawski Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński Marian Hemar Zbigniew Herbert Kazimiera Iłłakowiczówna Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz Jan Kasprowicz, translation Jan Kochanowski Ignacy Krasicki, Fables and Parables Zygmunt Krasiński Stanisław Jerzy Lec Jan Lechoń Bolesław Leśmian Ewa Lipska Adam Mickiewicz Grazyna Miller, translation Czesław Miłosz, Nobel Prize in Literature (1980) Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, humanism Adam Naruszewicz, translation, history

Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz, independence activist Cyprian Kamil Norwid Agnieszka Osiecka Halina Poświatowska Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer Jeremi Przybora, songs Julian Przyboś Mikołaj Rej Tadeusz Różewicz Antoni Słonimski Juliusz Słowacki Edward Stachura Anatol Stern Leopold Staff Wisława Szymborska, Nobel Prize in Literature (1996) Julian Tuwim Jan Twardowski Richard (Ryszard) Tylman Kornel Ujejski Aleksander Wat Kazimierz Wierzyński Rafał Wojaczek Piotr Zbylitowski

Philosophy

Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz Zygmunt Bauman Józef Maria Bocheński Leon Chwistek August Cieszkowski Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki Josef Hoëné-Wroński Roman Ingarden Stanisław Jaśkowski Leszek Kołakowski

Tadeusz Kotarbiński File:Wladyslaw Tatarkiewicz.jpg Hugo Kołłątaj Karol Libelt Stanisław Staszic Maria Szyszkowska Alfred Tarski Władysław Tatarkiewicz Józef Tischner Kazimierz Twardowski

Fine arts

see also: List of Polish artists and painters

File:Jozef Chelmonski Autoportret.JPG File:Kobro.jpg File:Wojciech Kossak.jpg Magdalena Abakanowicz, sculptor Paweł Althamer Tomasz Bagiński, painter, animator, computer graphics Mirosław Bałka Krzysztof Bednarski, sculptor Zdzisław Beksiński, painter Christian Boltanski Olga Boznańska, painter Józef Brandt, painter Józef Marian Chełmoński, painter Tytus Czyżewski, painter, poet, art critic Jacenty Dędek, photographer Zbigniew Dłubak, painter Andrzej Dłużniewski Jerzy Duda-Gracz, painter, cartoonist, stage designer Xawery Dunikowski, sculptor Wojciech Fangor, painter Julian Fałat, painter Wojciech Gerson, painter Stefan Gierowski, painter Aleksander Gierymski, painter, brother of Maksymilian Gierymski Maksymilian Gierymski, painter Zygmunt Gorgolewski, architect Artur Grottger, painter, illustrator Władysław Hasior, sculptor, painter, stage designer Janosch, German illustrator and writer, born in what is now Zabrze Tadeusz Kantor, (1915-1990) painter, theatre director Katarzyna Kobro, sculptor Jerzy Kossak, painter Juliusz Kossak, painter, illustrator Wojciech Kossak, painter Katarzyna Kozyra, video artist Nikifor Krynicki, painter Zofia Kulik, performer Tamara de Lempicka, painter

File:MalczewskiJacek.1892.AutoportretZPaleta.jpg Zbigniew Lengren, cartoonist and illustrator. Daniel Libeskind, architect Zbigniew Libera Jacek Malczewski, painter Jan Matejko, painter Piotr Michałowski, painter Teresa Murak, sculptor Jan Piotr Norblin Jerzy Nowosielski, painter Rafał Olbiński, illustrator, painter Roman Opałka, painter Aleksander Orłowski, painter Józef Pankiewicz, painter, graphic artist Władysław Podkowiński, painter and illustrator Joanna Rajkowska Ferdynand Ruszczyc, painter, graphic artist, cartoonist, stage designer Henryk Rodakowski, painter Wilhelm Sasnal, painter Jan Sawka, cartoonist Wit Stwosz, medieval sculptor Henryk Stażewski, painter Władysław Strzemiński, painter Józef Szajna, sculptor, stage designer, theatre director Richard (Ryszard) Tylman, painter Max Weber, painter Jan de Weryha-Wysoczański, sculptor Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz, painter Leon Wyczółkowski, painter Stanisław Wyspiański, painter Jan Zamoyski, painter Korczak Ziółkowski, designer and sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial Artur Żmijewski

Entertainment

• Piotr Adamczyk, actor
• Piotr Andrejew, film director
• Michael Anthony (Sobolewski), Van Halen band
• Józef Arkusz, film director
• Tomasz Bagiński, BAFTA Award winning short animated movies maker, nominated to Academy Award
• Andrzej Bartkowiak, cinematographer, director and actor.
• Eugeniusz Bodo, singer and actor
• Ewa Braun, Academy Award winning set decorator, costume designer, production designer
• Zbigniew Cybulski, actor
• Ewa Demarczyk, actress, poetry singer
• Dagmara Dominczyk, actress
• Paweł Edelman, cinematographer, European Film Award winner.
• Katarzyna Figura, actress
• Aleksander Ford, director
• Małgorzata Foremniak, actress, starred in Avalon
• Piotr Fronczewski, actor and singer
• Sir John Gielgud, English theatre and film actor of Polish father from szlachta
• Samuel Goldwyn, legendary film producer
• Jerzy Grotowski, theatre reformer
• Agnieszka Holland, film director, nominated to Academy Awards and BAFTA Award
• Adam Hanuszkiewicz, actor
• Gustaw Holoubek, actor
• Sławomir Idziak, cinematagrapher, nominated to Oscar
• Krystyna Janda, actress
• Kalina Jędrusik, actress
• Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Academy Award winning composer, nominated to BAFTA Award
• Jane Kaczmarek, American actress of Polish parents
• Jacek Kaczmarski, protest songwriter and singer
• Janusz Kaminski, two Oscars and BAFTA Award winning cinematographer and film director
• Bronislau Kaper, Academy Award winning composer
• Krzysztof Kieślowski, film director, nominated to Academy Awards
• Bogumił Kobiela, actor
• Jane Krakowski, American actress born into a Polish family
• Kazimierz Kutz, film director
• Martin Kunert(born Marcin Kunert-Dziewanowski) - writer/director
• Bogusław Linda, actor
• Tadeusz Łomnicki, actor
• Rudolph Maté, accomplished cinematographer and film director, nominated for 5 Oscars
• Helena Modjeska/Modrzejewska, actress (born Helena Opid)
• Pola Negri, actress
• Wacław Niżyński (Vaslav Nijinsky), ballet dancer and choreographer
• Karen O (Orzołek), the lead vocalist for the New York art punk band Yeah Yeah Yeahs
• Daniel Olbrychski, actor
• Jerzy Owsiak, broadcaster
• Joanna Pacuła, actress
• Ludwika Paleta, Polish-Mexican actress
• Cezary Pazura, actor
• Roman Polański, award winning film director educated in Poland
• Jeremi Przybora
• Wojciech Pszoniak, actor of Comedie Francaise
• Krzysztof Ptak, cinematographer
• Zbigniew Rybczynski, Oscar and Emmy Award winning filmmaker
• Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor of Polish father from szlachta
• Lew Rywin, film producer and criminal
• Izabella Scorupco, Polish-born Hollywood-actress and singer.
• Andrzej Seweryn, actor of Comédie Française
• Jerzy Skolimowski, film director
• Przemysław Skwirczyński, cinematographer
• Piotr Sobocinski, cinematographer
• Ladislas Starevich properly: Władysław Starewicz, film director, stop-motion animator
• Allan Starski, Oscar winning production designer, art director, set designer
• Leopold Stokowski, Academy Award winning composer
• Jerzy Stuhr, actor, film director
• Gloria Swanson, Hollywood actress of Polish origin on maternal side
• Loretta Swit,Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.
• Piotr Tokarski, actor
• Andrzej Wajda, Academy Award, Golden Palm, BAFTA Award, Silver Berlin Bear, César Award and Golden Lion winning film director
• The Warner Brothers
• Jerzy Wasowski
• Samuel "Billy" Wilder, six Oscars winning film director, screenwriter and producer
• Lilliana Wilczkowsky, actress
• Dariusz Wolski, cinematographer
• Krzysztof Zanussi, film director.
• Andrzej Żuławski, film director

Business

• Hipolit Cegielski
• Franciszek Czapek (Patek's partner in Patek, Czapek & Co.).
• Max Factor, Sr., businessman and cosmetician
• Andrew Filipowski, technology entrepreneur
• Nathan Handwerker
• Barbara Piasecka Johnson, humanitarian, philantropist, widow of J. Seward Johnson, Sr.
• Franciszek Jerzy Kulczycki, legendary merchant, spy, diplomat, opened the first café in Vienna in 1683
• Jan Kulczyk, one of the richest Poles
• Michael Marks, one of the two co-founders of the retail chain Marks and Spencer
• Antoni Patek (co-founder of watchmakers Patek Philippe & Co.).
• Izrael Poznański, philanthropist, textile magnate
• Helena Rubinstein, cosmetics industrialist
• Martha Stewart (Kostyra; business magnate, author, editor, homemaking advocate of Polish parentage).
• Ziggy Switkowski, the former Chief Executive Officer of Telstra

Sports

see also: list of Polish sports players

Athletics (track and field)

Boxing

• Tomasz Adamek
• Aleksy Antkiewicz
• Charley Goldman (International Boxing Hall of fame)
• Andrzej Gołota
• Dariusz Michalczewski
• Jerzy Rybicki
• Jan Szczepański
• Paul Slowinski

Chess

Fencing

• Zbigniew Czajkowski
• Egon Franke
• Sylwia Gruchała
• Roman Kantor
• Edward Korfanty
• Jerzy Pawłowski

Ice hockey

• Mariusz Czerkawski
• Krzysztof Oliwa
• Wojtek Wolski

Skiing

• Bronisław Czech
• Wojciech Fortuna, ski jumper
• Adam Małysz, ski jumper
• Stanisław Marusarz, ski jumper

Football

Swimming

• Otylia Jędrzejczak
• Bartosz Kizierowski
• Michael Klim
• Paweł Korzeniowski
• Rafał Szukała
• Artur Wojdat

Weightlifting

• Waldemar Baszanowski
• Mieczysław Nowak
• Agata Wróbel
• Marian Zieliński

Sports (Other)

Royalty

• Mieszko I, first Duke of Poland.
• Świętosława (Gunhild), daughter of Mieszko I of Poland, mother of Canute the Great, King of England, Denmark and Norway.
• Bolesław I the Brave, first King of Poland.
• Mieszko II Lambert, second King of Poland.
• Casimir I the Restorer, duke of Poland.
• Bolesław II the Bold, third King of Poland.
• Bolesław III Wrymouth, duke of Poland.
• Henry I the Bearded, senior duke of Poland, duke of Silesia.
• Henryk II the Pious, senior duke of Poland, commander of Polish forces in the Battle of Legnica (1241).
• Władysław I the Elbow-high, King of Poland.
• Casimir III the Great, Piast Dynasty last King of Poland.
• Jadwiga Angevin, King and Queen of Poland.
• Władysław II Jagiełło, Lithuanian, King of Poland, victor at the Battle of Grunwald (1410).
• Władysław III of Varna (Ulászló I), King of Poland and Hungary, killed at the Battle of Varna (1444).
• Casimir IV Jagiellon, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania, victor in the Thirteen Years' War (1454-1466).
• Sigismund I the Old, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
• Roxelana (Khourrem, wife of Suleiman the Magnificent).
• Sigismund II Augustus, Jagiello Dynasty last King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• Stefan Batory, Hungarian-born King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• Sigismund III Vasa, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and King of Sweden.
• Władysław IV Vasa, elected Tsar of Russia, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• John II Casimir Vasa, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, victor at the Battle of Beresteczko (1651).
• Jan III Sobieski, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, victor at the Battle of Vienna (1683).
• Catherine I (Marta Skowrońska), second wife of Russian Tsar Peter the Great, and Empress of Russia (1725-27).
• Stanisław Leszczyński, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Duke of Lorraine.
• Maria Leszczyńska, consort of Louis XV, King of France.
• Stanisław August Poniatowski, last King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, co-author of the Constitution of May 3, 1791.

Nobility (szlachta)

see: List of szlachta

Military

• Władysław Anders, general, military commander during the Battle of Monte Cassino (1944)
• Józef Bem, military commander, commander-in-chief of Hungarian army (1849)
• Jan Karol Chodkiewicz, military commander, victor from Kircholm (1605)
• Michał Czajkowski (Sadyk Pasha), (1804-1886), Polish-Ukrainian commander-in-chief of an Ottoman Cossack Brigade during the Crimean War (1853-1856)
• Jerzy Pajaczkowski-Dydynski, (1894-2005), 111, - Polish soldier of World War I and of the 1920-1921 Polish War against Soviet Russia. He was the oldest man in the UK at the time of his death.
• Henryk Dąbrowski, general, military commander during the Napoleonic Wars
• Jarosław Dąbrowski, military commander during the January Uprising (1863), and the Paris Commune (1871)
• Henryk Dembiński, military commander in the November Uprising and the Hungarian uprising of 1849
• Józef Haller, politician, commander of the Polish Army in France during World War I
• Jan Nowak-Jezioranski, (1913-2005) - Polish journalist and WWII hero
• Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski, general, founder of the resistance movement "Polish Victory Service" (27 September 1939)
• Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, general, commander of the Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising (1944)
• Tadeusz Kościuszko, (born in modern day Belarus) Polish and American commander and revolutionist.
• Wladimir Krzyzanowski Polish general on the Union side during the American Civil War
• Marian Kukiel, general, military commander, historian
• Aleksander Lisowski, commander of Lisowczycy (17th c.)
• Stanisław Maczek, (1892-1994), commander of the Polish Armoured Division, later C-i-C of the Polish forces in exile after WWII
• Leopold Okulicki, general, last commander-in-chief of the Home Army
• Józef Poniatowski, prince, Polish general and marshal of France
• Kazimierz Pułaski (Cassimir Pulaski), Polish and American military commander
• Hyman G. Rickover, U.S. Navy Admiral, Father of the Nuclear Navy
• Konstantin Rokossovsky, (born Konstanty Rokossowski) Marshall of the Soviet Union and Polish defense minister, communist
• Stefan Rowecki, general, military commander, commander-in-chief of the Home Army
• John Shalikashvili, retired general of the United States Army
• Władysław Sikorski, general, commander-in-chief of the Polish Armed Forces and Prime Minister of Poland (1939-1943)
• Piotr Skuratowicz, General of the Polish Army
• Stanisław Sosabowski, commander of the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade, which saw action at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden (1944)
• Kazimierz Sosnkowski, general, Commander-in-Chief of Polish Armed Forces (1943-1944)
• Edward Rydz-Śmigły, marshal, military commander, successful in the Polish-Bolshevik war, C-i-C of the Polish Army in the September Campaign
• Piotr Wysocki, led the November Uprising (1830)
• Stanisław Żółkiewski, chancellor of Poland, military commander, conqueror of Moscow (1610)
• Janusz Żurakowski, WWII fighter pilot and Avro Arrow test pilot

Politics

• Tomasz Arciszewski, first Prime Minister of Poland in exile (1944-1947)
• Kazimierz Feliks Badeni, count, Minister-President of Austria (1895-1897)
• Marek Belka, former director of economic policy in the interim coalition administration of Iraq & Prime Minister
• Bolesław Bierut, leader of communist Poland (1948-1956)
• Michał Bobrzyński, Governor of Galicia (1908-1913)
• Zbigniew Brzeziński , political scientist, advisor to US President Jimmy Carter.
• Józef Cyrankiewicz, Prime Minister of communistic Poland (1947-1952 and 1954-1970)
• Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, prince, statesman, Prime Minister (1830-1831)
• Ignacy Daszyński, Prime Minister of the Temporary People’s Government of the Republic of Poland (1918)
• Roman Dmowski, nationalist politician, statesman
• Feliks Dzierżyński, the founder of the Bolshevik secret police, the Cheka
• Jaś Gawroński, Italian politician
• Edward Gierek, leader of communist Poland (1970-1980)
• Władysław Gomułka, leader of communist Poland (1956-1970)
• Piotr Jaroszewicz, Prime Minister of communistic Poland (1970-1980)
• Wojciech Jaruzelski, last leader of communist Poland (1981-1989), first President of III RP (1989-1990)
• Ryszard Kaczorowski, sixth and last President of Poland in exile (1989-1990)
• Jarosław Kaczyński, identical twin brother of Lech, leader of the Law and Justice party, Prime Minister of Poland (since 2006)
• Lech Kaczyński, fourth President of III RP (since 2005)
• Wojciech Korfanty, leader of Silesians during the Third Silesian Uprising
• Janusz Korwin-Mikke, free market activist, economist
• Stanisław Kosior, Soviet politician
• Jan Kucharzewski first Prime Minister of Kingdom of Poland (1917-1918),
• Pedro Pablo Kuczynski - Prime Minister of Peru
• Aleksander Kwaśniewski, third President of III RP (1995-2005)
• Julian Marchlewski, Soviet politician
• Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, Prime Minister of Poland (2005-2006)
• Tadeusz Mazowiecki, politician, first Prime Minister of III RP (Poland)
• Stanislaw Mikołajczyk, Prime Minister of Poland (1943-1944), politician of the agrarian party
• Jędrzej Moraczewski, first Prime Minister of II RP (1918-1919)
• Ignacy Mościcki, third President of II RP (1926-1939)
• Lewis Bernstein Namier, British politician and historian
• Gabriel Narutowicz, first President of II RP (1922)
• Marian P. Opala, Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme Court
• Stanisław Ostrowski, third President of Poland in exile (1972-1979)
• Ignacy Paderewski, second Prime Minister of II RP (1919)
• Józef Piłsudski, statesman, politician and Marshal of Poland
• Michel Poniatowski, prince, French politician
• Alfred Józef Potocki, count, Minister-President of Austria (1870-1871)
• Władysław Raczkiewicz, first President of Poland in exile (1939-1947)
• Edward Raczyński, fourth President of Poland in exile (1979-1986)
• Antoni Radziwiłł, prince, the Duke-Governor of Grand Duchy of Posen (Poznań) (1815-1831)
• Dan Rostenkowski, American politician
• Kazimierz Sabbat, fifth President of Poland in exile (1986-1989)
• Jacek Saryusz-Wolski, vice-president of European Parliament (2004-2007)
• Władysław Sikorski, general, Prime Minister of Poland (1939-1943)
• Anatoly Sobczak, first post-Soviet mayor of St Petersburg
• Lech Wałęsa, trade unionist who started dismantling of the Soviet bloc, second President of III RP (1990-1995)
• Ludwik Waryński, socialist activist in 19th c.
• Roy Welensky, Prime Minister of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
• Edward Werner, (born in Poland to parents of German origin) vice-Minister of Finance, and Polish diplomat during World War II
• Alexander Wielopolski, count, Marquis of Gonzaga, statesman
• Wincenty Witos, politician of the agrarian party
• Stanisław Wojciechowski, second President of II RP (1922-1926)
• August Zaleski, second President of Poland in exile (1947-1972)

Diplomats

• Władysław Bartoszewski, foreign affairs minister of III RP (1995 and 2000-2001)
• Józef Beck, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1932-1939)
• Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, foreign affairs minister of III RP (2001-2005)
• Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, prince, foreign affairs minister of the Russian Empire (1804-1806)
• Władysław Czartoryski, prince, the main diplomatic agent of the National Government (1863-1864)
• Roman Dmowski, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1923)
• Bronisław Geremek, foreign affairs minister of III RP (1997-2000)
• Agenor Count Gołuchowski, foreign affairs minister of Austria-Hungary (1895-1906)
• Krzysztof Grzymułtowski, diplomat and voivod of Poznań, author of the Eternal Peace Treaty with Russia (1686)
• Julian Klaczko, Polish-Austrian diplomat
• Stefan Meller, foreign affairs minister of III RP (2005-2006)
• Andrzej Olechowski, foreign affairs minister of III RP (1993-1995)
• Ignacy Paderewski, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1919)
• Adam Rapacki, foreign affairs minister of communist Poland (1956-1968)
• Joseph Retinger, Polish-Austrian-Mexican-British political adviser
• Dariusz Rosati, foreign affairs minister of III RP (1995-1997)
• Adam Daniel Rotfeld, foreign affairs minister of III RP (2005)
• Aleksander Skrzyński, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1922-1923 and 1924-1926)
• Krzysztof Skubiszewski, first foreign affairs minister of III RP (1989-1993)
• Alexandre Joseph Count Colonna-Walewski, French foreign affairs minister
• August Zaleski, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1926-1932)
• Maurycy Klemens Zamoyski, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1924)
• Josef Zieleniec, Czech foreign affairs minister

Spies

• Roman Czerniawski, Captain
• Jan Kowalewski, Colonel
• Andrzej Kowerski, Lieutenant and SOE agent
• Ryszard Kukliński, Colonel, CIA masterspy during the Cold War
• Kazimierz Leski, Captain
• Jerzy Pawłowski, Major
• Krystyna Skarbek, British SOE heroine of WW II
• Halina Szymańska, British spy of WW II
• Marian Zacharski, Colonel

Holocaust resistors

• Mordechaj Anielewicz, Military Leader of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943)
• Icchak Cukierman
• Marek Edelman
• Jan Karski
• Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, co-founder of Żegota
• Wanda Krahelska-Filipowicz, Provisional Committee for Aid to Jews
• Witold Pilecki
• Irena Sendler
• Henryk Sławik, Polish politician and diplomat in Hungary

Religion

• Baal Shem Tov.
• Szymon Budny.
• St. Casimir Jagiellon (grandson of King Władysław II Jagiełło).
• St. Adam (Albert) Chmielowski.
• August Czartoryski (beatified Prince).
• Edmund Cardinal Dalbor (Primate of Poland, 1915-26).
• Albin Cardinal Dunajewski (Bishop of Kraków, 1879-94).
• Stanisław Cardinal Dziwisz (Archbishop of Kraków since 2005).
• Jacob Frank (Jewish messianic leader who merged Judaism and Christianity).
• Piotr z Goniądza (religious writer).
• Piotr Gamrat (Primate of Poland, 1541-45).
• Józef Cardinal Glemp (Primate of Poland, 1981-2007).
• St. Hedwig (Queen of Poland, 1384-99).
• August Cardinal Hlond (Primate of Poland, 1926-48).
• Stanislaus Hosius (legate to Poland, Cardinal and Prince-Bishop of Warmia).
• St. Hyacinth (Dominican).
• Marian Cardinal Jaworski (Polish Roman-Catholic Archbishop of Lvov, since 1991).
• Zbigniew Cardinal Oleśnicki (Bishop of Kraków, statesman).
• Aleksander Cardinal Kakowski (Archbishop of Warsaw).
• St. Raphael Kalinowski (Carmelite).
• St. Jan Kanty (professor at Kraków University).
• St. Maksymilian Maria Kolbe (Franciscan martyr, Auschwitz 1941).
• Hugo Kołłątaj (priest, statesman).
• St. Stanisław Kostka (Jesuit).
• St. Faustyna Kowalska (Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy).
• Ignacy Krasicki (Primate of Poland).
• Adam Stanisław Krasiński (Bishop of Kamieniec Podolski, 1757-98).
• John Cardinal Krol (Archbishop of Philadelphia, 1961-88).
• Mieczysław Cardinal Ledóchowski (Primate of Poland, 1866-86).
• Jan Łaski (Primate of Poland, 1510-31).
• Franciszek Cardinal Macharski (Archbishop of Kraków, 1978-2005).
• Walenty Potocki (Count; converted to Judaism as Avrohom ben Avrohom, the Ger Tzedek of Vilna; died 1749).
• Jan Cardinal Puzyna (Bishop of Kraków, 1895-1911).
• Jerzy Cardinal Radziwiłł (Bishop of Kraków, 1591-1600).
• St. Stanislaus of Szczepanów (Bishop of Kraków, martyr 1079).
• Adam Stefan Cardinal Sapieha (Bishop/Archbishop of Kraków, 1911-51).
• Piotr Skarga (Jesuit).
• Kajetan Sołtyk (Bishop of Kiev, 1756-59; Bishop of Kraków, 1759-88).
• Edmund Cardinal Szoka (Archbishop of Detroit, 1981-90).
• Mikołaj Trąba (Archbishop of Gniezno, first Primate of Poland, 1418-22).
• Jakub Uchański (Primate of Poland, 1562-81; Interrex, 1572-73 and 1574-75).
• Piotr Wawrzyniak (priest and economist).
• Karol Józef Wojtyła (Pope John Paul II, 1978-2005).
• Stefan Cardinal Wyszyński (Primate of Poland, 1948-81).
• Reverend Monsignor (Wawrzyniec) Lawrence Wnuk (Protonotary Apostolic).

Other

• George Adamski, controversial ufologist
• Benedykt Polak (Bendict the Pole, Benedictus Polonus), explorer
• Piotr Bikont, journalist
• Florian Ceynowa, Kashubian activist
• Franciszek Czapek, watchmaker
• Michał Drzymała
• Gaspar da Gama, traveller, interpreter, explorer
• Piotr Gawryś, contract bridge champion
• Wincenty Gostkowski, watchmaker
• Piotr Iwanicki, wheelchair dancing world champion
• Marek Kamiński, adventure traveller
• Piotr Naszarkowski, engraver
• Anthony Radziwill, U.S. news journalist/producer (nephew of John F. Kennedy)
• Włodzimierz Waloc Trubecki, prince
• Arkadiusz Weremczuk a.k.a. Arkadius (Ukrainian-Polish) fashion designer
• Warren Winiarski, California winemaker
• Magdalena Wróbel, top model
• Wilfrid Michael Voynich, bibliophile

Criminals

• Ignacy Hryniewiecki, assassin of Tsar Alexander II of Russia
• Severin Antoniovich Klosowski, Jack the Ripper suspect
• Julian Koltun, serial killer
• "Gruby" Janek, mobster
• Zdzisław Marchwicki, serial killer
• Władysław Mazurkiewicz, serial killer
• Stanisław Modzelewski, serial killer
• Eligiusz Niewiadomski, assassin of Polish President Gabriel Narutowicz, modernist painter and art critic
• Leszek Pękalski, serial killer
• Piotr Shabelsky-Bork, assassin
• Łucjan Staniak, serial killer - dubbed "The Red Spider" and "The Red Ripper"
• Hymie Weiss (Wojciechowski), Chicago mobster and rival of Al Capone, born into a Polish family

Controversial figures

• Paul Falkowski, gay rights activist
• Krzysztof Kononowicz, mayoral candidate for the city of Białystok
• father Tadeusz Rydzyk, infamous priest

Heroes and Freedom fighters

• Tadeusz Kościuszko
• Ordon
• Emilia Plater
• Józef Sowiński
• Jan Henryk Dąbrowski

Legendary persons

• John of Kolno (Jan z Kolna, Johannes Scolnus or Scolvus), (semi-legendary explorer and discoverer of America before Columbus (1476)
• Twardowski (semi-legendary Faust-like sorcerer, in Polish legends first man on the Moon)
• Janek Wiśniewski Freedom fighter, hero of riots in Gdynia 1970.

Fictional characters

• Blackhawk
• Captain William Joseph "B.J." Blazkowicz from Wolfenstein 3D
• Waldemar Daninsky, wolfman from La Marca del Hombre Lobo
• Nicodemus Dyzma (in Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz's novel, The Career of Nicodemus Dyzma).
• Dr Judym (in Stefan Żeromski's novel, Homeless People).
• Pan Samochodzik
• Florentyna Kane from The Prodigal Daughter and Shall We Tell the President?
• Commander Keen, grandson of B.J. Blazkowicz
• Funky Koval, space detective
• Magneto
• Office Eddie Pulaski from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
• Abel Rosnovski from Kane and Abel
• Sasquatch (Dr. Walter Langkowski), Marvel superhero
• Silk Spectre I & II, from Watchmen
• Tytus, Romek i A'Tomek
• Walter Koskiusko Waldowski, the "Painless Pole" in MASH (film)
• Konrad Wallenrod (poem)
• John Paul Wiggin (Jan Paweł Wieczorek) from Ender Series
• Mike Nomad, aka Mike Nowak. Steve Roper and Mike Nomad was an American adventure comic strip that ran under various titles from November 1936 to December 26, 2004.
• Stanisław Wokulski (in Bolesław Prus' novel, The Doll).
• Piotr Zak, fictional composer
• Sophie Zawistowski from "Sophie's Choice", a book by William Styron and a film by Alan J. Pakula.
• Walter Sobchak, the "Polish Catholic" from the film Big Lebowski

• Lists of people by nationality
• Polish people
• Poland-related lists