List of Poles

Contents 1 History 2 Science 2.1 Astronomy 2.2 Biology, medicine 2.3 Chemistry 2.4 Engineering 2.5 Economics 2.6 Invention 2.7 Computer science 2.8 Linguistics 2.9 Mathematics 2.10 Physics 2.11 Social sciences 2.12 Other sciences 3 Music 4 Literature 4.1 Poetry 5 Philosophy 6 Fine arts 7 Entertainment 8 Business 9 Royalty 10 Nobility (szlachta) 11 Military 12 Politics 13 Diplomats 14 Intelligence 15 Holocaust resisters 16 Religion 17 Assassins 18 Miscellaneous 19 Models 20 Legendary persons 20.1 Fiction characters 21 Sports 21.1 Track and field 21.2 Boxing 21.3 Chess 21.4 Fencing 21.5 Ice hockey 21.6 Skiing 21.7 Football (Soccer) 21.8 Swimming 21.9 Weightlifting 21.10 Others

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

History

Szymon Askenazy, historian and diplomat Michał Bobrzyński, historian of law Józef Borzyszkowski, Pomeranian history Marek Jan Chodakiewicz Tadeusz Czacki Jan Długosz, 15th-century chronicler of Poland Marian Kamil Dziewanowski, Poland, Russia, modern Europe Stanisław Estreicher Tadeusz Estreicher Gallus Anonymus Zygmunt Gloger Kazimierz Godłowski, historian and archeologist Władysław Grabski Oskar Halecki, Polish history Marceli Handelsman, Polish history Paweł Jasienica, Polish history Jacek Jędruch Wincenty Kadłubek, 13th-century historian of Poland Józef Kasparek, constitutions; World War II era Stefan Kieniewicz, 19th-century Polish history Jerzy Kirchmayer, 1944 Warsaw Uprising Hugo Kołłątaj, 18th-19th-century historian, philosopher and politician Feliks Koneczny, Polish history, social philosophy Władysław Konopczyński, Polish and world history Stanisław Kot Władysław Kozaczuk, military history, military intelligence, World War II Manfred Kridl, history of Polish culture and literature Marcin Kromer, 16th-century Bishop of Warmia, secretary to two Polish kings, and historian of Poland Marian Kukiel, military historian Stanisław Kutrzeba, Poland, Polish law, Kraków Gerard Labuda Joachim Lelewel, historian of Poland Jerzy Jan Lerski Wacław Lipiński Stanisław Lorentz Czesław Madajczyk, World War II Tadeusz Manteuffel, medievalist Teodor Narbutt, Polish historian of Lithuania Adam Naruszewicz, 18th-century historian, participant in the Great Sejm Szymon Okolski, 17th-century historian Michael Alfred Peszke, Polish Armed Forces, World War II Richard Pipes, Polish-American historian of Russia and the Soviet Union Iwo Cyprian Pogonowski, World War II, Polish-Jewish relations Julian Stachiewicz, military historian Tomasz Strzembosz, Polish World War II history Tadeusz Sulimirski, historian and archeologist Zygmunt Szweykowski, Polish literature Władysław Tatarkiewicz, philosophy and esthetics Janusz Tazbir Józef Turowski, World War II OUN massacres of Poles Adam Ulam, Polish-American historian of Russia and the Soviet Union Piotr S. Wandycz, Polish-American historian of Central and Eastern Europe Bernard Wapowski Leon Wasilewski Richard Woytak, World War II Norbert Wójtowicz, historian of Polish political thought Adam Zamoyski Janusz K. Zawodny, World War II

Askenazy Długosz Kadłubek Kołłątaj Kromer Lelewel Manteuffel Naruszewicz Peszke

Science

Astronomy

Franciszek Armiński Tadeusz Banachiewicz Jan Brożek Albert Brudzewski Nicolaus Copernicus Władysław Dziewulski Jan Gadomski Jan Heweliusz (Johannes Hevelius) Felicjan Kępiński Marian Albertovich Kowalski Kazimierz Kordylewski Stanisław Lubieniecki Bohdan Paczyński Marcin Poczobutt-Odlanicki Alexius Sylvius Polonus Adam Prażmowski Konrad Rudnicki Jan Śniadecki Wiesław Wiśniewski Aleksander Wolszczan (co-discoverer of first extrasolar planets)

Heweliusz Kopernik Śniadecki Wolszczan

Biology, medicine

Babiński Chałubiński Cybulski Flatau Joseph Babiński, Babinski sign 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 Edward Flatau, neurologist Marian Gieszczykiewicz, physician Emil Godlewski, embryologist Samuel Goldflam, neurologist Ryszard Gryglewski, physician Ludwik Hirszfeld, microbiologist Feliks Paweł Jarocki, zoologist Walery Jaworski, physician Konstanty Jelski, ornithologist Zbigniew Kabata, biologist Jerzy Konorski, microbiologist

Goldflam Koprowski Weigl Stefan Kopec, biologist Hilary Koprowski, polio vaccine Marek Kotański, psychologist Tadeusz Krwawicz, medical pioneer Abraham Low, neuropsychiatrist Karol Marcinkowski, physician Ludwik Mlokosiewicz, botanist Maksymilian Nowicki, biologist Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, biologist Andrew Paulukiewichz, biologist Zbigniew Religa, cardiologist Józef Rostafiński, biologist Albert Sabin, polio vaccine Andrzej Wiktor Schally, Nobel-laureate endocrinologist. Bolesław Skarżyński, biologist Eduard Adolf Strasburger (born in Poland, of German descent), botanist Jan Sztolcman, ornithologist Władysław Taczanowski, zoologist Andrzej K. Tarkowski, embryologist Zbylut Twardowski, physician Rudolf Weigl, biologist Marie Elizabeth Zakrzewska, physician

Chemistry

Łukasiewicz Skłodowska Józef Boguski Jan Czochralski Tadeusz Estreicher, cryogenics pioneer Kazimierz Fajans Kazimierz Funk, biochemist who formulated the concept of vitamins Antoni Grabowski Roald Hoffmann (Nobel Prize, 1981) Adolf Joszt Sylwester Porowski Wiktor Kemula Stanisław Kostanecki Marek Gatty-Kostyal Ignacy Łukasiewicz, inventor of kerosene lamp and oil refining Leon Marchlewski

Śniadecki Świętosławski Krzysztof Matyjaszewski Ignacy Mościcki Marceli Nencki Karol Olszewski Tadeusz Reichstein Michał Sędziwój Maria Skłodowska (Marie Curie), double Nobel-Prize winner Edward Sucharda Jędrzej Śniadecki Wojciech Świętosławski Bohdan Szyszkowski Włodzimierz Trzebiatowski Józef Zawadzki

Engineering

Adamiecki Gzowski Magnuski Krzysztof Arciszewski Karol Adamiecki Mieczysław G. Bekker, first moon rover Georges Charpak, Particle detector Stefan Bryła Romuald Cebertowicz, soil solidification Zdzisław Celiński Jerzy Dąbrowski, designer of PZL.37 Łoś bomber Walter Golaski Rudolf Gundlach, engineer, inventor and tank designer Kazimierz Gzowski Edward Jan Habich Tytus Maksymilian Huber Jacek Jędruch Józef Kosacki, Polish mine detector

Modjeski Sikorsky Tsiolkovsky Janusz Liberkowski, inventor Henryk Magnuski—walkie-talkie Ernest Malinowski Henry Millicer, aviation Ralph Modjeski, bridge designer Jan Nagórski, first man to fly over the North Pole Frank Piasecki, helicopter pioneer Kazimierz Siemienowicz, pioneer of rocketry Zygmunt Puławski, designer of PZL P.11 fighter Wojciech Rostafiński, NASA Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (Konstanty Ciołkowski), spaceflight pioneer Stanisław Wigura, aviation Piotr Wilniewczyc, weaponry Franciszek Żwirko, aviation

Economics

Balcerowicz Karol Adamiecki Leszek Balcerowicz, the man behind Poland's 1990 economic reform Franciszek Ksawery Drucki-Lubecki Władysław Grabski Leonid Hurwicz, 2007 Nobel Laureate Michał Kalecki

Hurwicz Grzegorz Kołodko Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski Oskar Lange, PRL economy Wacław Micuta Hilary Minc, PRL economy Sławomir Szwedowski

Invention

Abakanowicz Deczkowski Bruno Abakanowicz, mathematician, engineer Stefan Bryła, In 1927 he designed the first welded road bridge in the world. Mieczysław G. Bekker, Lunar Roving Vehicle Jan Czochralski, Czochralski process Juliusz Bogdan Deczkowski, medical equipment Leo Gerstenzang, Q-Tips Józef Hofmann, pneumatic shock absorbers for cars and planes Stefan Kudelski, Nagra audio recorders Kazimierz Leski, new mounting for the ballast tank funnels

Łukasiewicz Szczepanik Janusz Liberkowski, Anecia Safety Capsule Ignacy Łukasiewicz, kerosene lamp Kazimierz Proszyński, first cinematic camera Tadeusz Sendzimir, revolutionary methods of processing steel and metals, used in every industrialized country in the world Jan Szczepanik, motion-picture, photography, and television patents Józef Tykociński, sound film Casimir Zeglen, inventor (bullet resistant cloth at the end of the 19th century) Henryk Zygalski - Perforated sheets

Computer science

Piotr Anweiler, software Jacek Karpinski Marek Karpinski Marian Mazur Stanisław Radziszowski

Wiesław Romanowski Marek Sell Andrzej Trybulec, Mizar system Jan Węglarz Michał Zalewski

Linguistics

Kopaliński Jolanta Antas Jan Niecisław Baudouin de Courtenay Aleksander Brückner Jan Bystroń (linguist) Jan Czekanowski Grzegorz Knapski Władysław Kopaliński Alfred Korzybski Jerzy Kuryłowicz

Zamenhof Samuel Bogumił Linde Halina Mierzejewska Jan Miodek Jaroslav Rudnyckyj Kazimierz Rymut Antoni Józef Śmieszek Anna Wierzbicka Ludwik Zamenhof, inventor of Esperanto.

Mathematics

Banachiewicz Bartel Eilenberg Kuratowski Leśniewski 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 Bronisław Knaster Kazimierz Kordylewski Robert Kowalski Zdzisław Krygowski Krystyna Kuperberg Kazimierz Kuratowski 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 Stanisław Mazur Stefan Mazurkiewicz

Rejewski Różycki Śniadecki Ulam Zygalski Jan Mikusinski Andrzej Mostowski Jerzy Spława-Neyman Otton M. Nikodym Andrew Odlyzko Władysław Orlicz Józef H. Przytycki Helena Rasiowa Marian Rejewski, Enigma decrypter Jerzy Różycki, Enigma decrypter Stanisław Ruziewicz Czesław Ryll-Nardzewski Stanisław Saks Juliusz Schauder Wacław Sierpiński Roman Sikorski Władysław Ślebodziński Jan Śniadecki Yulian Sokhotski Hugo Steinhaus Włodzimierz Stożek Alfred Tarski Stanisław Ulam, co-designer (with Edward Teller) of the hydrogen bomb Tadeusz Ważewski Józef Hoene-Wroński Kazimierz Zarankiewicz Stanisław Zaremba Henryk Zygalski, Enigma decrypter Antoni Zygmund Kazimierz Żorawski

Physics

Czesław Białobrzeski Georges Charpak, 1995 Nobel Prize Jan Kazimierz Danysz Marian Danysz Leopold Infeld Aleksander Jabłoński Theodor Kaluza Sylwester Kaliski Sylwester Porowski, blue laser Stanisław Mrozowski Władysław Natanson Georges Nomarski

Jerzy Pniewski Józef Rotblat, 1995 Nobel Peace Prize Stefan Rozental Wojciech Rubinowicz Maria Skłodowska-Curie (Marie Curie), two Nobel Prizes Marian Smoluchowski (father of kinetics) Frank Wilczek, Polish-Italian 2004 Nobel laureate Witelo, medieval philosopher and scientist in optics Mieczysław Wolfke Stanisław Lech Woronowicz Zygmunt Wróblewski Wojciech H. Zurek

Curie Rotblat Wróblewski Smoluchowski Zurek

Social sciences

Tadeusz Andrzejewski, archeologist, Egyptologist Zygmunt Bauman (sociologist, philosopher) Stefan Błachowski, psychologist Maria Czaplicka, anthropologist Jan Władysław Dawid, psychologist Zygmunt Gloger (ethnographer, archeologist, historian) Ludwig Gumplowicz (a founder of sociology) Franciszek Kasparek, jurist, professor of international law Jan Kubary (naturalist, ethnographer) Bronisław Malinowski (anthropologist) Władysław Markiewicz (sociologist) Kazimierz Michałowski, archeologist, Egyptologist

Karol Myśliwiec, archeologist, Egyptologist Maria Ossowska (sociologist) Stanisław Ossowski (sociologist) Bronisław Piłsudski (cultural anthropologist) Jadwiga Staniszkis (sociologist) Paweł Śpiewak (sociologist) Jerzy Szacki (sociologist) Zbigniew Szafrański, Egyptologist, archeologist Jacek Szmatka (sociologist) Piotr Sztompka (sociologist) Edmund Wnuk-Lipiński (sociologist) Florian Znaniecki (sociologist)

Dawid Gloger Malinowski Ossowska Znaniecki

Other sciences

Henryk Arctowski, explorer of the Antarctic Benedykt Polak (Benedict the Pole, Benedictus Polonus), explorer Piotr Ignacy Bieńkowski, scholar, archaeologist, professor Karol J. Bobko, NASA astronaut Gerard Ciołek, architect and historian of gardens Aleksander Czekanowski, geologist, and explorer of Siberia Jan Czerski, paleontologist, geologist, geographer, and explorer of Siberia Kazimierz Dąbrowski, psychologist Antoni Dobrowolski, explorer of the Antarctic Ignacy Domeyko, Polish geologist Benedykt Dybowski, naturalist, and explorer of Siberia Gaspar da Gama, traveller, interpreter, explorer Mirosław Hermaszewski, the first Polish cosmonaut 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 Antoni Józef Śmieszek, Egyptologist Stanisław of Skarbimierz, political scientist Paweł Edmund Strzelecki, geologist, explorer of Australia Tadeusz Sulimirski, archeologist Paweł Włodkowic, scholar and lawyer Robert Zajonc, psychologist

Bobko Domeyko Hermaszewski

Music

see also: List of Polish composers

Chopin Elsner Kilar Landowska Lutosławski Moniuszko Niemen Ogiński Penderecki This content has an uncertain copyright status and is pending deletion. You can comment on its removal. Stan Borys, singer-songwriter Grażyna Bacewicz, composer Edyta Bartosiewicz, singer Rafał Blechacz, pianist Dariusz Brzozowski, drummer Grzegorz Ciechowski, composer, singer Fryderyk Chopin, composer Krzysztof Czerwinski, conductor and organist Adam Darski, singer-songwriter Krzesimir Dębski, composer Andrzej Dobrowolski, composer Ignacy Feliks Dobrzyński, composer Urszula Dudziak, singer Józef Elsner, composer, Chopin's teacher Mikołaj Gomołka, composer Grzegorz Gerwazy Gorczycki, composer Konstanty Gorski, composer and violinist Henryk Górecki, composer Edyta Górniak, singer Mieczysław Horszowski, pianist Bronisław Huberman, violinist Zdzisław Jachimecki, musicologist, composer Alicja Janosz, singer Anna Jantar, singer Adam Jarzębski, composer Reni Jusis, singer Jan A. P. Kaczmarek, film composer (Oscar prize) Maria Kalergis, pianist Bronisław Kaper, film composer Mieczysław Karłowicz, composer Kayah, singer Witold Kieltyka, drummer Stefan Kisielewski, composer, writer Wojciech Kilar, composer Krzysztof Komeda, jazz composer Zygmunt Konieczny, composer Roman Kostrzewski, controversial singer and songwriter Kasia Kowalska, singer Gene Krupa, jazz drummer Hanna Kulenty, composer Theodor Kullak, composer Karol Kurpiński, composer Wanda Landowska, harpsichordist Teodor Leszetycki, pianist, pedagogue Franciszek Lilius, composer Karol Lipiński, composer Jan z Lublina, composer Witold Lutosławski, composer Krzysztof Meyer, composer Carl Mikuli, composer Maciek Miernik, producer Marcin Mielczewski, composer Emil Młynarski Stanisław Moniuszko, composer Moritz Moszkowski, composer

Rostropovich Rubinstein Stojowski Stokowski Szpilman Szymanowska Szymanowski Wieniawski Leszek Możdżer, pianist and composer Czesław Niemen, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter Katarzyna Nosowska, singer-songwriter Marcin Nowak, guitarist and singer Feliks Nowowiejski, composer Zygmunt Noskowski, composer Michał Kleofas Ogiński, composer Ignacy Jan Paderewski, pianist, composer Andrzej Panufnik, composer Krzysztof Penderecki, composer Jerzy Petersburski, pianist, composer Bartłomiej Pękiel, composer Piotr Półtorak, guitarist Wacław Kiełtyka, guitarist Witold Kiełtyka, drummer Zbigniew Preisner, composer Zbigniew Robert Promiński, drummer Krzysztof Raczkowski, drummer Mikołaj z Radomia, Middle Ages composer Ryszard Riedel, singer Maryla Rodowicz, singer Mstislav Rostropovich, Russian cellist and conductor of Polish father from szlachta Piotr Rubik, composer Arthur Rubinstein, pianist Bogusław Schaeffer, composer Xaver Scharwenka, composer Kazimierz Serocki, composer Dmitri Shostakovich, Russian composer and pianist (ethnic Polish father) Józef Skrzek, composer and leader of SBB band Tomasz Stańko, jazz trumpeter Kazik Staszewski, singer-songwriter Justyna Steczkowska, singer Zygmunt Stojowski, composer Leopold Stokowski, Academy Award-winning conductor Wacław z Szamotuł, composer Władysław Szpilman, pianist Patryk Dominik Sztyber, guitarist, singer Maria Agata Szymanowska, composer, concert pianist Karol Szymanowski, composer (Polish father, Swedish mother) Paweł Szymański, composer Barbara Trzetrzelewska, singer Grzegorz Turnau, singer Wacław of Szamotuły Andrzej Wasowski, pianist Henryk Wieniawski, composer Brad Wilk of Polish decent, drummer Wanda Wiłkomirska, violinist Piotr Wiwczarek, guitarist, singer D'arcy Wretzky, Polish-American bassist (The Smashing Pumpkins) Tomasz Wróblewski, guitarist, singer Michael Zabrocki, Catholic singer-songwriter Mikołaj Zieleński, composer Krystian Zimerman, pianist Wojciech Żywny, composer, Chopin's teacher

Literature

See also: List of Polish writers and List of Polish novelists

Chojecki Conrad Dołęga-Mostowicz Fredro Kraszewski Lem Potocki Guillaume Apollinaire (Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki), French-language writer of Polish extraction Agnieszka Baranowska, playwright Karol Olgierd Borchardt, maritime author Edmund Chojecki Joseph Conrad (Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski), English-language novelist 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, poet, comedy writer Janusz Głowacki, playwright, non-fiction author Witold Gombrowicz, novelist, playwright Rene Goscinny, cartoonist Stefan Grabiński, horror writer Marek Hłasko, novelist, short story writer Paweł Huelle, essayist Wincenty Kadłubek political scientist, writer Ryszard Kapuściński, writer and journalist Tadeusz Konwicki Jerzy Kosiński Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, novelist and World War II 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 Waldemar Łysiak, writer Józef Mackiewicz, writer, journalist Andrzej Majewski, aphorist, writer, poet Kornel Makuszyński, children's writer Stanisław Michalkiewicz writer Eliza Orzeszkowa, Positivist writer

Prus Rej Reymont Sienkiewicz Witkiewicz Zapolska Żeromski Ferdynand Antoni Ossendowski, writer Teodor Parnicki, writer Jan Chryzostom Pasek (memoirist) Sergiusz Piasecki, writer Krzysztof Piesiewicz, screenwriter and politician Jan Potocki (author of The Saragossa Manuscript). Bolesław Prus, journalist, novelist, author of The Doll and Pharaoh. Mikołaj Rej, one of the founders of Polish literary language and literature Władysław Reymont, 1924 Nobel laureate Maria Rodziewiczówna, novelist Henryk Rzewuski, novelist Andrzej Sapkowski, fantasy writer Bruno Schulz, novelist and painter Joanna Siedlecka, non-fiction writer Lucjan Siemieński Henryk Sienkiewicz, 1905 Nobel laureate Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1966 Nobel laureate Piotr Skarga, poet, writer, humanist Robert Stiller, polyglot, writer, poet, translator, editor Jędrzej Śniadecki, terminologist, writer Olga Tokarczuk, Polish-Ukrainian writer Leopold Tyrmand, writer Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy) 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 Stefan Żeromski, novelist Jerzy Żuławski, novelist Eugeniusz Żytomirski, novelist

Poetry

Krasicki Krasiński Leśmian Mickiewicz See also: List of Polish poets. Adam Asnyk Krzysztof Kamil Baczyński Edward Balcerzan Miron Białoszewski Biernat of Lublin Władysław Broniewski Jan Brzechwa Andrzej Bursa Piotr Czerniawski Konstanty Ildefons Gałczyński Marian Hemar Zbigniew Herbert Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz Jan Kasprowicz Jan Kochanowski Ignacy Krasicki Zygmunt Krasiński Paweł Kubisz Stanisław Jerzy Lec Jan Lechoń Bolesław Leśmian Ewa Lipska Adam Mickiewicz Grazyna Miller, translation Czesław Miłosz, 1980 Nobel Prize in Literature Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski, humanism Adam Naruszewicz, translation, history Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz Cyprian Kamil Norwid

Norwid Słowacki Szymborska Tuwim Franciszek Nowicki Antoni Edward Odyniec Władysław Orkan Agnieszka Osiecka Maria Pawlikowska-Jasnorzewska Wincenty Pol Halina Poświatowska Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer Jeremi Przybora, songs Mikołaj Rej Tadeusz Różewicz Zygmunt Rumel Lucjan Rydel Maciej Kazimierz Sarbiewski Antoni Słonimski Juliusz Słowacki Edward Stachura Anatol Stern Leopold Staff Wisława Szymborska, 1996 Nobel Prize in Literature Julian Tuwim Jan Twardowski Richard (Ryszard) Tylman Kornel Ujejski Aleksander Wat Kazimierz Wierzyński Stefan Witwicki Rafał Wojaczek Józef Bohdan Zaleski Piotr Zbylitowski

Philosophy

Hoene–Wroński Jonston Kołakowski Libelt Modrzewski Adam of Łowicz Edward Abramowski Kazimierz Ajdukiewicz Zygmunt Bauman Stefan Błachowski Józef Maria Bocheński Stanisław Brzozowski Adam Burski Piotr Chmielowski Leon Chwistek August Cieszkowski Nicolaus Copernicus Anioł Dowgird Adolf Dygasiński Michał Falkener Józef Gołuchowski Wawrzyniec Grzymała Goślicki Jakub Górski Grzegorz of Stawiszyn Władysław Heinrich Józef Maria Hoene-Wroński Roman Ingarden Jakub of Gostynin Jan of Głogów Jan of Stobnica Józef Emanuel Jankowski Feliks Jaroński Stanisław Jaśkowski Jan Jonston Leszek Kołakowski Hugo Kołłątaj Tadeusz Kotarbiński Władysław Mieczysław Kozłowski Józef Kremer Franciszek Krupiński Stanisław Leszczyński Stanisław Leśniewski

Staszic Jan Śniadecki Świętochowski Tatarkiewicz Twardowski Casimir Lewy Karol Libelt Wincenty Lutosławski Jan Łukasiewicz Adam Mahrburg Marian Massonius Konstanty Michalski Wawrzyniec Mitzler de Kolof Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Julian Ochorowicz Leon Petrażycki Sebastian Petrycy Bolesław Prus Adam Schaff Stanisław Staszic Józef Kalasanty Szaniawski Jan Szylling Krystyn Lach Szyrma Maria Szyszkowska Jan Śniadecki Jędrzej Śniadecki Aleksander Świętochowski Alfred Tarski Władysław Tatarkiewicz Józef Tischner Andrzej Towiański Bronisław Trentowski Kazimierz Twardowski Michał Twaróg of Bystrzyków Władysław Weryho Witelo Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy) Władysław Witwicki Adam Ignacy Zabellewicz Marian Zdziechowski Czesław Znamierowski Florian Znaniecki

Fine arts

Chełmoński Fałat Gerson Grottger Kantor Kobro Malczewski see also: List of Polish artists and painters Magdalena Abakanowicz, sculptor Paweł Althamer Tomasz Bagiński, painter, animator, computer graphics Balthus (Balthasar Kłossowski de Rola), painter Mirosław Bałka Krzysztof Bednarski, sculptor Zdzisław Beksiński, painter Władysław T. Benda Olga Boznańska, painter Józef Brandt, painter Józef Marian Chełmoński, painter Józef Czapski, painter Tytus Czyżewski, painter, poet, art critic Jacenty Dędek, photographer Zbigniew Dłubak, painter Andrzej Dłużniewski Xawery Dunikowski, sculptor Maksymilian Fajans, Jewish–Polish artist, lithographer, photographer Julian Fałat, painter Wojciech Fangor, painter Wojciech Gerson, painter Stefan Gierowski, painter Aleksander Gierymski, painter, brother of Maksymilian Gierymski Maksymilian Gierymski, painter Zygmunt Gorgolewski, architect Vladislav Gorodetsky, architect Józef Gosławski, sculptor and medallist Artur Grottger, painter, illustrator Władysław Hasior, sculptor, painter, stage designer Józef Holewiński Anna Kamieńska-Łapińska, sculptor, animated-film scenarist Wladyslaw Kazmierczak, performance artist Tadeusz Kantor, (1915-1990) painter, theatre director Balthus, Polish-French painter Katarzyna Kobro, sculptor Gloria Kossak, painter, poet Jerzy Kossak, painter Juliusz Kossak, painter, illustrator Wojciech Kossak, painter Katarzyna Kozyra, video artist Nikifor Krynicki, painter Alexander Kucharsky, painter Zofia Kulik, performer Tamara de Lempicka, painter Zbigniew Lengren, cartoonist and illustrator.

Matejko Norblin Orłowski Podkowiński Witkiewicz Witkacy Wyczółkowski Wyspiański Jan Lenica, graphic designer and cartoonist Aleksander Lesser, painter Daniel Libeskind, architect Jacek Malczewski, painter Jan Matejko, painter Józef Mehoffer Piotr Michałowski, painter Ambroży Mieroszewski, Chopin's first portraitist Igor Mitoraj, sculptor 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 Henryk Stażewski, painter Józef Stolorz, painter Władysław Strzemiński, painter January Suchodolski, painter Józef Szajna, sculptor, stage designer, theatre director Stanisław Szukalski, sculptor, painter Arthur Szyk, illuminator, war cartoonist, book illustrator Wacław Szymanowski, sculptor, designer of Chopin monument in Warsaw Roland Topor, illustrator, painter, writer and filmmaker Richard (Ryszard) Tylman, painter Zygmunt Vogel Max Weber, painter Wojciech Weiss, painter and draughtsman Jan de Weryha-Wysoczański, sculptor Stanisław Witkiewicz, painter, architect Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), painter, photographer, playwright, novelist, philosopher Kazimierz Wojniakowski, painter Leon Wyczółkowski, painter Stanisław Wyspiański, painter Jan Zamoyski, painter Korczak Ziółkowski, designer and sculptor of Crazy Horse Memorial

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-movie maker, nominated for an Academy Award
• Andrzej Bartkowiak, cinematographer, director, actor.
• Eugeniusz Bodo, singer and actor
• Wojciech Bogusławski, actor, theater director, playwright; Father of the Polish Theater.
• Walerian Borowczyk, film director
• Ewa Braun, Academy Award-winning set decorator, costume designer, production designer
• Zbigniew Cybulski, actor
• Elżbieta Czyżewska, actress
• 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
• Janusz Gajos, actor
• Sir John Gielgud, English theatre and film actor with Polish szlachcic father
• Samuel Goldwyn, legendary film producer
• Jerzy Grotowski, theatre reformer
• Adam Hanuszkiewicz, actor, theater director
• Wojciech Has, film director
• Jerzy Hoffman, film director
• Agnieszka Holland, film director, nominated to Academy Awards and BAFTA Award
• Gustaw Holoubek, actor
• Sławomir Idziak, cinematagrapher, nominated to Oscar
• Stefan Jaracz, actor
• Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Academy Award winning composer, nominated to BAFTA Award
• Jacek Kaczmarski, protest songwriter, poetry singer, guitarist
• 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
• Klaus Kinski (Nikolaus Karl Günther Nakszyński), actor
• Nastassja Kinski (Nastassja Aglaia Nakszyński), actress
• Max Kolonko TV personality, producer, writer
• Kazimierz Kutz, film director
• Martin Kunert (born Marcin Kunert-Dziewanowski) - writer/director
• Irena Kwiatkowska, actress
• Laryssa Lauret, actress
• Bogusław Linda, actor
• Tadeusz Łomnicki, actor
• Rudolph Maté, accomplished cinematographer and film director, nominated for 5 Oscars
• Helena Modjeska (Modrzejewska), actress
• 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
• Anna Przybylska, actress
• Wojciech Pszoniak, actor of Comedie Francaise
• Krzysztof Ptak, cinematographer
• Zbigniew Rybczynski, Oscar and Emmy Award winning filmmaker
• Lew Rywin, film producer
• Leon Schiller, theatre director
• Izabella Scorupco, Polish-born Hollywood-actress and singer.
• Andrzej Seweryn, actor of Comédie Française
• Casey Siemaszko, actor
• Nina Siemaszko, actor
• Jerzy Skolimowski, film director
• Przemysław Skwirczyński, cinematographer
• Adam Smoluk, director, screenwriter and actor
• Piotr Sobocinski, cinematographer
• Ladislas Starevich properly: Władysław Starewicz, film director, stop-motion animator
• Allan Starski, Oscar winning production designer, art director, set designer
• Jerzy Stuhr, actor, film director
• Loretta Swit, Major Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan on M*A*S*H.
• Piotr Tokarski, actor
• Henryk Tomaszewski, mime
• Basia Trzetrzelewska, singer
• Andrzej Wajda, Academy Award, Golden Palm, BAFTA Award, Silver Berlin Bear, César Award and Golden Lion winning film director
• The Warner Brothers
• Jerzy Wasowski
• Michał Waszyński, film director
• Lilliana Wilczkowsky, actress
• Samuel "Billy" Wilder, six Oscars winning film director, screenwriter and producer
• Roman Wilhelmi, actor
• Dariusz Wolski, cinematographer
• Zbigniew Zamachowski, actor
• Krzysztof Zanussi, film director
• Michał Żebrowski, actor
• Artur Żmijewski, actor
• Andrzej Żuławski, film director

Business

Hipolit Cegielski André Citroën, founder of Citroën Franciszek Czapek, co-partner in Patek, Czapek & Co. Max Factor, Sr., cosmetics entrepreneur Andrew Filipowski, technology entrepreneur Henryk Grohman, textile manufacturer and patron of the arts Nathan Handwerker Barbara Piasecka Johnson, humanitarian, philanthropist, widow of J. Seward Johnson, Sr. Leopold Kronenberg, banker Stanisław Kronenberg Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki, legendary merchant, spy, diplomat; opened first café in Vienna (1683) Jan Kulczyk, one of the richest Poles Michael Marks, co-founder of Marks and Spencer retail chain Samuel Orgelbrand, editor Antoni Patek, co-founder of watchmakers Patek Philippe & Co. Izrael Poznański, textile magnate, philanthropist Helena Rubinstein, cosmetics entrepreneur Ziggy Switkowski, former chief executive officer of Telstra Hyppolite Wawelberg, Polish-Jewish banker and philanthropist Steve Woźniak, co-founder of Apple Inc. Andrzej Artur Zamoyski

Cegielski Leopold Kronenberg Patek Poznański

Royalty

• Mieszko I, first Duke of Poland.
• Dubrawka, first Duchess 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.
• Richeza of Lotharingia, Queen of Poland.
• Casimir I the Restorer, Duke of Poland.
• Bolesław II the Bold, third King of Poland.
• Bolesław III Wrymouth, Duke of Poland.
• Mieszko III the Old, Duke of Greater Poland, Senior Duke of Poland.
• Casimir II the Just, Duke of Cracow, Senior Duke of Poland.
• Leszek I the White, Duke of Cracow, Senior Duke of Poland.
• Henry I the Bearded, Duke of Silesia, Senior Duke of Poland.
• Henryk II the Pious, Senior Duke of Poland, commander of Polish forces in the Battle of Legnica (1241).
• Premislas II, King of Poland.
• 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).
• John I Albert, King of Poland.
• Alexander Jagiellon, Grand Duke of Lithuania and King of Poland.
• Sigismund I the Old, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania.
• Roxelana (Khourrem, wife of Suleiman the Magnificent).
• Barbara Radziwiłł, consort of Sigismund II August.
• Sigismund II Augustus, last Jagiellon king of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
• Anna Jagiellon, reigned together with her husband Stephen Báthory
• Stephen Báthory, 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).
• John III Sobieski, King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, victor at the Battle of Vienna (1683).
• Maria Clementina Sobieski, Queen of France, England, Scotland and Ireland.
• 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.
• Catherine Opalińska, Queen of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Duchess 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.
• Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz, is the wife of HRH Prince Philippe, Duke of Brabant.

Nobility (szlachta)

see: List of szlachta

Military

• Władysław Anders, general, military commander during the Battle of Monte Cassino (1944)
• Dawid Apfelbaum, Polish Army lieutenant; commander of the Jewish Military Union (backed by Home Army) in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
• Krzysztof Arciszewski, general of artillery of Holland (1639), and Poland (1646).
• 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)
• Stefan Czarniecki, Field Crown Hetman of Poland (1665)
• Jan 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
• Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski, general, ambassador, nominated President of Poland (1939)
• Józef Dowbor-Muśnicki, general, military commander in the Greater Poland Uprising (1919)
• Jerzy Pajaczkowski-Dydynski (1894-2005), Polish soldier in World War I and in the 1920-21 Polish-Soviet War. At his death, he was the oldest man in the United Kingdom (111 years old). [1]
• Józef Haller, politician, commander of the Polish Army in France during World War I
• Stanisław Haller, general, was murdered by the NKVD in the Katyn massacre in 1940.
• Stanisław Jan Jabłonowski, Grand Crown Hetman (1682/3-1702)
• Jan Nowak-Jezioranski (1913-2005), Polish journalist and World War II hero.
• Berek Joselewicz, Polish-Jewish colonel in the Kościuszko Uprising and in Napolean's Polish Legions; commanded the first Jewish military formation in modern history
• Mikołaj Kamieniecki, first Grand Crown Hetman of Poland (1503-1515)
• Michał Karaszewicz-Tokarzewski, general, founder of the resistance movement "Polish Victory Service" (27 September 1939)
• Kazimierz J. Kasperek, most decorated Polish Navy officer of World War II
• Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski, general, commander of the Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising (1944)
• Stanisław Koniecpolski, Grand Crown Hetman (1632-1646)
• Tadeusz Kościuszko, Polish and American commander, general and revolutionist.
• Jan Kozietulski
• Włodzimierz Krzyżanowski, Polish Union general in the American Civil War
• Marian Kukiel, World War II general, historian
• Aleksander Lisowski, commander of 17th-century Lisowczycy.
• Jerzy Sebastian Lubomirski, Prince, Field Crown Hetman (1657-1664), victor from the Battle of Chudniv (Cudnów) (1660)
• Stanisław Maczek, (1892-1994), commander of the Polish Armored Division, later commander-in-chief of Polish forces in exile after World War II
• Mieczyslaw Norwid-Neugebauer, general and minister
• Leopold Okulicki, general, last commander-in-chief of the Home Army
• Julian Konstanty Ordon, officer in the November Uprising (1830-31)
• Jadwiga Piłsudska
• Emilia Plater, Countess, heroine of the November 1830 Uprising
• Józef Poniatowski, prince, Polish general and marshal of France
• Kazimierz Pułaski (Casimir 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 United States Army general
• Danuta Siedzikówna, (1928-1946), medical orderly in Polish 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, was murdered by the NKVD in the Katyn massacre
• 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)
• Józef Sowiński, general, hero of the November Uprising (1830-31)
• Zygmunt Szendzielarz ("Łupaszko")
• Stanisław Szeptycki
• Edward Rydz-Śmigły, marshal, military commander, successful in the Polish-Bolshevik war, C-i-C of the Polish Army in the September Campaign
• Jan Tarnowski, Grand Crown Hetman (1527-1561), victor of Obertyn (1531)
• Piotr Wysocki, led the November Uprising (1830)
• Kordian Józef Zamorski
• Jan Zamoyski, Great Chancellor of Poland (1578-1605) and Grand Crown Hetman (1581-1605)
• Elżbieta Zawacka, general, the only woman among the Cichociemni (Silent dark ones of Polish Army)
• Stanisław Żółkiewski, chancellor of Poland, military commander, conqueror of Moscow (1610), Grand Crown Hetman (1613-1620)
• Janusz Żurakowski, World War II 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 of Poland (2004-2005)
• 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
• Tytus Filipowicz
• Jaś Gawroński, Italian politician
• Edward Gierek, leader of communist Poland (1970-1980)
• Agaton Giller
• 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)
• Janusz Jędrzejewicz
• Henryk Józewski
• 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 (2006-2007)
• Lech Kaczyński, fourth President of III RP (since 2005)
• Hugo Kołłątaj, co-author of Constitution of May 3, 1791
• Wojciech Korfanty, leader of Silesians during the Third Silesian Uprising
• Janusz Korwin-Mikke, free-market activist
• Stanisław Kosior, Soviet politician
• Tadeusz Kościuszko
• Jan Kucharzewski first Prime Minister of Kingdom of Poland (1917-1918),
• Pedro Pablo Kuczynski - Prime Minister of Peru
• Jacek Kuroń, politician, social activist
• Aleksander Kwaśniewski, third President of III RP (1995-2005)
• Andrzej Lepper, leader of Samoobrona and former Vice-PM
• Herman Lieberman
• Julian Marchlewski, Soviet politician
• Kazimierz Marcinkiewicz, Prime Minister of Poland (2005-2006)
• Tadeusz Mazowiecki, politician, first Prime Minister of III RP (Poland)
• Vyacheslav Menzhinsky, the second chairman of the OGPU (1926-34)
• Stanisław 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 the Second Polish Republic (1922)
• Julian Ursyn Niemcewicz
• 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)
• Waldemar Pawlak, Prime Minister of Poland (1992 and 1993-95)
• Józef Piłsudski, statesman, politician and Marshal of Poland
• Władysław Broel-Plater, independence activist, founder of Polish Museum, Rapperswil
• Michel Poniatowski, prince, French politician
• Alfred Józef Potocki, count, Minister-President of Austria (1870-1871)
• Ignacy Potocki, co-author of Constitution of May 3, 1791
• 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)
• Adam Ronikier, count, president of the Central Welfare Council (1916-1918) and (1940-1943)
• 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)
• Walery Sławek
• Anatoly Sobczak, first post-Soviet mayor of St Petersburg
• Stefan Starzyński, President of Warsaw (1934-1939)
• Andrzej Stelmachowski
• Donald Tusk, chairman of the Civic Platform, Prime Minister of Poland (since 2007)
• Lech Wałęsa, trade unionist who started dismantling of the Soviet bloc, the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, 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)
• Tadeusz Wróblewski
• August Zaleski, second President of Poland in exile (1947-1972)
• Andrzej Artur Zamoyski

Diplomats

• Władysław Bartoszewski, foreign affairs minister of III RP (1995 and 2000-2001)
• Józef Beck, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1932-1939)
• Alois Friedrich von Brühl, Polish-Saxon diplomat, starost of Warsaw
• Matthew Bryza, American diplomat
• Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz, foreign affairs minister of III RP (2001-2005)
• Adam Jerzy Czartoryski, Polish and Russian diplomat; Russian Imperial foreign minister (1804-6)
• 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)
• Stanisław Janikowski, diplomat in Rome, to Holy See (1927-1954)
• Wacław Jędrzejewicz
• Julian Klaczko, Polish-Austrian diplomat
• Stanisław Kot, Polish ambassador to the Soviet Union (1941-1942) and to Italy (1945-1947)
• Józef Lipski, Polish ambassador to Germany (1933-1939)
• Juliusz Łukasiewicz
• Ivan Maysky, Soviet diplomat
• Stefan Meller, foreign affairs minister of III RP (2005-2006)
• Lewis Bernstein Namier, British diplomat and historian
• Andrzej Olechowski, foreign affairs minister of III RP (1993-1995)
• Ignacy Paderewski, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1919) and third prime minister of Poland
• Stanisław Patek, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1919-1920)
• Edward Bernard Raczyński, count, Polish ambassador to the United Kingdom (1934-1945) and foreign affairs minister (1941-1943)
• Adam Rapacki, foreign affairs minister of communist Poland (1956-1968)
• Józef Retinger, advocate for a European Union
• Dariusz Rosati, foreign affairs minister of III RP (1995-1997)
• Adam Daniel Rotfeld, foreign affairs minister of III RP (2005)
• Radosław Sikorski, foreign affairs minister of III RP (since 2007)
• Konstanty Skirmunt, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1921-1922)
• Aleksander Skrzyński, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1922-1923 and 1924-1926)
• Krzysztof Skubiszewski, first foreign affairs minister of III RP (1989-1993)
• Romuald Spasowski, Polish ambassador to the United States (1955-1961 and 1978-1981)
• Andrey Vyshinsky, Soviet jurist and diplomat
• Alexandre Joseph Count Colonna-Walewski, French foreign affairs minister
• Leon Wasilewski, foreign affairs minister of II RP (1918-1919)
• 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
• Sergey Yastrzhembsky, Russian diplomat

Intelligence

Ciężki Kowalewski Kukliński Kulczycki Feliks Ankerstein, interwar covert-operations officer and deputy to Edmund Charaszkiewicz in Office 2 of the General Staff's Section II (the Intelligence section). Edmund Charaszkiewicz, interwar covert-operations officer and coordinator of Józef Piłsudski's Promethean project to dismember the Soviet Union. Maksymilian Ciężki, prewar chief of the Polish Cipher Bureau's German section (BS–3), which from 1932 decrypted German Enigma ciphers in the prelude to Britain's World War II Ultra Secret. Roman Czerniawski, Polish Air Force captain and British Double Cross System agent. Wiktor Tomir Drymmer, close collaborator of Foreign Minister Józef Beck, and chief of the secret prewar K-7 organization that supervised certain Polish covert operations. Józef Englicht, prewar deputy chief of the Polish General Staff's Section II. Michael Goleniewski, Cold War Polish, Soviet and American CIA agent. Jan Kowalewski, engineer, intelligence officer and cryptologist, one of many who broke Soviet ciphers during the Polish-Soviet War of 1919–21. Andrzej Kowerski, Polish Army officer and World War II British SOE agent; colleague of Krystyna Skarbek. Ryszard Kukliński, Polish Army colonel, Cold War CIA master spy. Jerzy Franciszek Kulczycki, Polish spy at the Battle of Vienna (1683); founder of Vienna's first coffee house, which offered coffee produced from coffee beans captured from the Turks. Gwido Langer, head of Poland's interbellum Cipher Bureau, which in 1932 first broke the German Enigma ciphers.

Leski Pełczyński Schaetzel Kazimierz Leski, engineer, fighter pilot, World War II "Musketeers" and Home Army intelligence officer. Stefan Mayer, prewar Section II intelligence officer who supervised the General Staff's Cipher Bureau. Jerzy Pawłowski, Olympic gold-medalist fencer and Cold-War double agent. Tadeusz Pełczyński, general, chief of the General Staff's Section II (1929–32 and 1935–January 1938). Marcel Reich-Ranicki, Polish consul-general and intelligence agent in London,1948–49; the most influential contemporary critic of German literature. Tadeusz Schaetzel, intelligence officer, chief of the General Staff's Section II (1926–29). Zbigniew Siemiątkowski. Krystyna Skarbek, World War II British SOE agent. Mieczysław Zygfryd Słowikowski (Rygor-Słowikowski), Polish Army intelligence officer whose work in North Africa facilitated Allied preparations for the 1942 Operation Torch landings. Jerzy Sosnowski, major, a Polish spy in Germany (1926-1934) as Georg von Sosnowski, Ritter von Nalecz. Antoni Szymański, Polish military attaché in Berlin (1932–39). Halina Szymańska, World War II British intelligence agent; wife of Antoni Szymański. Jan Włodarkiewicz, lieutenant colonel, the first commander of Wachlarz. Marian Zacharski, Cold-War Polish intelligence agent convicted of espionage against the United States.

Holocaust resisters

• Irena Adamowicz
• Mordechaj Anielewicz, Military Leader of Warsaw Ghetto Uprising (1943)
• Dawid Apfelbaum, Polish Army lieutenant, commander of the Jewish Military Union (backed by the Home Army) in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
• Władysław Bartoszewski
• Adolf Berman
• Anna Borkowska (Sister Bertranda)
• Icchak Cukierman
• Marek Edelman
• Yitzhak Gitterman
• Haika Grossman
• Irena Gut
• Jan Karski
• Zofia Kossak-Szczucka, co-founder of Żegota
• Wanda Krahelska-Filipowicz, Provisional Committee for Aid to Jews
• Zivia Lubetkin
• Witold Pilecki
• Irena Sendler
• Henryk Sławik, Polish politician and diplomat in Hungary
• Henryk Woliński
• Lidia Zamenhof
• Szmul Zygielbojm

Religion

• Andrzej Alojzy Ankwicz (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lwów, 1815-33, and Archbishop of Prague 1833-38).
• Baal Shem Tov (Yisroel ben Eliezer (1698-1760), rabbi, the founder of Hasidic Judaism).
• St. Józef Bilczewski (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lvov, 1900-23).
• Szymon Budny (Polish-Belarusian humanist and Arian priest).
• St. Casimir Jagiellon (grandson of King Władysław II Jagiełło).
• St. Adam (Albert) Chmielowski (Albertine).
• August Czartoryski (beatified Prince).
• Edmund Dalbor (Primate of Poland, Cardinal, 1915-26).
• Albin Dunajewski (Bishop of Kraków, Cardinal, 1879-94).
• Stanisław Dziwisz (Archbishop of Kraków since 2005, Cardinal).
• Antoni Melchior Fijałkowski
• Jacob Frank (Jewish messianic leader who merged Judaism and Christianity).
• Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski
• Piotr z Goniądza (religious writer).
• Piotr Gamrat (Primate of Poland, 1541-45).
• Józef Glemp (Primate of Poland since 1981, Cardinal).
• Adam Stanisław Grabowski, Prince-Bishop of Warmia
• August Hlond (Primate of Poland, 1926-48, Cardinal).
• Stanislaus Hosius (legate to Poland, Cardinal and Prince-Bishop of Warmia).
• St. Hyacinth (Dominican).
• St. Jadwiga (Queen of Poland, 1384-99).
• Henryk Jankowski (Prelate, Chaplain of "Solidarność")
• Marian Jaworski (Polish Roman Catholic Archbishop of Lvov, since 1991, Cardinal).
• Aleksander Kakowski (Archbishop of Warsaw, Cardinal).
• St. Raphael Kalinowski (Carmelite).
• St. Jan Kanty (professor at Kraków University).
• Stanisław Karnkowski (Primate of Poland, 1581-1603; Interrex, 1586-87).
• St. Maksymilian Maria Kolbe (Franciscan martyr, Auschwitz 1941).
• Hugo Kołłątaj (priest, statesman).
• St. Stanisław Kostka (Jesuit).
• St. Faustina Kowalska (Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy).
• Ignacy Krasicki (Primate of Poland).
• Adam Stanisław Krasiński (Bishop of Kamieniec Podolski, 1757-98).
• John Krol (Archbishop of Philadelphia, Cardinal, 1961-88).
• Mieczysław Halka Ledóchowski (Primate of Poland, 1866-86, Cardinal).
• Jan Łaski (1456-1531), Primate of Poland, 1510-31.
• Jan Łaski (1499–1560), Protestant reformer; nephew of the Primate.
• Władysław Aleksander Łubieński (Archbishop of Lwów, 1758-59; and Primate of Poland, 1759-67; Interrex, 1763-64).
• Franciszek Macharski (Archbishop of Kraków, 1978-2005, Cardinal).
• Zbigniew Cardinal Oleśnicki (Bishop of Kraków, 1423-55, first Cardinal of Polish origin, since 1449, statesman).
• Zbigniew Oleśnicki (nephew of Zbigniew Cardinal Oleśnicki; Primate of Poland, 1481-93).
• Walenty Potocki (Count; converted to Judaism as Avrohom ben Avrohom, the Ger Tzedek of Vilna; died 1749).
• Jan Puzyna (Bishop of Kraków, 1895-1911, Cardinal).
• Jerzy Cardinal Radziwiłł (Bishop of Kraków, Cardinal, 1591-1600).
• Tadeusz Rydzyk (Redemptorist).
• St. Stanisław of Szczepanów (Bishop of Kraków, martyr 1079).
• Adam Stefan Sapieha (Bishop/Archbishop of Kraków, Cardinal, 1911-51).
• Piotr Skarga (Jesuit).
• Kajetan Sołtyk (Bishop of Kiev, 1756-59; Bishop of Kraków, 1759-88).
• Edmund Szoka (Archbishop of Detroit, Cardinal 1981-90).
• Józef Tischner (priest, philosopher and first chaplain of the trade union "Solidarity").
• 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 Wojtyla (Archbishop of Kraków, 1963-1978, Pope John Paul II, 1978-2005).
• Stefan Wyszyński (Primate of Poland, Cardinal, 1948-81).
• Reverend Monsignor (Wawrzyniec) Lawrence Wnuk (Protonotary Apostolic).

Assassins

Hryniewiecki Leon Czolgosz, anarchist assassin of U.S. President William McKinley Ignacy Hryniewiecki, assassin of Tsar Alexander II of Russia

Niewiadomski Eligiusz Niewiadomski, modernist painter, art critic, assassin of Polish President Gabriel Narutowicz

Miscellaneous

• George Adamski, controversial ufologist
• Florian Ceynowa, Kashubian activist
• Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz, the first woman to sail single-handed (i.e. solo) around the world
• Franciszek Czapek, watchmaker
• Michał Drzymała, resistance hero
• Piotr Gawryś, contract bridge champion
• Wincenty Gostkowski, watchmaker
• Piotr Iwanicki, wheelchair dancing world champion
• Marek Kamiński, adventure traveller
• Adam Michnik, journalist
• Piotr Naszarkowski, engraver
• Stefan Ossowiecki, psychic
• Józef Piotrowski
• Anthony Radziwill, U.S. news journalist/producer (nephew of John F. Kennedy)
• Wilfrid Michael Voynich, bibliophile
• Arkadiusz Weremczuk a.k.a. Arkadius (Ukrainian-Polish) fashion designer
• Warren Winiarski, California winemaker

Models

• Magdalena Wróbel, model
• Magdalena Frackowiak, Polish model born in Gdansk.
• Anna Jagodzinska, Polish model born in Sierpc.
• Anja Rubik, Polish model born in Częstochowa.
• Małgosia Bela, Polish model born in Krakow.
• Kasia Struss, Polish model born in Ciechanów.

Legendary persons

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

Fiction characters

• 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).
• Florentyna Kane from The Prodigal Daughter and Shall We Tell the President?
• Commander Keen, grandson of B.J. Blazkowicz
• Hans Kloss (Captain Kloss), WW II secret agent from Polish TV serial More Than Life at Stake
• Funky Koval, space detective
• Stanley Kowalski of the play A Streetcar Named Desire
• Koziołek Matołek (Matołek the Billy-Goat) is a fictional character created by Kornel Makuszyński (story) and Marian Walentynowicz (art) in one of the first and most famous Polish comics back in 1933
• Magneto, mutant (Marvel Comics)
• Mike Nomad (with Steve Roper), an American adventure comic strip (1936 - 2004)
• Officer Eddie Pulaski from Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
• Abel Rosnovski from Kane and Abel
• Pan Samochodzik, a fictional adventurer by Zbigniew Nienacki
• Sasquatch (Dr. Walter Langkowski), Marvel superhero
• Walter Sobchak, the "Polish Catholic" from the film The Big Lebowski
• Silk Spectre I & II, superheroines from Watchmen
• Stanislau from Blackhawk (comics), ace pilot
• Tytus, Romek i A'Tomek, Polish comic book heroes
• Walter Koskiusko Waldowski, the "Painless Pole" in MASH (film)
• Miś Uszatek, cartoon character
• Konrad Wallenrod (poem) by Adam Mickiewicz
• John Paul Wiggin (Jan Paweł Wieczorek) from Ender's Game series
• Stanisław Wokulski (in Bolesław Prus' novel, The Doll).
• Piotr Zak, fictional composer from a spoof BBC documentary
• Sophie Zawistowski from Sophie's Choice, a novel by William Styron and a film by Alan J. Pakula.
• The Witcher, fantasy hero by Sapkowski
• Michael Stivic [All in the Family]

Sports

see also: list of Polish sports players

Track and field

Andrzej Badeński, sprinter Jerzy Chromik, athlete Teresa Ciepły, sprinter Marian Foik, sprinter Halina Górecka, sprinter Piotr Haczek, track athlete Barbara Janiszewska, sprinter Ewa Kłobukowska, sprinter Władysław Komar, shot putter Halina Konopacka, discus thrower Robert Korzeniowski, racewalker Władysław Kozakiewicz, pole vaulter Elżbieta Krzesińska, long jumper

Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak, athlete Wacław Kuchar, athlete Janusz Kusociński, athlete Maria Kwaśniewska, javelin thrower Tomasz Majewski, shot putter Piotr Małachowski, discus thrower Wiesław Maniak, sprinter Bronisław Malinowski, athlete Robert Mackowiak, 400 m specialist Józef Noji, athlete Wanda Panfil, athlete Artur Partyka, high jumper Edmund Piątkowski, discus thrower Marek Plawgo, athlete Monika Pyrek, pole vaulter

Anna Rogowska, pole vaulter Tadeusz Rut, hammer thrower Piotr Rysiukiewicz, sprinter Janusz Sidło, javelin thrower Kamila Skolimowska, hammer thrower Irena Szewińska, sprinter Józef Szmidt, triple jumper Tadeusz Ślusarski, pole vaulter Marcin Urbas, sprinter Jadwiga Wajs, discus thrower Stanisława Walasiewicz, sprinter Jan Werner, sprinter Marian Woronin, dasher Jacek Wszoła, high jumper Kazimierz Zimny, athlete Szymon Ziółkowski, hammer thrower

Boxing

Tomasz Adamek Aleksy Antkiewicz Joe Choynski Zygmunt Chychła Leszek Drogosz Charley Goldman (International Boxing Hall of fame) Andrzej Gołota Janusz Gortat Józef Grudzień

Marian Kasprzyk Jerzy Kulej Dariusz Michalczewski Zbigniew Pietrzykowski Jerzy Rybicki Feliks Stamm, coach Jan Szczepański Tony Zale Janusz Zarenkiewicz

Chess

Arnold Aurbach Zdzisław Belsitzmann Abram Blass Agnieszka Brustman Oscar Chajes Josef Cukierman Hieronim Czarnowski Moshe Czerniak Arthur Dake Dawid Daniuszewski Arthur Dunkelblum Hanna Ereńska Samuel Factor Alexander Flamberg Henryk Friedman Paulino Frydman Regina Gerlecka Róża Herman Krystyna Hołuj-Radzikowska Dawid Janowski Max Judd

George Koltanowski Henrijeta Konarkowska-Sokolov Michał Krasenkow Adam Kuligowski Salo Landau Edward Lasker Paul Saladin Leonhardt Grigory Levenfish Moishe Lowtzky Bartłomiej Macieja Kazimierz Makarczyk Stasch Mlotkowski Piotr Murdzia Miguel Najdorf Edmund Nash Menachem Oren Julius Perlis Jusefs Petkevich Kazimierz Plater Ignatz von Popiel

Artur Popławski Dawid Przepiórka Teodor Regedziński Samuel Reshevsky Samuel Rosenthal Gersz Rotlewi Akiba Rubinstein Gersz Salwe Włodzimierz Schmidt Stanislaus Sittenfeld Franciszek Sulik Bogdan Śliwa Savielly Tartakower Jean Taubenhaus Vitaly Tseshkovsky Szymon Winawer Aleksander Wojtkiewicz Daniel Yanofsky Johannes Zukertort Adolf Zytogorski Józef Żabiński

Fencing

Zbigniew Czajkowski Danuta Dmowska Egon Franke Sylwia Gruchała Roman Kantor

Edward Korfanty Ryszard Parulski Jerzy Pawłowski Witold Woyda Wojciech Zabłocki

Ice hockey

Wayne Gretzky Canadian player of Polish-Belarusian-Ukrainian descent Mariusz Czerkawski Mike Komisarek Ed Olczyk

Krzysztof Oliwa Peter Sidorkiewicz Pete Stemkowski Wojtek Wolski

Skiing

• Bronisław Czech
• Wojciech Fortuna, ski jumper
• Justyna Kowalczyk, cross country skier
• Józef Łuszczek, cross country skier
• Adam Małysz, ski jumper
• Jan Marusarz, brother of Stanisław Marusarz and fellow Olympian; Krystyna Skarbek's World War II escort on skis across the Tatra Mountains from Hungary to Poland
• Stanisław Marusarz, ski jumper

Football (Soccer)

Zygmunt Anczok, defender Zbigniew Boniek, midfielder Artur Boruc, goalkeeper Lucjan Brychczy, midfielder Ewald Cebula, defender Gerard Cieślik, midfielder Lesław Ćmikiewicz, midfielder Kazimierz Deyna, midfielder Jerzy Dudek, goalkeeper Ewald Dytko, midfirlder Robert Gadocha, attacker Jerzy Gorgoń, defender Kazimierz Górski, coach Paweł Janas, defender, coach Józef Kałuża, attacker, coach Henryk Kasperczak, midfielder, coach Miroslav Klose, attacker Józef Klotz, defender Raymond Kopa, attacker Hubert Kostka, goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, goalkeeper Grzegorz Lato, attacker Włodzimierz Lubański, attacker

Stefan Majewski, defender, coach Józef Młynarczyk, goalkeeper Erwin Nyc, midfielder Ryszard Piec, midfielder Wilhelm Piec, midfielder Antoni Piechniczek, defender, coach Lukas Podolski attacker Ernest Pohl, attacker Fryderyk Scherfke midfielder Euzebiusz Smolarek, attacker Włodzimierz Smolarek, midfielder Grzegorz Szamotulski, goalkeeper Andrzej Szarmach, attacker Władysław Szczepaniak, defender Piotr Świerczewski, midfielder Jan Tomaszewski, goalkeeper Krzysztof Warzycha, attacker Ernest Wilimowski, attacker Gerard Wodarz, attacker Łukasz Załuska, goalkeeper Władysław Żmuda, defender

Swimming

Katarzyna Baranowska Otylia Jędrzejczak Bartosz Kizierowski Michael Klim Paweł Korzeniowski Daniel Kowalski

Sławomir Kuczko Mariusz Podkościelny Mateusz Sawrymowicz Rafał Szukała Artur Wojdat

Weightlifting

• Waldemar Baszanowski
• Marcin Dołęga
• Szymon Kołecki
• Mieczysław Nowak
• Ireneusz Paliński
• Agata Wróbel