Aleksander Zawadzki was a Polish

Poland

Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...

 Communist political figure and head of state of Poland from 1952 to 1964.

A member of the Communist Youth Union, Zawadzki went into exile in the Soviet Union

Soviet Union

The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....

 in 1931, after spending six years in prison for "subversive activities." He returned to Poland in 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, but was immediately arrested. Freed from prison by the Soviet invasion of the country, Zawazki eventually joined the Soviet-organized Polish Army, rising to the rank of general.

Upon the seizure of Poland by Soviets, he was appointed the new government's representative to the former German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 territory of Silesia

Silesia

Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...

, which was transferred to Poland after the war. He was elected to the Sejm

Sejm

The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....

 in 1947, and on November 20, 1952 he was appointed chairman of the Polish Council of State

Polish Council of State

The Council of State of the Republic of Poland was introduced by the 1947 Small Constitution. It consisted of the President of the Republic of Poland, the Marshal and Vicemarshals of Constituent Sejm, President of the Supreme Chamber of Control and could consist of other members...

, to replace Bolesław Bierut. He died of cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 in 1964.

Honours and awards

• Knight's Cross of the Virtuti Militari
  Virtuti Militari
  The Order Wojenny Virtuti Militari is Poland's highest military decoration for heroism and courage in the face of the enemy at war...
  
  
• Grand Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
• Order of the Builders of People's Poland
  Order of the Builders of People's Poland
  Order of the Builders of People's Poland was the highest civil decoration of Poland in the times of the People's Republic of Poland.-History:...
  
  
• Order of the Banner of Labour, 1st Class
• Cross of Grunwald
  Cross of Grunwald
  Order Krzyża Grunwaldu 1943-1960, Krzyż Grunwaldu 1960-1992 was a military decoration created in November 1943 by the High Command of Gwardia Ludowa, a World War II Polish resistance movement in Poland organised by the Polish Workers Party...
  
  , 2nd Class
• Cross of Valour
• Partisan Cross (12 June 1946)
• Silesian Insurrectionary Cross