Apolinary Hartglas
Encyclopedia
Maksymilian Apolinary Hartglas (born on April 7, 1883 in Biala Podlaska
, died on March 7, 1953 in Tel Aviv
) – a Zionist
activist and one of the main political leaders of Polish Jews during the interwar period, a lawyer, a publicist, and a Sejm
deputy from 1919 to 1930.
in Biała Podlaska. Subsequently he earned a law degree from Warsaw University in 1904. Between 1907 and 1919 he practiced law in Siedlce
with an additional office in Warsaw. While at the university he became involved with the Zionist movement
and in 1906 he participated in a Zionist Helsingfors
conference in Helsinki.
of the newly independent Polish state which was charged with writing a new constitution
. In all he served three terms as a delegate. Before the elections of 1922 together with Izaak Grunbaum he was a co-creator of Bloc of National Minorities
, a parliamentary organization whose purpose was to represent ethnic minorities in the Polish parliament. One of his first acts as a deputy of the Sejm was to introduce a law which annulled all Russian sponsored laws which discriminated against Jews in the former Congress Poland
.
In 1920 he took part in the Polish-Soviet War
as a volunteer. Between 1938 and 1939 he was a member of the Warsaw City Council
. During this time he published articles in "Głos Żydowski", "Tygodnik Żydowski" and "Życie Żydowskie" newspapers.
. However, on the 20th of December, 1939, he managed to escape to Trieste
, Italy and eventually to Jerusalem. After the creation of Israel
he served as a high ranking administrator in the Ministry of the Interior
.
Biala Podlaska
Biała Podlaska is a town in eastern Poland with 58,047 inhabitants . It is situated in the Lublin Voivodeship , having previously been the capital of Biała Podlaska Voivodeship . It is the capital of Biała Podlaska County....
, died on March 7, 1953 in Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv , officially Tel Aviv-Yafo , is the second most populous city in Israel, with a population of 404,400 on a land area of . The city is located on the Israeli Mediterranean coastline in west-central Israel. It is the largest and most populous city in the metropolitan area of Gush Dan, with...
) – a Zionist
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
activist and one of the main political leaders of Polish Jews during the interwar period, a lawyer, a publicist, and a 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 ....
deputy from 1919 to 1930.
Early life and education
Hartglas was born into a lawyer family from Podlasie. Between 1892 and 1900 he attended a secondary schoolGymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Biała Podlaska. Subsequently he earned a law degree from Warsaw University in 1904. Between 1907 and 1919 he practiced law in Siedlce
Siedlce
Siedlce ) is a city in eastern Poland with 77,392 inhabitants . Situated in the Masovian Voivodeship , previously the city was the capital of a separate Siedlce Voivodeship ....
with an additional office in Warsaw. While at the university he became involved with the Zionist movement
Zionism
Zionism is a Jewish political movement that, in its broadest sense, has supported the self-determination of the Jewish people in a sovereign Jewish national homeland. Since the establishment of the State of Israel, the Zionist movement continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the Jewish state...
and in 1906 he participated in a Zionist Helsingfors
Helsinki
Helsinki is the capital and largest city in Finland. It is in the region of Uusimaa, located in southern Finland, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, an arm of the Baltic Sea. The population of the city of Helsinki is , making it by far the most populous municipality in Finland. Helsinki is...
conference in Helsinki.
Political career in Poland
In 1919 he was elected by constituents of Biała Podlaska as a deputy to the first SejmPolish legislative election, 1919
The Polish legislative election, 1919 took place on 26 January and were the first election in the Second Polish Republic. The elections, based on universal suffrage and proportional representation, produced a parliament balanced between Right, Left and Center...
of the newly independent Polish state which was charged with writing a new constitution
Small Constitution of 1919
The Small Constitution of 1919 was the "Legislative Sejm's ordinance of February 20, 1919, entrusting Józef Piłsudski with the further execution of the office of Chief of State" . The legislation was published as Dz. Pr. P.P...
. In all he served three terms as a delegate. Before the elections of 1922 together with Izaak Grunbaum he was a co-creator of Bloc of National Minorities
Bloc of National Minorities
Blok Mniejszości Narodowych , was a political party in the Second Polish Republic, representing a coalition of various ethnic minorities in Poland, primarily Ukrainians, Belarusians, Jews and Germans. The Bloc was co-founded by Yitzhak Gruenbaum, a Polish-Jewish politician...
, a parliamentary organization whose purpose was to represent ethnic minorities in the Polish parliament. One of his first acts as a deputy of the Sejm was to introduce a law which annulled all Russian sponsored laws which discriminated against Jews in the former Congress Poland
Congress Poland
The Kingdom of Poland , informally known as Congress Poland , created in 1815 by the Congress of Vienna, was a personal union of the Russian parcel of Poland with the Russian Empire...
.
In 1920 he took part in the Polish-Soviet War
Polish-Soviet War
The Polish–Soviet War was an armed conflict between Soviet Russia and Soviet Ukraine and the Second Polish Republic and the Ukrainian People's Republic—four states in post–World War I Europe...
as a volunteer. Between 1938 and 1939 he was a member of the Warsaw City Council
Warsaw City Council
Warsaw City Council is a unicameral governing body of the city of Warsaw, the capital of Poland.The council was first created following the location of Warsaw under the terms of the Magdeburg Law in the Middle Ages. The modern council is regulated by the Warsaw Act of 2002. It consists of 60...
. During this time he published articles in "Głos Żydowski", "Tygodnik Żydowski" and "Życie Żydowskie" newspapers.
During World War Two and after
After the Nazi invasion of Poland and German occupation he was made a member of the Warsaw JudenratJudenrat
Judenräte were administrative bodies during the Second World War that the Germans required Jews to form in the German occupied territory of Poland, and later in the occupied territories of the Soviet Union It is the overall term for the enforcement bodies established by the Nazi occupiers to...
. However, on the 20th of December, 1939, he managed to escape to Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy and eventually to Jerusalem. After the creation of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
he served as a high ranking administrator in the Ministry of the Interior
Internal Affairs Minister of Israel
The Interior Minister , also known as the Minister of Internal Affairs is head of the Israeli Ministry of Interior and an important portfolio in the cabinet. The current Interior Minister is Eli Yishai of Shas...
.