Zygmunt Modzelewski (15 April 1900 – 18 June 1954) was a Polish communist politician, professor, economist, and diplomat.

Zygmunt Modzelewski
Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
6 February 1947 – 20 March 1951
Preceded byWincenty Rzymowski
Succeeded byStanisław Skrzeszewski
Ambassador of Poland to the Soviet Union
In office
2 January 1945 – 28 June 1945
Preceded byStefan Jędrychowski
Succeeded byHenryk Raabe
Personal details
Born(1900-04-15)15 April 1900
Częstochowa, Congress Poland, Russian Empire
Died18 June 1954(1954-06-18) (aged 54)
Warsaw, Polish People's Republic
Political partyCommunist Party of Poland
Polish Workers' Party
Polish United Workers' Party
Alma materUniversity of Paris
ProfessionPolitician, diplomat, economist, professor

Life and career

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Modzelewski was born in to the family of a railroad worker. He was a member of the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania and Communist Party of Poland. From 1923 to 1937, he was a member of the French Communist Party and even joined its Central Committee. In 1937 he moved to the Soviet Union and was arrested by NKVD in the same year in the Great Purge. Despite torture he refused to give false confession and was released in 1939.

During the Second World War he joined the Union of Polish Patriots and the Central Bureau of Polish Communists and became the first director of Polpress, a precursor to the Polish Press Agency. He joined the Polish Workers' Party in 1944 (and later its successor, the Polish United Workers' Party) and eventually became the member of its Central Committee. He was also a member of the Polish Council of State and a deputy to the State National Council and Legislative Sejm. He was also a Polish delegate at the session of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations. Involved in the work of the Slavic Committee in Poland. From 1947 to 1951 he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs. From 1951, rector of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party.

He received the Order of the Builders of People's Poland.

He was the adoptive father of Karol Modzelewski.

References

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