Jerzy Albrecht


Jerzy Albrecht was a Polish economist and communist politician, he held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel of the Polish People's Army. Minister of Finance from 1960–1968, member of the Council of State. He served as member of the State National Council, the Legislative Sejm, and the Sejm of the Polish People's Republic of the 1st, 2nd,, and terms.

Biography

Son of Jan and Natalia, in 1933, he passed his secondary school leaving examination at the. From 1933 to 1936, he studied at the. In 1934, he became a member of the Communist Union of Polish Youth, and in 1938, he joined its Warsaw committee. From 1938 to 1939, he was active in the Democratic Club.
After the September Campaign, he found himself in the Soviet-occupied territory of Lviv. From 1941, he was a member of the. In 1942, he joined the Polish Workers' Party, and from May to August 1942, he served as First Secretary of the PPR Warsaw Committee. He was then arrested by the Gestapo. From 1942 to 1945, he was imprisoned in the German concentration camps at Majdanek, Flossenbürg, and Gross-Rosen.
From June 1945 to November 1948, he again served as First Secretary of the Polish Workers' Party Warsaw Committee. From 1945 to 1948, he was also a member of the Polish Workers' Party Central Committee, and from 1947 to 1948, a member of the PPR Secretariat. From 1948, he was a member of the Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee of the Polish Workers' Party and subsequently headed the Propaganda and Press Department and the Propaganda, Culture, and Education Department of the Central Committee of the PPR. From 1948, he joined the Polish United Workers' Party, remaining head of the Propaganda, Culture, and Education Department, this time of the Central Committee of the PZPR, and also a member of the Organizational Bureau of the Central Committee. From 1948 to 1968, he was a member of the Central Committee of the PZPR, and from 1956 to 1961, secretary of the Central Committee. In the 1950s, he was associated with the so-called Puławy faction, and was included in the group of so-called young secretaries. He was a delegate to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Congresses of the PZPR.
From 1945 to 1969, he served as a member of the State National Council, the Legislative Sejm, and the Sejm of the Polish People's Republic of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th terms. From 1952 to 1956, he chaired the Sejm Committee on Municipal Economy and Housing, and also served as a member of the presidium of the National Front National Committee. From March to August 1956, he served as secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party, responsible for education. From 1950 to 1956, he served as chairman of the presidium of the Municipal National Council of the Capital City of Warsaw, de-facto of Mayor of Warsaw. From 1955 to 1957, he was a member, and from 1957 to 1961, deputy chairman, of the State Council. From 1960 to 1968, he served as Minister of Finance, after which he retired from political activity.
He was a long-time member of the Supreme Council of the Society of Fighters for Freedom and Democracy. During the 1969–1974 term, he served as vice-president of the Supreme Council. In the 1980s, he served on numerous committees and advisory boards, including: a member of the Commission for Economic Reform, a member of the Citizens' Consultative Convention at the chairman of the National Council of the Capital City of Warsaw, as well as of the Social Council of the Election Fund at the Warsaw Committee of the Polish United Workers' Party before the parliamentary elections in June 1989. From June 1985, he was also a member of the Editorial Committee for the preparation of Władysław Gomułka's Collected Writings. On November 28, 1988, he joined the Honorary Committee for the Celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the PPR-PPS Unification Congress – the establishment of the Polish United Workers' Party.

Awards

  • Order of the Banner of Labour, 1st Class
  • Order of the Cross of Grunwald, 2nd Class
  • Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta
  • Commander's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta
  • Gold Cross of Merit
  • Medal for Warsaw 1939–1945
  • Auschwitz Cross
  • Bronze Medal of Merit for National Defence
  • Golden
  • Badge of Honor "For Merit to the Development of the Koszalin Voivodeship"
  • Golden Badge "For Merit to the Development of the Katowice Voivodeship"
  • Commemorative Medal on the Occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the State National Council
  • Commemorative Medal "40th Anniversary of the Polish United Workers' Party"