List of Polish people: Difference between revisions

This is a partial list of famous Polish, Polish-speaking/writing people, and people born in Poland.

Science

• Stefan Banach (1892-1945), mathematician
• Karol Borsuk (1905-1982), mathematician
• Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543), astronomer
• Maria Curie-Skłodowska (1867-1934), scientist, Nobel Prize winner (twice), first female Nobel prize winner
• Jan Czekanowski (1882-1965), anthropologist
• Jan Czerski (1845-1892), geographer and geologist
• Samuel Dickstein (1851-1939), mathematician
• Ignacy Domeyko (1802-1889), geologist
• Samuel Eilenberg (1913-1998), mathematician
• Gabriel Fahrenheit (1686-1736), physicist
• Kazimierz Funk (1884-1967), biochemist
• Rudolf Gundlach, inventor of tank periscope
• Mirosław Hermaszewski (b. 1941), the first polish astronaut
• Johannes Hevelius (Jan Heweliusz) (1611-1687), astronomer
• Jozef Hofman (1876-1957), pianist, inventor of windscreen wipers and car springs
• Witold Hurewicz (1904-1956), mathematician
• Roman Ingarden (1893-1970), philosopher
• Mark Kac (1914-1984), mathematician
• Antoni Kepinski (1918-1972), psychiatrist
• Janusz Korczak (1878-1942), pedagogist
• Jan Kubary (1846-1896), anthropologist
• Krystyna Kuperberg (1944-), mathematician
• Kazimierz Kuratowski (1896-1980), mathematician
• Ignacy Łukasiewicz (1822-1882), founder of the world petroleum industry
• Jan Łukasiewicz (1878-1956), mathematician
• Henryk Magnuski (1909-1978), engineer, inventor of the Walkie-talkie
• Bronisław Malinowski (1884-1942), anthropologue and ethnologue
• Benoit Mandelbrot (1924-), mathematician
• Józef Marcinkiewicz (1910-1940 ), mathematician
• Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski (Andreas Fricius Modrevius) (1503-1572), political theorist and philosopher
• Wladyslaw Orlicz (1903-1990), mathematician
• Emil Leon Post (1897-1954), mathematician
• Bohdan Paczyński (1940-) astronomer
• Bronisław Piłsudski (1866-1918), anthropologist
• Marian Rejewski (1905-1980), mathematician and cryptologist
• Stanislaw Saks (1897-1942), mathematician
• Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 - 1860), philosopher
• Wacław Sierpiński (1882-1969), mathematician
• Marian Smoluchowski (1872-1917), physicist
• Hugo Steinhaus(1887-1972), mathematician.
• Pawel Strzelecki (1797-1873), explorer
• Alfred Tarski (1901-1983), mathematician
• Stanislaw Ulam (1909 - 1984), mathematician
• Rudolf Weigl (1883-1957), biologist and the inventor of the typhus vaccine
• Piotr Wilniewczyc (1887-1960), arms constructor
• Paweł Włodkowic (1370-1435), scholar and laywer
• Edmund Wnuk-Lipinski (1944-), sociologist
• Aleksander Wolszczan (1946-), astronomer
• Zygmunt Wróblewski (1845-1888), physicist
• Józef Hoene-Wroński (1778-1853), mathematician and philosopher
• Ludwik Zamenhof (1859-1917), linguist
• Kazimierz Zarankiewicz (1902-1959) mathematician
• Antoni Zygmund (1900 - 1992) mathematician

Musicians

• Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849)
• Krzysztof Penderecki (1933-)
• Wojciech Kilar (1932-)
• Karol Lipiński (1790-1861)
• Witold Lutosławski (1913-1994)
• Zbigniew Preisner (1955-)
• Henryk Górecki (1933-)
• Arthur Rubinstein (1887-1982), pianist
• Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937)
• Władysław Szpilman (1911-2000), pianist
• Henryk Wieniawski (1835-1880)

Literature

• Joseph Conrad (Teodor Józef Korzeniowski) (1857-1924), English writer
• Lucyna Cwierczakiewiczowa (1829-1901, the first Polish cook book author
• Johannes Dantiscus (Jan Dantyszek) (1485-1548), Latin poet and Prince-Bishop of Warmia
• Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz (1898-1939), novelist
• Jacek Dukaj (1974-), science-fiction writer
• Witold Gombrowicz (1904-1969), novelist and drama writer
• Zbigniew Herbert (1924-1998), poet
• Ryszard Kapuściński (1932-), writer and journalist
• Jan Kochanowski (1530-1584), poet
• Jerzy Kosiński (1933-1991)
• Zofia Kossak-Szczucka (1890-1968)
• Stanisław Lem (1921-), science-fiction writer, essayist, philosopher
• Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855), poet
• Czesław Miłosz, Polish poet, Nobel Prize in Literature in 1980 (June 30, 1911 – August 14, 2004)
• Cyprian Kamil Norwid (1821-1883), poet
• Krzysztof Piesiewicz (1945-), screenwriter and politician
• Władysław Reymont (1867-1925), writer, Nobel Prize winner
• Marcel Reich-Ranicki (born 2 June 1920), literary critic
• Andrzej Sapkowski (born 1948), fantasy writer
• Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916), writer, Nobel Prize winner
• Wisława Szymborska (born 1923), poetess, Nobel Prize winner
• Bruno Schulz (1892-1942), writer
• Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy) (1885-1939), writer and painter
• Stanisław Witkiewicz (1851-1915), writer, painter and art theoretician
• Stanisław Wyspiański, (1869-1907), painter and writer
• Franciszek Zabłocki (1754-1821), comic dramatist and satirist
• Janusz A. Zajdel (1938-1995), science-fiction writer

Arts

• Magdalena Abakanowicz (born 1930), sculptor
• Daniel Chodowiecki (1726-1801), painter
• Jerzy Grotowski (1933-1999), theatre reformer
• Tamara de Lempicka (1898-1980), painter
• Jan Matejko (1838-1893), painter
• Nikifor (1895-1968), painter
• Napoleon Orda (1807-1883), painter

Entertainment

• Agnieszka Holland (1948-), film director
• Kazimierz Kutz (1929-), film director
• Krzysztof Kieslowski (1941-1996), film director
• Roman Polanski (1933-), film director and actor
• Andrzej Wajda (1926-), film director
• Andrzej Zulawski (1940-), film director
• Józef Arkusz, (1921-1996), film director
• Eugeniusz Bodo (1899-1943), singer and actor
• Zbigniew Cybulski (1927-1967), actor
• Katarzyna Figura (1962-), actress
• Jan Kiepura (1902-1966), singer and actor
• Bogusław Linda (1952-), actor
• Helena Modrzejewska (1840-1909), actress
• Pola Negri (1895-1987), actress
• Joanna Pacula (1957-), actress
• Ewa Demarczyk, (1941-), actress, poetry singer
• Ludwika Paleta (1978-), actress famous in Mexico
• Wojciech Pszoniak (1942-), actor of Comedie Francaise
• Daniel Olbrychski (1945-), actor
• Izabella Scorupco (1970-) actress
• Jacek Kaczmarski, (1957-2004), protest songwriter and singer

Royalty

• Swiatoslawa (Gunhild) (960?-1014), daughter of Mieszko I of Poland, mother of Canute the Great, king of England, Denmark and Norway
• Boleslaus the Brave (966/967-1025), first king of Poland
• Henry II the Pious (?-1241), senior duke of Poland, commander of Polish forces in Battle of Legnica
• Jadwiga of Poland (1372-1399], king (!) of Poland, canonised
• Casimir IV the Jagiellonian (1427-1494), king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania, victor in Thirteen Years' War (1454-1466)
• Sigismund II Augustus (1520-1572), king of Poland and grand duke of Lithuania, creator of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
• Jan III Sobieski (John III of Poland) (1629-1696), king of Poland and Great Duke of Lithuania, victor at the Battle of Vienna
• Stanislaw Leszczynski, (Stanislaus I of Poland) (1677-1766), king of Poland and prince of Lorraine
• Ladislaus III, (Władysław III Warneńczyk, Ulászló I), 1424-1444, king of Poland and Hungary
• Aleksandra Lisowska (Khourrem) (~1510 - 1558), (wife of Suleiman the Magnificent)

Sports

• Wojciech Fortuna, ski jumper
• Robert Korzeniowski, athlete
• Adam Malysz, ski jumper
• Zbigniew Boniek, soccer forward
• Jerzy Dudek, soccer goalkeeper
• Dariusz Michalczewski, boxer
• Andrew Golota, boxer
• Jerzy Kukuczka (1948 - 1989), climber
• Krzysztof Wielicki (1950 - ), climber

Military commanders

• Józef Bem (1794-1850), military commander, commander-in-chief of Hungarian army (1849)
• Jan Karol Chodkiewicz (1560-1621), military commander, victor from Kircholm
• Jarosław Dąbrowski (1836-1871), military commander during the January Uprising and the Paris Commune
• Henryk Dembiński (1791-1864), military commander in the November Uprising and the Hungarian uprising of 1849
• Jozef Haller (1873-1960), politician, commander of the Polish Army in France during WWI
• Tadeusz Komorowski (1895-1966), commander of the Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising
• Tadeusz Kosciuszko (1746-1817), commander and revolutionist
• Stanislaw Maczek (1892-1994), commander of the Polish Armoured Division, later C-i-C of the Polish forces in exile after WWII
• Casimir Pulaski, military commander
• Stefan Rowecki (1895-1944?), military commander, commander-in-chief of the Home Army
• Edward Śmigły-Rydz (1886-1941), military commander, successful in the Polish-Bolshevik war, C-i-C of the Polish Army in the September Campaign
• Aleksander Lisowski (1575-1616), commander of Lisowczycy
• Stanislaus Zolkiewski (1547-1620), chancellor of Poland, military commander, conqueror of Moscow

Politicians and diplomats

• Zbigniew Brzezinski (1928-), political scientist, advisor of US president Jimmy Carter
• Krzysztof Grzymułtowski (1620-1687), diplomat and voivod of Poznań, author of the Eternal Peace Treaty with Russia
• Wojciech Korfanty (1873-1939), leader Silesians during Third Silesian Uprising
• Tadeusz Mazowiecki, politician
• Jozef Pilsudski (1867-1935), statesman, politician and marshall
• Lech Walesa (born 1943), trade unionist who started dismantling of the Soviet bloc

People who resisted Holocaust

• Henryk Slawik (1894 - 1944) Polish diplomat
• Jan Karski
• Zofia Kossak-Szczucka
• Irena Sendlerowa

Religion

• John Paul II (born 1920), the Pope
• Jacob Frank, (1726-1791)

Others

• Benedict the Pole (Benedictus Polonus, Benedykt Polak), (1200-1280), explorer
• Florian Ceynowa
• Ryszard Kuklinski (1930-2004), CIA masterspy during the Cold War
• Miguel Najdorf (1910-1997), chess player
• Krystyna Skarbek (1915-1952), SOE heroine of WW II
• Janusz Zurakowski, WW II fighter pilot and Avro Arrow test pilot

Controversial persons

• Feliks Dzierzynski (1877-1926), Cheka founder
• Ignacy Hryniewiecki (1855-1881), murderer of Tsar Aleksander II of Russia

Legendary persons

• John of Kolno (Jan z Kolna, Johannes Scolnus or Scolvus), (semi?)legendary explorer and discoverer of America before Columbus (1476)

See also

• Polish literature
• List of Polish composers
• List of Polish painters
• List of Polish language poets
• Polish theater
• Polish film history
• Music in Poland
• List of Silesians
• List of Polish Jews
• List of Slavs
• List of people by nationality
• List of people by EU state