Jan Szembek (diplomat)
Encyclopedia
Count Jan Szembek was a Polish
diplomat, one of the most influential in late years of the Second Polish Republic
, close associate of Józef Beck
. Szembek was born in a szlachta
family on July 11, 1881 in the village of Poręba near Alwernia
. He graduated from the Vienna University, then took up the post of an Austria
n government clerk in Bosnia
(1905–1908). In 1908 he settled in Kraków
In 1919, after Poland regained independence (see: Partitions of Poland
), Szembek was named chargé d'affaires and later, Polish ambassador in Budapest
(1921–1924). Later, he was moved to Polish embassies in Brussels
(1925) and Bucharest
(1927), where he remained until 1932. After returning to Poland, he took up the job of deputy secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw
.
On September 17, 1939, he left Poland, together with other members of the government. His real estate, located in the village of Mloszowa (near Trzebinia
), was ransacked by the Germans, who also burned Szembek's personal library. He died July 9, 1945 in Estoril
near Lisbon
. Szembek authored two books:
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...
diplomat, one of the most influential in late years of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
, close associate of Józef Beck
Józef Beck
' was a Polish statesman, diplomat, military officer, and close associate of Józef Piłsudski...
. Szembek was born in a szlachta
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
family on July 11, 1881 in the village of Poręba near Alwernia
Alwernia
Alwernia is a Polish town situated some 36 km west of Kraków in the Chrzanów district of the Lesser Poland Voivodeship . The town, as well as possessing a large chemical works, is a centre for recreation and tourism.-History:The name of the town is taken from that of the Franciscan hermitage...
. He graduated from the Vienna University, then took up the post of an Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n government clerk in Bosnia
Bosnia (region)
Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
(1905–1908). In 1908 he settled in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
In 1919, after Poland regained independence (see: Partitions of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
), Szembek was named chargé d'affaires and later, Polish ambassador in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
(1921–1924). Later, he was moved to Polish embassies in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
(1925) and Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
(1927), where he remained until 1932. After returning to Poland, he took up the job of deputy secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
.
On September 17, 1939, he left Poland, together with other members of the government. His real estate, located in the village of Mloszowa (near Trzebinia
Trzebinia
Trzebinia is a town in Chrzanów County, Lesser Poland, Poland with an Orlen oil refinery and a major rail junction of the Kraków - Katowice line that connections to Oświęcim and Spytkowice.-History:...
), was ransacked by the Germans, who also burned Szembek's personal library. He died July 9, 1945 in Estoril
Estoril
Estoril is a seaside resort and civil parish of the Portuguese municipality of Cascais, Lisboa District. The Estoril coast is close to Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. It starts in Carcavelos, 15 kilometres from Lisbon, and stretches as far as Guincho, often known as Costa de Estoril-Sintra or...
near Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
. Szembek authored two books:
- Diariusz i teki Jana Szembeka 1934 - 1939, t. 1 - 4, London 1964 - 1972
- Jan Szembek Diariusz. Wrzesien-Grudzien 1939, Wydawnictwo PAX Warszawa 1989, ISBN 83-211-1100-9
Sources
- Młoszowa at mloszowa.mbp.trzebinia.pl
- Ibidem - Zrodla do historii Polski XIX - XX w.(przypisy) at www.ibidem.com.pl