Thomas Szczeponik
Encyclopedia
Thomas Szczeponik was a German-Polish Catholic politician.
He was educated as a teacher at a Catholic seminary in Peiskretscham between 1874 and 1881, and worked as a teacher. He was elected to the Weimar National Assembly
in 1919 as a representative of the Catholic Centre Party, and was a member of the German Reichstag
until August 31, 1922. In 1920, he voted against the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles
. After his hometown became Polish, and he became a Polish citizen, he left the Parliament of Germany in 1922.
After becoming a Polish citizen, he founded the Katholische Volkspartei
, a Catholic party that promoted the interests of the German minority in Upper Silesia. He was a Senator of the Republic of Poland and a member of the Silesian Parliament
from 1922 until his death. He was also a member of the city council of Katowice. After his death, Arthur Gabrisch succeeded him as Senator and Conrad Kunsdorf as Member of the Silesian Parliament. Eduard Pant
was elected new chairman of the party.
A school in Hindenburg
in the German part of Silesia was named in his honour from 1929 to 1935. He received the Order of St. Gregory the Great
.
He was educated as a teacher at a Catholic seminary in Peiskretscham between 1874 and 1881, and worked as a teacher. He was elected to the Weimar National Assembly
Weimar National Assembly
The Weimar National Assembly governed Germany from February 6, 1919 to June 6, 1920 and drew up the new constitution which governed Germany from 1919 to 1933, technically remaining in effect even until the end of Nazi rule in 1945...
in 1919 as a representative of the Catholic Centre Party, and was a member of the German Reichstag
Reichstag (Weimar Republic)
The Reichstag was the parliament of Weimar Republic .German constitution commentators consider only the Reichstag and now the Bundestag the German parliament. Another organ deals with legislation too: in 1867-1918 the Bundesrat, in 1919–1933 the Reichsrat and from 1949 on the Bundesrat...
until August 31, 1922. In 1920, he voted against the ratification of the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
. After his hometown became Polish, and he became a Polish citizen, he left the Parliament of Germany in 1922.
After becoming a Polish citizen, he founded the Katholische Volkspartei
German Christian People's Party
The German Christian People's Party , originally the Catholic People's Party and the German Catholic People's Party was a Christian political party of the German minority in the Second Polish Republic...
, a Catholic party that promoted the interests of the German minority in Upper Silesia. He was a Senator of the Republic of Poland and a member of the Silesian Parliament
Silesian Parliament
Silesian Parliament or Silesian Sejm was the governing body of the Silesian Voivodeship , an autonomous voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic between 1920 and 1945. It was elected in democratic elections and had certain influence over the usage of taxes collected in Silesia...
from 1922 until his death. He was also a member of the city council of Katowice. After his death, Arthur Gabrisch succeeded him as Senator and Conrad Kunsdorf as Member of the Silesian Parliament. Eduard Pant
Eduard Pant
Eduard Pant was a journalist and politician of the Catholic German minority in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland in the interwar period...
was elected new chairman of the party.
A school in Hindenburg
Zabrze
Zabrze is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. The west district of the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union is a metropolis with a population of around 2 million...
in the German part of Silesia was named in his honour from 1929 to 1935. He received the Order of St. Gregory the Great
Order of St. Gregory the Great
The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great , was established on September 1, 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election.It is one of the five orders of knighthood of the Holy See...
.
Literature
- Gerhard Webersinn, Thomas Szczeponik. Ein Leben für Glaube, Volkstum und Heimat , in: Jahrbuch der Schlesischen Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität zu Breslau, Band XVI, Seiten 159 - 214, Göttingen 1971.