Maciej Rataj

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Maciej Rataj
Acting President of the Polish Republic
In office May 15, 1926 – June 1, 1926
Preceded by	Stanisław Wojciechowski
Succeeded by	Ignacy Mościcki
Acting President of the Polish Republic
In office December 16, 1922 – December 22, 1922
Preceded by	Gabriel Narutowicz
Succeeded by	Stanisław Wojciechowski
2nd Sejm Marshal
In office November 28, 1922 – March 26, 1928
Preceded by	Wojciech Trąmpczyński
Succeeded by	Ignacy Daszyński
Born	February 19, 1884 Chłopy, near Lwow, Austria-Hungary
Died	June 21, 1940 Palmiry, Poland
Political party	Polish People's Party

Maciej Rataj (19 February 1884 - 21 June 1940) was a Polish politician, president, socialist activist and writer. He was executed by Nazi Germany. Born in the Chłopy village near Lwów on 19 February 1884, he attended a gymnasium in Lwów and studied classical linguistics at the University of Lwów. Upon the completion of his studies he became a gymansium teacher first in Lwów, and later in Zamość.

He became involved in politics after the Second Polish Republic gained independence following the First World War. He was a member of the PSL Piast and PSL Wyzwolenie political parties, and from 1931 a member of the Stronnictwo Ludowe. He became president of the Stronnictwo and the chief editor of the party's official paper, the 'Zielony Sztandar' in 1935. From 1919 to 1930 and from 1934-1935 he was a Member of Parliament for the Sejm (Polish Parliament), and from 1922 to 1928 he was the Marshal of the Sejm. Between 1920-1921 he was the Minister of Religion and Public Education, and took part in work on the March Constitution.

He was President of Poland twice: first in December 1922 after the assassination of president Gabriel Narutowicz as Acting President of the Republic of Poland for one week, and again in May 1926, after Józef Piłsudski's May Coup and the resignation of president Stanisław Wojciechowski. His second term lasted half of a month.

During both times he oversaw special election and appointed new governments.

In December 1940 he was arrested by Nazi Germany and executed in Palmiry.

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