Without Wojciech Korfanty Silesia would not have returned to the Republic of Poland

“On this 150th anniversary of the birth of Wojciech Korfanty, we reflect on who he is for us today, for all Poles. He is the father of Polish independence - certainly. He is a great hero of Silesia - absolutely, yes. But he is also simply a great hero of the entire Republic of Poland,” said the Prime Minister during the ceremony.

He emphasised that without Korfanty's efforts, his dedicated work in rebuilding the independent Second Polish Republic, our country might have looked very different. It might not have survived, might have been much poorer and might not have been able to achieve what it was achieving at the time, namely the industrial and infrastructural development. 

The most important message of the Silesian hero is the message of unity

As the Prime Minister pointed out, the most important message of Wojciech Korfanty is the message of unity. This is the fundamental task and message for all of us, to ensure that Poland is united and is the same for all Poles.

The head of the Polish government emphasised that Wojciech Korfanty's main mission was to work organically for Poland, patiently, strenuously and with all his strength.

“I wish all of you to have, just like him, a warm heart and a cool mind that leads to the right solutions. Let us all work hard for the Republic together, regardless of which political side we come from, so that the Poland of our dreams becomes the Poland of our reality, our everyday life," concluded the Prime Minister.

Wojciech Korfanty played an important role in the process of rebuilding the Republic after 1918

He was born on 20 April 1873 in what is now Siemianowice Śląskie. He was a social activist, politician and publicist. A great patriot and one of the most important figures fighting for the reincorporation of Silesia into Poland. He headed the Polish Plebiscite Commissariat in Upper Silesia, coordinating the uneven fight to win the Upper Silesian votes for Poland. After an unfavourable interpretation of the plebiscite results for the Poles, he led the Third Silesian Uprising.

After the end of the uprising, he left Upper Silesia and became involved in national politics. In 1935, he was forced to leave Poland. He returned to his home country in 1939, but was arrested shortly afterwards and imprisoned in Warsaw's Pawiak prison. He was released due to ill health and died fifteen days before the outbreak of the Second World War. His funeral turned into a huge patriotic demonstration. It was attended by several thousand people wishing to pay tribute to the hero and express their support for his policy of independence.