Józef Kowalski (supercentenarian)

Józef Kowalski (2 February 1900? – 7 December 2013)[1] was a Polish supercentenarian claimant, who was the last surviving military veteran of the Polish-Soviet War.

Józef Kowalski
Born(1900-02-02)2 February 1900?
Wicyń, Tarnopol Voivodeship, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine)
Died(2013-12-07)7 December 2013
(aged 113 years, 308 days?)
Tursk, Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland
Allegiance Poland
Service/branchPolish Army
Years of service1919–1921; 1939
RankCaptain
Unit 22nd Regiment Ułanów
Battles/warsPolish-Soviet War September Campaign
Awards

Biography

Kowalski was born in Wicyń, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) and was a military veteran who served in the Polish Army in the 22nd Uhlan Regiment.[2][3][4] He served in several important battles of the war, including the Battle of Warsaw and Battle of Komarów.[5] In World War II, he took part in the September Campaign. After being captured he was held in a concentration camp.

On 2 February 2010, his claimed 110th birthday, he was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his war service by Polish President Lech Kaczyński[6] He lived in Tursk, near Sulęcin, in western Poland a care home.[2][3][4][6]

On 23 February 2012 Kowalski was promoted to the rank of kapitan, and on 16 August 2012 he was nominated to become an honorary citizen of the city of Wołomin, having already become an honorary citizen of both Warsaw and Radzymin.[7]

Notes
  1. "Zmarł najstarszy Europejczyk. Kpt. Józef Kowalski miał 113 lat" [The oldest European died. Captain Józef Kowalski was 113 years old.] (in Polish). TVN. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  2. "Pan Józef ma 107 lat i czuje się znakomicie" (in Polish). Wirtualna Polska 2007-02-02. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  3. "Niech żyje 200 lat!" (in Polish). Radio Zachód S.A. 2008-02-02. Archived from the original on 8 January 2009. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  4. "200 lat dla pana Józefa! Najstarszy Lubuszanin mieszka w Tursku" (in Polish). Gazeta Lubuska 2009-02-02. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  5. "Zmarł ostatni uczestnik bitwy warszawskiej" (in Polish). Polish Ministry of National Defence. 10 December 2013. Retrieved 23 November 2018.
  6. "Letter on the occasion of Józef Kowalskis 110th birthday" (in Polish). President's office, Poland. Archived from the original on April 29, 2010. Retrieved 2010-03-30.
  7. "Nowy, honorowy obywatel Wołomina" (in Polish). Wiesci.wolomin.com. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 2013-07-07.
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