List of heads of state of Poland

Most of these rulers appear for the first time in chronicles from the 13th century

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Lech I	6th century	6th century	6th century	Legendary founder of the Polish nation	Lechites (Tribe)
Krakus I Krak	8th century	8th century	8th century	Legendary founder of Kraków	Lechites (Tribe)
Krakus II Krak II	8th century	8th century	8th century	According to the legend, he ruled in Kraków	Lechites (Tribe)
Lech II	8th century	8th century	8th century	According to the legend, he ruled in Kraków	Lechites (Tribe)
Wanda Wąda	8th century	8th century	8th century	Legendary daughter of Krakus	Lechites (Tribe)
Leszko I Leszek I Duke	7th / 8th centuries	7th / 8th centuries	7th[1] / 8th centuries	A legendary ruler of the West Slavic ("proto-Polish") tribe of Goplans and Polans	Goplans and Polans (Tribes)
Leszko II Leszek II Duke	8th century	8th century	8th century	A legendary duke of Polans	Popielids
Leszko III Leszek III Duke	8th century	8th century	8th century	A legendary duke of Polans	Popielids
Popiel I Duke	8th century	8th century	8th century	A legendary duke of Polans	Popielids
Popiel II Duke	9th century	9th century	9th century	A legendary ruler dethroned by Piast. He appears (without the number) in the oldest Polish chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum from the early XII century	Popielids
Piast the Wheelwright Polish: Piast Kołodziej Latin: Past Ckosisconis, Pazt filius Chosisconisu Duke	9th century	9th century	9th century	A legendary founder of the Piast dynasty Son of Chościsko, father of Siemowit. He appears in the oldest Polish chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum from the early XII century	Piast

Several historians tend to believe that three legendary rulers of early Poland before Mieszko I might actually be historical persons. They appear in the oldest Polish chronicle, Gesta principum Polonorum from the early 12th century.

Name	Lifespan	Reign start	Reign end	Notes	Family	Image
Siemowit Ziemowit Duke	9th century	9th century	9th century	Son of Piast the Wheelwright and Rzepicha	Piast
Lestek Leszek, Lestko Duke	9th / 10th centuries	9th / 10th centuries	9th / 10th centuries	Son of Siemowit	Piast
Siemomysł Ziemomysł Duke	10th century	10th century	10th century	Son of Lestek	Piast

The Provisional Government of the Republic of Poland was founded under Soviet protection on 31 December 1944 and recognized by the United States and the United Kingdom since 6 July 1945. It evolved into the Government of National Unity on 28 June 1945, and eventually into the People's Republic of Poland on 19 February 1947

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
1		Bolesław Bierut (1892–1956)	31 December 1944	4 February 1947	Polish Workers' Party

In 1952, the July Constitution abolished the office of president and made the Council of State the collective head of state, chairmen of which are listed below. Real power rested with the Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR), its Central Committee and its secretary general/first secretary.

Portrait		Name (Birth–Death)	Entered office	Left office	Political party	Notes
1		Aleksander Zawadzki (1899–1964)	20 November 1952	7 August 1964 (Died in office)	Polish United Workers' Party	Died in office (cancer).
In accordance with the constitution, the vice presidents of the Council of State, Edward Ochab, Stanisław Kulczyński, Oskar R. Lange and Bolesław Podedworny, became collegially acting heads of state.
2		Edward Ochab (1906–1989)	12 August 1964	10 April 1968	Polish United Workers' Party
3		Marian Spychalski (1906–1980)	10 April 1968	23 December 1970	Polish United Workers' Party
4		Józef Cyrankiewicz (1911–1989)	23 December 1970	28 March 1972	Polish United Workers' Party
5		Henryk Jabłoński (1909–2003)	28 March 1972	6 November 1985	Polish United Workers' Party
6		Wojciech Jaruzelski (1923–2014)	6 November 1985	19 July 1989	Polish United Workers' Party	Also the First Secretary of the Polish United Workers' Party.

Since 1954, the head of the party was also the Chairman of the Central Committee:

Name (Birth–Death)		Portrait	Entered office	Left office	Position
	Władysław Gomułka (1905–1982)		23 November 1943	10 August 1948	First Secretary of PPR
	Bolesław Bierut (1892–1956)		10 August 1948	12 March 1956 (Died in office)	First Secretary of PPR to 16 December 1948; First Secretary of PZPR from 22 December 1948
	Edward Ochab (1906–1989)		20 March 1956	21 October 1956	First Secretary of PZPR
	Władysław Gomułka (1905–1982)		21 October 1956	20 December 1970
	Edward Gierek (1913–2001)		20 December 1970	6 September 1980
	Stanisław Kania (1927–2020)		6 September 1980	18 October 1981
	Wojciech Jaruzelski (1923–2014)		18 October 1981	29 July 1989
	Mieczysław Rakowski* (1926–2008)		29 July 1989	29 January 1990

• By the second half of 1989, the office of First Secretary, occupied at the time by Mieczysław Rakowski, ceased to hold any real power.