Paweł Kempka

Paweł Kempka (born 4 June 1886 in Brynów, died 29 October 1972 in Chorzów) was a Polish lawyer, national activist, and local government official. He was a co-creator of the legal system of the Silesian Voivodeship, MP to the Silesian Parliament representing the Polish Christian Democratic Party, and the first president of the Alliance of Democrats in Chorzów.

Biography

Youth and education

Paweł Kempka was born to Franciszek Kempka, a miner by profession, and Zofia (née Mildner). He was born in Brynów, now a district of Katowice, and grew up in a family with Silesian traditions.

Activities during the Silesian Uprisings In March 1920, Kempka returned to Upper Silesia and moved with his family to Katowice. From 1 March 1920 to 1 May 1921, he worked at the in Bytom as the head of the Administrative Department. During this time, he began collaborating with Wojciech Korfanty and joined the Polish Christian Democratic Party. During the Third Silesian Uprising, he served as the head of civil administration in the Polish Plebiscite Commission. He was a member of the eight-person Self-Government Commission of the Polish Plebiscite Commission, tasked with developing the legal system for Silesian Voivodeship. His responsibilities included tax and administrative matters. At Korfanty's request, Kempka became the delegate of the Polish Plebiscite Commission in Warsaw and was authorized to enter into agreements with the central government. He arrived in the capital around 7 July 1920. During this period, he conducted negotiations with Deputy Minister of Finance Roman Rybarski, accepting proposed financial solutions that were to be legislatively regulated under the organic statute. On 5 July 1921, Kempka was appointed an official in the Administrative Department of the Supreme People's Council in Katowice. On 6 February 1922, he was appointed a presidential official of this body. He ceased his role as head of the Administrative and Self-Government Department on 7 August 1922. Subsequently, he served as a senior provincial counselor, responsible for preparing the organization of two departments of the Silesian Provincial Office: Public Safety and Public Works, and Self-Government. On 24 September 1922, he was elected to the Silesian Parliament from the Katowice electoral district. He is considered one of the most active members of the Polish Christian Democratic Party in the Silesian Parliament. During World War II, he refused to sign the Deutsche Volksliste, resulting in the loss of his notarial office and all his property. Paweł Kempka narrowly avoided being sent to a concentration camp.

Post-War period

After the liberation of Chorzów, Kempka worked as a city councilor. He reopened his notarial office in August 1945. In 1951, he was appointed a notary at the State Notary Office in Chorzów. In February 1945, Kempka founded the local circle of the Alliance of Democrats and became its first president. He also worked at the National Bank of Poland, served as a district judge, and was president of the Association of Private Property Owners. Kempka was buried at St. Jadwiga's Cemetery in Chorzów.

Kempka and other former members of Christian Democracy living in Chorzów were monitored under the codename 1 by the authorities from 19 September 1945 due to suspicions of anti-communist sentiments. and the regulation of administrative practices to protect Silesian officials. He opposed Michał Grażyński and Józef Piłsudski.

After World War II, he opposed the renewal of the Labour Faction's activities because he was against the fragmentation of democratic groups.

On the 40th anniversary of Paweł Kempka's death, the Chorzów Enthusiasts Association, along with Kempka's family, organized a socio-cultural event titled Paweł Kempka – we remember. As part of the event, a plaque was unveiled on the building at 1 Sobieski Street in Chorzów, where Kempka lived and worked, and a commemorative postmark was issued to mark the occasion.

In 2021, the Silesian Uprisings Film Encyclopedia produced a short documentary film titled Paweł Kempka – a deputy from Królewska Huta.