Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski (1888–1974)

Chemist, politician, prime mover of the construction of the city and the seaport of Gdynia

Eugeniusz Felicjan Kwiatkowski was born on 30 December 1888 in Kraków. He studied chemistry at the Lviv Polytechnic and the University of Munich. He was involved in the underground activity and fought in the Polish Legions during the First World War. In the reborn Poland he worked with Ignacy Mościcki on development of The Central Industrial Region, which resulted in the use of his technical and organisational skills at higher ministerial levels. He was the originator of the plan for the development of maritime trade and the construction of the seaport in Gdynia to counterbalance the German-dominated Gdańsk. In 1948, he was removed from public activity, forced to retire and prohibited from staying on the coast and in Warsaw. He returned to Krakow and took up scientific work. He wrote many papers and studies on the economy. He was honoured with numerous decorations by many countries. He died on 22 August 1974.

The exhibition was prepared by the students of the 14th Nicolaus Copernicus High School in Gdynia.