Michał Węsławski
Polish lawyer and mayor (1849–1917) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michał Joachim Alojzy Węsławski (Lithuanian: Mykolas Venslauskis;[1] 17 September 1849 – 22 August 1917) was a Polish lawyer and politician who served as the Vilnius city councillor from 1897 to 1905, then mayor (president) from 1905 to 1916, and deputy to the 2nd Russian State Duma. He was the first non-Russian mayor of Vilnius since the January Uprising.[2]
Michał Węsławski | |
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Mayor of Vilnius | |
In office 1906–1916 | |
Preceded by | Pavel Vasilevich Berthold |
Succeeded by | Marian Dziewicki |
Personal details | |
Born | Michał Joachim Alojzy Węsławski (1849-09-17)17 September 1849 Gegrėnai [lt], Russian Empire |
Died | 22 August 1917(1917-08-22) (aged 67) Vilnius, Ober Ost |
Alma mater | Imperial University in St. Petersburg |
Occupation |
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As a lawyer, he took part in the defense of the victims of the so-called Kražiai massacre. He served as mayor of Vilnius for multiple terms but lost his job during the German occupation in 1916. His service to Vilnius includes an attempt to implement a so-called "Europeanization" plan for the city. Prior to the outbreak of World War I, he managed to start the construction of an electric tramway, water supply systems, and sewage systems, which were continued in the interwar period. He recreated theater life in the city after the restrictions imposed following the January Uprising of the 1860s. He also campaigned to reopen a university in Vilnius. During the occupation, the German authorities stripped him of his post as mayor in 1916. He died of a heart attack in 1917, in Vilnius.
Married to Maria Grużewska, he had no children. His brother was Witold Węsławski, a doctor and politician. Witold's son Stanisław Węsławski [pl] served as underground mayor of the city during World War II.