Rada Ministrów i premier Józef Cyrankiewicz wobec pogrzebu prof. Raula Koczalskiego (1884–1948) na Cmentarzu Jeżyckim w Poznaniu 29 listopada 1948 r.
The actions of the Council of Ministers and prime minister Józef Cyrankiewicz related to the funeral of Professor Raul Koczalski (1884–1948) at the Jeżyce Cemetery on November 29, 1948 in Poznań

Summary/Abstract: In the resolution of the Council of Ministers of December 29, 1948, the State undertook to finance the funeral of an exceptional pianist, Professor Raul Koczalski, who died on November 24 and was buried on November 29 in Poznań. This decision is the subject of this article. For the author, this decision of the government, and in particular — of prime minister Józef Cyrankiewicz — is the ultimate proof that the state dismissed the unsubstantiated accusations that appeared after the Second World War concerning the alleged collaboration between the artist and Nazi war criminals. The author discusses the final artistic achievements of Koczalski, and compares the cost of his funeral and the time in which it was reimbursed with other state-organized funerals in the years 1947–1948. He also comments on the legal acts adopted in the years 1954, 1960, and 1990, in which the power to make decisions regarding the financing of funerals of distinguished individuals was passed first to the top ministers, and then the Prime Minister personally.

• Details
• Contents