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Franciszek Karwowski (10 October 1895 - 12 April 2005) was a Polish centenarian who was the oldest living man (and person) in Poland at the time of his death.

Biography

Franciszek Karwowski was born in Mroczki, Poland. In August 1914, he volunteered for the Polish Legions and served in the 5th Infantry Regiment. After graduating from military school in 1915, he was promoted to Corporal-Scout. He belonged to the Polish Military Organization. After Poland regained its independence in November 1918, he was transferred to the 10th Polish Regiment of Lithuanian Lancers and promoted to Plutonowy in 1919. He fought in the Polish-Russian War of 1920 and was awarded the Cross of Valor. He was moved to reserve in 1923.

In February 1940, a few months after the outbreak of the World War II, he was deported to Kazakhstan with his family. There he lost family members, including his mother and wife. Since 1943, he served in the Tadeusz Kosciuszko 1st Infantry Division then in the 1st Armored Brigade, He crossed the Berling army battlefield from Lenino to Berlin and took part in the liberation of Warsaw in January 1945. After the war, he participated in the reconstruction of Warsaw. He was demobilized in 1946 and was given a farm in Nakomiada near Ketrzyn, where he spent the rest of his life.

At the end of his long life he received many honours. He was awarded Knight's Cross of the Order of the Rebirth of Poland, a Cross for participation in the War of 1918-1921, Medal for Warsaw 1939-1945, Medal for participation in fights for Berlin, Cross of the Battle of Lenino. In July 2003, he was promoted to lieutenant, and received a memorial saber from President Aleksander Kwasniewski. In the same year he was given the honorary citizenship of Ketrzyn. At the age of 109 he was the oldest living man and the oldest living person in Poland as well as the oldest man in Poland ever recorded. His record was surpassed in 2016 by Antoni Wojciechowski, who lived to be two days older than Karwowski. [1]

He was married three times and had eight children. He was buried in Rozogi near Szczytno after passing away on 12 April 2005 at the age of 109 years, 184 days. [2]


Poland's Oldest Living Person Titleholders (VE)

Rozalia ObrebskiKatarzyna KosiorowskaStanislawa SobeckaMarianna TetkowskaStefania BartkowskaMichal ZatorskiKatarzyna SwiderAnna LamaczFilipina NiewiadomskaRozalia MilczarekMaria BastaRozalia DyrczKatarzyna WilkowaKlara SpitzenfeilAnna WolanskaJan MichalskiFrument JaroszynskiBeata BrylAnna TomeckaWlodzimierz RogoszJan SzarpalaKarolina LuckoZofia MartyniakMaria UnijewskaMarta PiekarskaWladyslaw RatmanAgnieszka WojcikHelena KonowalStefania GrabalaJozefa MordaczJadwiga Zolotucho • Anna Klim • Franciszek KarwowskiMarianna Smolarczyk • Ludwika Kosztyla • Michalina Wasilewska • Wanda Wierzchleyska • Marianna Misiewicz • Jozefa KarczewskaJozefa Stanislawa Szyda • Marianna Mroz • Aleksandra Dranka • Jozefa Bak • Ludwika Wasowicz • Jadwiga Mlynek • Jadwiga SzubartowiczTekla JuniewiczWanda SzajowskaJozefa CiesielskaAnna Gawlowska

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