Józef Kowalski (supercentenarian)
{{Short description|Polish soldier}}
{{Infobox military person
| name = Józef Kowalski
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1900|2|2|df=y}}
| death_date = {{death date|df=y|2013|12|7}}
(aged {{Age in years and days|1900|2|2|2013|12|7}})
| image = Józef Kowalski.jpeg
| caption =
| nickname =
| birth_place = Wicyń, Tarnopol Voivodeship, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine)
| death_place = Tursk, Lubusz Voivodeship, Poland
| allegiance = {{flag|Poland}}
| branch = Polish Army
| serviceyears = 1919–1921; 1939
| rank = Captain
| unit = 23px 22nd Regiment Ułanów
| commands =
| battles = {{tree list}}
{{tree list/end}}
| awards = {{Plainlist|
}}
Józef Kowalski (2 February 1900 – 7 December 2013){{cite news |url=https://tvnwarszawa.tvn24.pl/informacje,news,zmarl-najstarszy-europejczykbr-kpt-jozef-kowalski-mial-113-lat,108158.html |title=Zmarł najstarszy Europejczyk. Kpt. Józef Kowalski miał 113 lat |language=pl |trans-title=The oldest European died. Captain Józef Kowalski was 113 years old. |publisher=TVN |date=10 December 2013 |access-date=15 April 2019}} was a Polish supercentenarian claimant, who was the last surviving military veteran of the Polish-Soviet War.
Biography
Kowalski was born in Wicyń, Galicia, Austria-Hungary (now Ukraine) and was a military veteran who served in the Polish Army in the 22nd Uhlan Regiment.{{cite web |url=http://wiadomosci.wp.pl/wiadomosc.html?wid=8714409&ticaid=132ac |title=Pan Józef ma 107 lat i czuje się znakomicie |language=Polish |publisher=Wirtualna Polska 2007-02-02|accessdate=2010-03-30}}{{cite web|url=http://www.zachod.pl/articles/view/niech-zyje-200-lat|title=Niech żyje 200 lat!|language=Polish|publisher=Radio Zachód S.A. 2008-02-02 |accessdate=2010-03-30|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108003112/http://www.zachod.pl/articles/view/niech-zyje-200-lat|archivedate=8 January 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.gazetalubuska.pl/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090202/POWIAT12/535624281|title=200 lat dla pana Józefa! Najstarszy Lubuszanin mieszka w Tursku.|language=Polish|publisher=Gazeta Lubuska 2009-02-02 |accessdate=2010-03-30}} He served in several important battles of the war, including the Battle of Warsaw and Battle of Komarów.{{cite web|url=http://mon.gov.pl/aktualnosci/artykul/najnowsze/2013-12-10-zmarl-ostatni-uczestnik-bitwy-warszawskiej/|title=Zmarł ostatni uczestnik bitwy warszawskiej|language=Polish|publisher=Polish Ministry of National Defence|date=10 December 2013|accessdate=23 November 2018}} In World War II, he took part in the September Campaign. After being captured he was held in a concentration camp.
On 2 February 2010, his claimed 110th birthday, he was awarded the Officer's Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his war service by Polish President Lech Kaczyński{{cite web|url=http://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wypowiedzi-prezydenta/listy/art,673,list-z-okazji-110-urodzin-jozefa-kowalskiego.html |title=Letter on the occasion of Józef Kowalskis 110th birthday |language=Polish |publisher=President's office, Poland |accessdate=2010-03-30 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100429030427/http://www.prezydent.pl/aktualnosci/wypowiedzi-prezydenta/listy/art%2C673%2Clist-z-okazji-110-urodzin-jozefa-kowalskiego.html |archivedate=April 29, 2010 }} He lived in Tursk, near Sulęcin, in western Poland a care home.
On 23 February 2012 Kowalski was promoted to the rank of kapitan, and on 16 August 2012 he was nominated to become an honorary citizen of the city of Wołomin, having already become an honorary citizen of both Warsaw and Radzymin.{{cite web |url=http://www.wiesci.wolomin.com/?f=xml/201234.xml&p=0 |title=Nowy, honorowy obywatel Wołomina |publisher=Wiesci.wolomin.com |date=26 August 2012 |accessdate=2013-07-07 |language=Polish |archive-date=2013-12-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203110053/http://www.wiesci.wolomin.com/?f=xml/201234.xml&p=0 |url-status=dead }}
Notes
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kowalski, Jozef}}
Category:Polish supercentenarians
Category:Officers of the Order of Polonia Restituta
Category:Polish people of the Polish–Soviet War