Profesorowie uniwersyteccy w parlamencie II Rzeczypospolitej – portret zbiorowy

Abstract

In the interwar period, a total of 841 professors headed chairs at the six then universities, 45 of whom were parliament representatives (5.3% of all professors), out of which 28 were deputies to the Sejm (lower chamber), and 21 to the Senate (higher chamber). Of them all, four professors held positions in both the Sejm and the Senate. Compared to other professors who headed chairs, the interwar parliamentary professors were quite a specific group. They were distinguished primarily by their strong political commitment, contrary to the vast majority of the academic staff who, though remained interested in politics, did not actively participate in it. Political parties saw great intellectual potential in the academic staff and appreciated the experience that allowed them to perform parliamentary duties efficiently. Among the deputies and senators, there was a good representation of lawyers and economists (23 persons), whose skills certainly facilitated participation in a large part of parliamentary work.