Kulerski, Wiktor
Kulerski, Wiktor, 1903-12 member of the Reichstag of the German Empire. *20.3.1865 Grutta/Gruta near Graudenz, †18.9.1935 Owczarki near Graudenz, teacher, journalist, publisher, owner of a book publishing company, publicist. He was the son of a teacher. After completing grammar school in Löbau/Lubawa he studied at the teacher training college in Graudenz. In 1883 he was expelled for organising patriotic Polish activities in the training college, and after that he worked for some years as a house teacher in Polish families. In 1887 he was a day pupil Tuchel/Tuchola where he studied for an examination as a state teacher. After this he was given a post as a teacher in Zoppot. However he gave up his profession in 1890 after disagreements with the Prussian authorities. In 1890 he used his wife’s money to set up the first Polish guesthouse Dom Polski/Polish House in Zoppot. In 1891 he set up Polish schools in Berlin in which he worked for nothing. In 1892 he became the editor of the Gazeta Polska/Polish Newspaper in Berlin, in 1893 of the Gazeta Gdańska/Danzig Newspaper. In 1894 he set up the Gazeta Grudziądzka/Graudenz Newspaper, where he worked as chief editor, and also at the Dziennik Grudziądzki/Graudenz newspaper. He was sentenced to several terms of imprisonment for publishing defamatory press articles and speeches made at meetings. He was the founder of a huge number of Polish people’s clubs. In June 1903 he was elected as a member of the Polish parliamentary group in the German Reichstag for the constituency of Tuchel-Conitz/Tuchola-Chojnice with a majority of 65.27%; in January 1907 with a majority of 61.34%. He served on the select committees for marine insurance, the law on chambers of labour, trade regulations, domestic work, the committee of accounts and the Reich budget. From 1921 onwards he was a member of the Sejm; between 1928 and 1935 a Senator in the Second Polish Republic. picture: 1907.
Further reading:
Amtliches Reichstag-Handbuch, 11. Legislaturperiode, Berlin 1903, 262; Reichstag-Handbuch, 12. Legislaturperiode, Berlin 1907, 308f., 487 (picture); Reichstagsprotokolle 1895-1918, Register 204, 218, 238, 269; T. Astramowicz-Leyk: Wiktor Kulerski (1865-1935). Polityk, wydawca, dziennikarz, Toruń 2006; A. Kotowski: Zwischen Staatsräson und Vaterlandsliebe, Düsseldorf 2007, 69, 87, 155f., 158, 171, 173f., 176f., 179, 186-189; T. Krzemiski: Polityk dwóch epok. Wiktor Kulerski (1865-1935), Toruń 2008.
Online:
http://zhsf.gesis.org, Parlamentarierportal, BIORAB Kaiserreich online
http://www.reichstag-abgeordnetendatenbank.de/
http://www.reichstagsprotokolle.de
Biblioteka Sejmowa, http://biblioteka.sejm.gov.pl
Axel Feuß, September 2016
Link to the minutes of the Reichstag:
http://www.reichstagsprotokolle.de