# Assassination of President Narutowicz (1922)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1922-assassination-of-president-narutowicz
Location: Warsaw
Categories: main-event

Five days after taking office, President Narutowicz was shot dead at the Zachęta art gallery in Warsaw by a nationalist fanatic, shocking the young republic. Within the broader Second Republic period: The Second Polish Republic built a state from three former partitions, weathered political crises and the May Coup, and developed its economy and culture before being threatened by Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. At this point in the timeline (16 December 1922), the governing authority was Gabriel Narutowicz (President of Poland). First President of Poland, assassinated five days after taking office. Assassination of President Narutowicz mattered because violence against people and institutions left a lasting mark on Polish political life and memory. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Assassination of President Narutowicz mattered because violence against people and institutions left a lasting mark on Polish political life and memory.

Ruler at the time: [Stanisław Wojciechowski](https://poland-history.com/rulers/stanislaw-wojciechowski)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Gabriel Narutowicz](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriel_Narutowicz)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Assassination of President Narutowicz](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Assassination+of+President+Narutowicz)
- [Wikipedia — Second Polish Republic (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Polish_Republic)