Józef Czyżewski (25 December 1857 – 21 October 1935) was a Polish printer, publisher and national activist originating from the Kociewian region of Pomerania. Born in the village of Widlice (then known as Fiedlitz) in the Kingdom of Prussia, he descended from a family that had settled in Kociewie after the failed November Uprising of 1830‑31.
Czyżewski became a prominent figure in Polish socio‑economic and cultural life in the late 19th century. He owned and operated a printing house in Gdańsk, through which he published several periodicals, notably Gazeta Toruńska and Przyjaciel Ludu, supporting Polish national causes under foreign rule. His activities were aligned with the Polish Positivist movement and the concept of “organic work,” promoting education, economic development and cultural preservation among Poles.
He was associated with the Polish People's Party (Polskie Stronnictwo Ludowe) and received several state decorations, including the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Polonia Restituta, the Cross of Independence and other honors recognizing his contributions to Polish society.
Czyżewski married Maria Odrowska; the couple had six children. He died in Langfuhr (now part of Gdańsk) in the Free City of Danzig at the age of 77. Initially interred at the Royal Chapel cemetery in Gdańsk, his remains were later transferred to the Srebrzysko Cemetery in Wrzeszcz Górny. A street in Gniew bears his name in commemoration.
References: Wikipedia article “Józef Czyżewski” (accessed via r.jina.ai).
