Szymon Askenazy

Szymon Askenazy was a Jewish-Polish historian, educator, statesman and diplomat, who was influential in defining the creation and history of the Polish nation. He studied law at the Imperial University of Warsaw and history at the University of Göttingen, where he obtained his doctorate in 1894. He became a professor at the University of Lwów in 1902 and a member of the Polish Academy of Learning in 1909. He founded his own school of historical thought, known as the Askenazy school, which focused on the political and international aspects of Poland's history in the 18th and 19th centuries. He also engaged in the assimilation of Jews in Poland and supported the independence movement led by Józef Piłsudski. He was the first Polish representative at the League of Nations from 1920 to 1923, where he advocated for Poland's interests and security. He resigned from his post in 1923 and returned to Poland, where he continued his scholarly work until his death in 1935. He was buried at the Jewish cemetery in Warsaw. He authored many books and articles on Polish history, such as "Gdańsk a Polska" (Danzig and Poland), "Przymierze polsko-pruskie" (The Polish-Prussian Alliance), and "Polska a Rosja" (Poland and Russia). He is regarded as one of the most prominent Polish historians of his time.