The special exhibition tour dedicated to Seweryn Nowakowski, Mayor of the city of Białystok from 1934 to 1939, was held as part of the celebration of the anniversary of September 17. The group of visitors was guided by Pawel Nowik from the Permanent Exhibition Department, who introduced the participants to the figure of Nowakowski and his enormous contribution to the development of the city.

Seweryn Nowakowski was born in 1894 in Piotrkow Trybunalski. Although he was not a native of Białystok, he fell in love with the city and became heavily involved in its development. He arrived in Bialystok in 1931 as a government commissioner. At the beginning of his stay, he was not yet a well-known or recognizable person among the residents. One year after his arrival, Gazeta Białostocka, when mentioning him, misspelled his name, writing about “Stefan” Nowakowski, a commissioner. However, Seweryn Nowakowski’s action for the city gradually changed the perception of him among the residents of the city of Białystok. Already in 1934, he was elected by the City Council as the Mayor of the city of Bialystok. He served successfully in this position until 1939, and was re-elected in January this year for the position. During his reign he contributed to the development of the city, making a number of decisions on its modernization.

A success story was to be interrupted by the coming war. Both the city’s residents and Mayor Nowakowski were aware of the impending threat. On August 25, the Mayor issued a proclamation to the residents: “In light of the events we are witnessing, it is necessary to immediately proceed to build shelters, which must already be started in various points in the city,” — Pawel Nowik quoted while giving the tour of the permanent exhibition.

Despite the proposal by a German officer to flee to Germany during the occupation of the city, Nowakowski decided to remain in Białystok. In October 1939 he was arrested by the Soviet authorities. His further fate remains unknown, and the place of his death has never been confirmed.

The meeting at the exhibition allowed the participants not only to explore the biography of Seweryn Nowakowski, but also to learn about the daily life of the residents of the city of Białystook during his presidency.

We cordially invite you to visit the monument to Seweryn Nowakowski and the outdoor exhibition dedicated to his life.