| Władysław Kowalski | |
| Order: | 1st Sejm Marshal of Poland |
| Term Start: | 4 February 1947 |
| Term End: | 19 November 1952 |
| President: | Bolesław Bierut |
| Predecessor: | State National Council |
| Successor: | Jan Dembowski |
| Office2: | Acting President of Poland |
| Term Start2: | 4 February 1947 |
| Term End2: | 5 February 1947 |
| Primeminister2: | Edward Osóbka-Morawski |
| Predecessor2: | Franciszek Trąbalski (Acting) |
| Successor2: | Bolesław Bierut |
| Birth Date: | 26 August 1894 |
| Birth Place: | Paprotnia, then Russian Empire, now Poland |
| Death Place: | Warsaw, People's Republic of Poland |
| Party: | PSL, People's Party, Communist Party of Poland, United People's Party, PPR |
| Spouse: | Halina Kowalska |
| Profession: | Writer, Journalist, statesman |
Władysław Kowalski (26 August 1894 – 14 December 1958) was a Polish communist politician, writer and journalist who served as the Minister of Art and Culture and the Sejm Marshal during the first postwar parliament Sejm of the Polish People's Republic (1947–1952) and, in his capacity as Sejm Marshal, ex officio, as the acting head of state (Acting President of the State National Council) for one day (4–5 February 1947). He was also a publisher and writer.
Kowalski was also known by the pseudonyms Sałas, Bartłomiej Zarychta and Stanisławski.
Władysław Kowalski was born in a small village of Paprotnia near Rawa Mazowiecka (then Russian Empire, now east-central Poland) as a son of farm worker. Because of his family poverty, he graduated just three school grades and later became an autodidact.[1] During World War I he fought in the Imperial Russian Army and later in the Puławy Legion. From 1918 to 1939 in the Second Polish Republic he was an active writer and publisher.
He was member of various peasants parties before he became a communist, including the Polish People's Party "Wyzwolenie" (since 1918), the Peasant's Independent Party (1925–1927), United People's Left "Samopomoc" (1927–1931), and People's Party (1944–1949 – various factions). He was also an active member of the Communist Party of Poland (since 1928) and Polish Workers' Party (since 1942).
Kowalski was a longtime member of party leaderships:
During World War II he was a member of the Polish underground resistance. He hid 50 Jews around Warsaw, for which he was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1995.[2]
After the War, he was a Minister of Culture (1945–1947) and member and Vice President of the State National Council.
Kowalski was an author of novels, articles and poems.