Heads of the Polish state:
See also: List of Polish rulers, List of Polish Prime Ministers
The Council of State was theoretically collective head of state, however de facto the most important person was the First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers Party
President of Council of State - Przewodniczący Rady Państwa:
Second Republic - Druga Rzeczpospolita (1918 - 1939)
President of the Republic of Poland - Prezydent RP:
Polish Government in Exile - Rząd Polski na Wychodzstwie (1939 - 1990)
President of the Republic of Poland - Prezydent RP:
Communistic Poland - Polska Ludowa (1944 - 1952)
People's Republic of Poland - Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa (1952 - 1989)
First Secretary of the Central Committee of PUWP - Pierwszy Sekretarz KC PZPR:
Third Republic - Trzecia Rzeczpospolita (since 1989)
President of the Republic of Poland - Prezydent RP:
;RP = Rzeczpospolita Polska : Republic of Poland (official name 1918 - 1952 and since 1990)
;PRL = Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa : People's Republic of Poland (official name 1952 - 1989)
;KC PZPR = Komitet Centralny Polskiej Zjednoczonej Partii Robotniczej : Central Committee of Polish United Workers Party
See also Lists of incumbents