Mayors of Kraków — chronological list and the longest-serving
The office of Mayor (President) of Kraków has existed since 1792, and the longest-serving holder was Jacek Majchrowski — almost 22 years, from 2002 to 2024. In 2026 Kraków saw an unprecedented change: Mayor Aleksander Miszalski was recalled in a referendum, and in the early election in October 2026 Łukasz Gibała was elected. Below is the list of Kraków’s mayors since 1989 and the most interesting figures in the office’s history.
Mayors of Kraków since 1989 — chronological list
- Tadeusz Salwa — 1982–1990 (the last mayor of the communist era)
- Jerzy Rościszewski — February–June 1990
- Jacek Woźniakowski — 1990–1991 (the first mayor chosen by a democratically elected council)
- Krzysztof Bachmiński — 1991–1992
- Józef Lassota — 1992–1998
- Andrzej Gołaś — 1998–2002
- Jacek Majchrowski — 2002–2024
- Aleksander Miszalski — 2024–2026 (recalled in a referendum on 24 May 2026)
- Stanisław Kracik — from May 2026, as acting commissioner
- Łukasz Gibała — elected in the early election in October 2026
Jacek Majchrowski — the record holder
Since 2002 Kraków’s mayor has been elected directly. Jacek Majchrowski, a historian by training, won five times in a row (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018), each time in the second round. He held office from November 2002 to May 2024 — longer than anyone in the city’s history — and did not stand again in 2024.
From burgomasters to mayors
In the Middle Ages Kraków was governed first by a wójt (advocate) and then by the town council. The leading councillor was the burgomaster — the councillors took turns in the role, changing every six weeks. The office of mayor was introduced by the Four-Year Sejm’s law on towns of 1791. The first Mayor of Kraków, in 1792, was Franciszek Wielopolski, formerly Grand Marshal of the Court — he served for less than five months.
Under the Duchy of Warsaw and the Free City of Kraków the office didn’t always exist; it was restored for good in 1848. In 1866, during Galician autonomy, Józef Dietl — a physician — became the first mayor chosen by an elected council. In communist Poland mayors were appointed, and in 1950–1973 the post was called Chairman of the Presidium of the National Council. The first fully democratic city council elections took place in 1990.
Juliusz Leo and Józef Friedlein — builders of modern Kraków
Before Majchrowski, the longest-serving mayor was Juliusz Leo — from 1904 until his death in 1918, about 13.5 years. During his term the city regained Wawel from the Austrians (the buy-back was completed in 1905), and as part of “Greater Kraków” 14 surrounding municipalities were incorporated, increasing the city’s area from about 7 to 47 km². His predecessor, Józef Friedlein (1893–1904), completed the city waterworks, and electric trams started running in Kraków in 1901. Both have streets named after them in Krowodrza.
Two 19th-century mayors are worth a mention too: Józef Dietl (1866–1874) and Mikołaj Zyblikiewicz (1874–1881) — their faces appear among the masks on the attic of the Cloth Hall.
Where to stay in Kraków
To explore the traces of past mayors — from the Town Hall Tower to the Cloth Hall — stay at Best Western Plus Kraków Old Town at Świętej Gertrudy 6, about 500 m from the Main Square. A characterful alternative is Hotel Regent in a historic townhouse in Kazimierz.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Mayor of Kraków before Majchrowski?
Andrzej Gołaś, from 1998 to 2002.
Who was the longest-serving Mayor of Kraków?
Jacek Majchrowski — from November 2002 to May 2024, almost 22 years.
Who is Mayor of Kraków in 2026?
After Aleksander Miszalski was recalled in a referendum in May 2026, commissioner Stanisław Kracik acted as mayor, and in the early election in October 2026 Łukasz Gibała was elected.
Updated in October 2026.