Michael Kruszka

Michał Kruszka or Michael Kruszka (September 28, 1860 – December 2, 1918) was a Polish-American politician and journalist.

Michał Kruszka was born in Słabomierz, Posen (which was then part of the Kingdom of Prussia) on September 28, 1860.

Arrested by the Kaiser’s police for pro-Polish agitation and protests against Germanization in his native Poznań at a very early age, Kruszka left Prussia following his release. He arrived in United States in 1880. After arriving in the USA, Kruszka learned to speak English. In 1883, he came to Milwaukee, Wisconsin as an insurance salesman. But his real passions were politics and journalism and he began attempts to publish a Polish language newspaper in 1885. After some setbacks, in June 1888, Kruszka founded a successful Polish language daily called Kuryer Polski. It would be the first successful Polish-language daily in America.

Kruszka entered the realm of politics, eventually winning a seat in the Wisconsin State Assembly in 1890 as a Democrat. Two years later he became the first Polish state senator in the United States having been elected to the Wisconsin State Senate.

In his editorial line, Kruszka demanded respect for Polish Americans by promoting their representation and fair treatment in the churches, politics, fraternal organizations and other facets of society. Devoutly Catholic and nationalistic, Kruszka also took a strong stand on the labor issues of the day. Criticized by some for his strong views, he replied:

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