Paweł Parniak

Who was Paweł Parniak?

Paweł Parniak of Wolibórz, Poland claimed to be the world's oldest living person and oldest combat veteran ever. He gained international attention in 2002, when he was named Poland's oldest man by the Polish Book of Records.

Parniak claimed to have been born in 1890 in an area that is now part of the Ukraine and at the time of his birth belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

However, the birthdates of his parents suggest he may have been about five years younger. The claim is also doubted because there have been other Polish claims as high as age 120, and it was common for Polish men to inflate their age to avoid service in the Second World War. However, that strategy, if employed here, was not effective, as Paweł was forced into service anyway.

Apart from his age, Parniak's status as a surviving World War I veteran made him a person of interest for those interested in Polish and World War I history. He enlisted for the Austro-Hungarian army in 1914. In 1919, he joined the Polish army. From 1926 to 1932, he had emigrated to Canada seeking employment.