Andrzej Jan Szwalbe (30 June 1923 – 11 November 2002) was a Polish lawyer, social and cultural activist and manager of the musical life in Bydgoszcz.

Andrzej Szwalbe was designated as the head of the Social Committee for the Construction of the Philharmonic (Polish: Społeczny Komitet Budowy Filharmonii).

The architecture of the newly built edifice in Bydgoszcz, designed by Stefan Klajbor, referred to the National Philharmonic in Warsaw.

[5] In the following years, Szwalbe carried out several new projects: He initiated the establishment of a branch of the Scientific and Research Station of the Institute of Musicology from the University of Warsaw in Bydgoszcz.

In 1966, with the help of musicologist Zofia Lissa and prof. Hieronim Feicht (then manager of the Polish music department at the University of Warsaw),[6] Szwalbe set up the international festivals and musicological congresses Musica Antiqua Europae Orientalis (MAEO),[5] which have become a recognized event in Europe and contributed to the increased visibility and popularity of music from Central and Eastern Europe in the world.

[7] To house the latter, Szwalbe took control of the historic building of the Prussian administrative region in 1975, located at the corner of Słowackiego and 20 Stycznia 1920 streets.

Taking specific care to the high artistic level of Bydgoszcz ensembles of the Philharmonic, Andrzej Szwalbe commissioned outstanding Polish composers to write dedicated works, such as the piece for baritone and orchestra, Gray Fog (Polish: Siwa Mgła) by Wojciech Kilar.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Szwalbe came up with the idea of restoring the splendor and culture-centric functions to nearby palaces of Ostromecko and Lubostroń.

[1] After retiring in 1991 and handing over the director position of the Philharmonic to Eleonora Harendarska, Szwalbe retained his interest in cultural life and spoke on many issues both on a local and national level.

[3] He was able to successfully implement his visions and dreams in difficult times (Polish People's Republic) while overshadowing his merits, not caring about any personal benefits.

Szwalbe's vision, consistency in action, mediation skills, as well as great erudition and even greater modesty were always emphasized.

His closest musical friends, outstanding Polish composers (Wojciech Kilar, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, Krzysztof Penderecki) talked about him as a showcase of Bydgoszcz culture.

On 30 June 2003, a commemorative plaque was unveiled on the tenement house where Andrzej Szwalbe lived at 75 Dworcowa Street.

Its goal is to gather people who are close to the ideas and activities of Andrzej Szwalbe, as a "visionary in the domain of the culture and science", not only in Bydgoszcz but also in the entire region.