After Soviet annexation of former Polish eastern regions in 1945, his family decided to leave Stryj and move to Gliwice.

[2] In 1953 Messner graduated Karol Adamiecki University of Economics in Katowice, where he continued to work in the following years as an academic worker.

Messner's cabinet work led to adaptation of several bills, which included e.g. increasing the independence of state enterprises, allowing for the creation of private banks and privatisation, etc.

Moreover, the referendum on economic reforms in 1987, proposed by the government turned out to be a failure, because it did not receive enough votes to make its result binding.

In the Sejm (Parliament), members of pro-communist All-Poland Alliance of Trade Unions (OPZZ), started to speak against Messner.

Messner eventually resigned in September 1988, justifying his decision with "health problems", and had to transfer power to Mieczysław Rakowski.