Ewolucja modelu reprezentacji spółdzielni. Od ustawy o spółdzielniach z 1920 r. do współczesnej regulacji

This paper presents the evolution of Polish cooperative-related legislation concerning representation over the past hundred years. It discusses the relevant provisions of the Act on Cooperatives of 29 October 1920, the Act on Cooperatives and Their Unions of 17 February 1961 and the Cooperative Law of 16 September 1982. The study showcases such things as the evolution of the concept of the management board as either a collective or one-person body and the development of the rules of (joint) representation; it also shows how statutory limitations on the management board’s power to represent cooperatives have changed over the last century. Yet another mentioned aspect is the evolution of cooperative law concerning (commercial) proxy. This study aimed to determine which aspects of modern legislation should be assessed positively, and which require improve-ment and amendments. The analysis led to some conclusions (includingde lege ferenda)concerning the optimal representation model of cooperatives.