The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years. It was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the dismemberment of the Polish state in 1795. After a brief period of existence in the inter-war period the Senate was again abolished (by many accounts illegally) by the authorities of the People's Republic of Poland. It was not re-established until the collapse of communism and rebirth of democracy in Poland in 1989. The Senate is based in Warsaw and is located in a building which forms part of the Sejm Complex on Ul. Wiejska, close to Three Crosses Square and Ujazdow Castle. It consists of 100 senators elected by universal ballot and is headed by the Marshal of the Senate (Marszalek Senatu). The incumbent Marshal of the Senate is Senior Marshal Michal Sewerynski.