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Category: Poland

The Order of the Banner of Work

The Order of the Builders of People’s Poland was the highest civil decoration of Poland in the times of the People’s Republic of Poland.

The Order of the Banner of Work (or Order Sztandaru Pracy in Polish) was a governmental award in Poland during the 20th-century era of the People’s Republic of Poland, a former Marxist-Leninist state.

The order was established by the Sejm (a chamber of the Polish parliament) on 2 July 1949. It was given in recognition of “unique achievements for the Nation and the Country”. In 1960 the criteria for receiving this award were changed to “special achievements for building socialism in the People’s Republic of Poland”.

It was also awarded to institutions and was automatically awarded to miners after 20 years of dedicated labor. The Order of the Banner of Labor could be awarded to individuals and enterprises, institutions, territorial units for merits in the following areas:

  • Industry, agriculture, communication, construction, state trade, cooperatives, finance and other sectors of the national economy – by improving or improving working methods, rationalizing work or outstanding achievements in labor leadership,
  • Education, science, culture and art,
  • Increasing the country’s defense,
  • Increasing the health and physical culture of the nation,
  • Public service

The Order of the Banner of Work Design

The badge of the Order of the Banner of Labor is a five-pointed star cross with a diameter of 43 mm.

On the obverse of the cross, the arms are enameled in white in the border, and there are bunches of rays between the arms. In the center of the cross there is a round sapphire-enameled shield with the figure of a worker holding a red banner in his right hand and a hammer in his left hand.

On the reverse, in the middle of the cross, on the round shield is the inscription PRL (until 1952 RP). The border of the arms of the cross, bunches of rays, the frame of the shield, the figure of a worker, the shafts and the border of the banner, the hammer and the reverse of the badge are gilded in class I, and silver in class II.

The ribbon of the order is 36 mm wide, it is red in color with narrow red stripes on the sides, 3 mm wide. There is a rosette on the ribbon in class I, which distinguishes it from class II.

The Order of the Builders of People’s Poland

The Order of the Builders of People’s Poland was the highest civil decoration of Poland in the times of the People’s Republic of Poland.

The Order of the Builders of People’s Poland (or Order Budowniczych Polski Ludowej in Polish) was the highest civil decoration of Poland in the times of the People’s Republic of Poland. Unofficially, it replaced Poland’s highest pre-war order, the Order of the White Eagle. The order was awarded to many leaders of worship, notable party members (including military personnel) and others.

The order was established by the Sejm on 2 July 1949 for “awarding unique achievements in the task of building People’s Poland”. It was awarded by the president of Poland until the office was abolished in 1952; from then it was awarded by the Polish Council of State. It had only one class. A person decorated with the order had the title of a Builder of People’s Poland (Budowniczy Polski Ludowej).

The Order was last awarded in 1985. Up to that time, about 310 individuals were awarded the Order, and 10 institutions and territorial units (for instance, cities and administrative entities – voivodeships). During the times of the People’s Republic, 7 recipients had their orders revoked. It was officially disestablished 2 years after the People’s Republic was replaced by the Third Republic.

The order could be awarded to Polish individuals, enterprises, and institutions that performed exceptional deeds in the fields of:

  • National economy, in particular through inventions, improving work organizations, and work inspiration and efficiency.
  • Education, science, culture and art.
  • National defense.
  • Health and sport.
  • Public service.

The Order of the Builders of People’s Poland Design

The medal was designed by Michał Bylina and Wojciech Jastrzębski.

The Order has a golden rosette and measures 53 mm in diameter. The rosette has eight petals enameled with white (inner) and red (outer). Petals are separated by gold rays. In the center is a white-encircled blue medallion, which depicts a gold male figure carrying a hammer and a red banner. The reverse has a red enameled medallion with, in gold, the letters PRL, standing for Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa – People’s Republic of Poland (orders awarded before the state’s name changed in 1952 have the letters RP for Rzeczpospolita Polska).

The ribbon is 40 mm wide and is red-white-red with blue edges.

The Home Army Cross or Armia Krajowa Cross

The Home Army Cross is a military decoration that commemorates the efforts of the soldiers of the Polish Secret State between 1939 and 1945.

The Home Army Cross or Armia Krajowa Cross (Krzyż Armii Krajowej in Polish) is a military decoration from Poland that was introduced by General Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski on 1 August 1966 to commemorate the efforts of the soldiers of the Polish Secret State between 1939 and 1945.

The decoration was awarded to soldiers of the Home Army (Armia Krajowa) and of its predecessor organizations (Służba Zwycięstwu Polski, Związek Walki Zbrojnej). The first recipient (posthumous) was General Stefan Grot–Rowecki.

The award was supported by the Polish government in exile in London and was not recognized by the People’s Republic of Poland, which viewed members of the mostly anti-communist Armia Krajowa as enemies of the state. After the fall of communism, in 1992 it was recognized by the government of Poland and was awarded by the president of Poland until 8 May 1999.

The Home Army Cross Design

The medal measures 38 mm in diameter.

The reverse reads “1939 Armia Krajowa 1945″ (“1939 Home Army 1945”). The ribbon has stripes in red and white and measures 4.5cm high and 3.7 cm wide.

The Order of Saint Stanislaus

The Order of Saint Stanislaus is a Russian dynastic order of knighthood founded in 1765 by King Stanisław II Augustus.

The Order of Saint Stanislaus (or Order św. Stanisława in Polish, Орденъ Св. Станислава in Russian) is a Russian dynastic order of knighthood founded as Order of the Knights of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr in 1765 by King Stanisław II Augustus of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1831 after the downfall of the November Uprising, the order was incorporated into the Chapter of Russian Orders as part of the honours system of the Russian Empire by Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. In 1839, the Russian Order of Saint Stanislaus received new statutes, including granting status of nobility on its recipients in all three classes.

As a result of the Russian Revolution 1917, activities were suspended by the Soviet Union, although it has since been awarded by the head of the Imperial House of Romanov as a dynastic order. When in 1918 Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic, a Polish order was introduced as a successor to the Polish Order of Saint Stanislaus, the Order of Polonia Restituta.

The heads of the Russian Imperial House in exile have continued to award Imperial and Royal Order of Saint Stanislaus. H.I.H. Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna, pretender to the Russian throne, and head of the Russian Imperial House, continues to award the Russian Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus as a dynastic order of knighthood.

The Order of Saint Stanislaus Design

On the star and crosses of all classes, non-Christian recipients will have, instead of the cypher of Saint Stanislaus, a black and gold Imperial Russian double-headed Eagle. According to the Imperial Chapter of Orders and other honors, ed. 1892, the Order of Saint Stanislaus has three degrees, for which the insignia are:

Order of Saint Stanislaus 1st Class

Gold cross, covered with a red enamel face, the four ends of which are further divided in two sharp points; on the edges of the cross a double gold rim; at the eight sharp points golden balls; and among these terminals, bringing them together, are gold semicircles of striped shells; in the center, on a white filigree round shield encircled by a gold border with a green wreath on it, the Latin monogram of Saint Stanislaus, a red “SS”; at each of the axillae, the state symbol of the Russian double-headed eagle in gold. On the rear side of the cross, all gold, with the verso a centered white round enameled shield, which depicts the same monogram “SS”.

It is worn on a moiré red ribbon, the breadth of two and a half inches, double white stripes at the borders, worn over the right shoulder with the star on the left side of the chest.

Silver star, the eight rays centering a white round shield circled with wide green stripes with two gold rims, the external rim wider; on the green enameled band between, gold laurel branches connected in the middle of each by two flowers; center roundel, in white enamel with red letters the cypher of Saint Stanislaus: “SS”; and around the hoop in a white box with gold letters, the motto of the order: Praemiando incitat (“rewarding encourages”) divided at the top with a golden flower.

Order of Saint Stanislaus 2nd Class

Cross of the same form, as for the first class, but of lesser magnitude, worn around the neck, on a ribbon with a width of one or two inches.

Order of Saint Stanislaus 3rd Class

Cross of the same form as the first two classes but worn in the buttonhole on the same ribbon with a width of five-eighths inches.

The Silesian Uprising Cross

The Silesian Uprising Cross is a Polish military decoration awarded to veterans of the Silesian Uprisings those active in Silesia in WW2.

The Silesian Uprising Cross (or Śląski Krzyż Powstańczy in Polish) is a military decoration established in 1946 and awarded to veterans of the Silesian Uprisings (1919-1921) and members of Polish resistance in World War II active in Silesia.

The Silesian Uprisings were a series of three uprisings from August 1919 to July 1921 in Upper Silesia, which was part of the Weimar Republic at the time. Ethnic Polish separatists, seeking to have the area transferred to the newly founded Polish Republic, fought German police and paramilitary forces, as the former sought to keep the area part of the new German state founded after World War I. Following the conflict, the area was divided between the two countries. The rebellions have subsequently been commemorated in modern Poland as an example of Polish nationalism.

The order ceased to be given out in 1999.

The Silesian Uprising Cross Design

The medal is struck in silvered bronze with blue enamels and measures 36.2 mm in diameter.

The obverse bears the years 1921 on the left arm, 1939 on the right arm, and 1945 on the lower arm. The central disc is light blue enamel and shows the silver Silesian eagle encircled by a stylized wreath. The reverse is not enameled.

The ribbon is light blue with white (inner) and dark red (outer) edges. In the centre there is a wide stripe of green, red, white, red, green, flanked by white pinstripes.

The Partisan Cross (Poland)

The Partisan Cross was a Polish military decoration introduced by the Council of Ministers in 1945 and awarded to World War II partisans.

The Partisan Cross (or Krzyż Partyzancki in Polish) was a military decoration awarded to World War II partisans (part of resistance movement fighting in the countryside). It was introduced by the Council of Ministers on October 26, 1945.

The cross was awarded to organizers, commanders and members of partisan units who fought against Germans on a Polish territory, or to Poles who fought in partisan units in the USSR, Yugoslavia and France, or to foreigners, who fought in partisan units on Polish territory. It could be given also to cities or villages, that distinguished themselves in supporting the partisan movement.

About 55,000 Partisan Crosses were awarded. The Partisan Cross ceased to be awarded in 1999.

The Partisan Cross Design

The Cross is a gold-plated Greek cross with thin arms, 38 x 38 mm.

The obverse shows the eagle in the centre (the Polish coat-of-arms) and an inscription: “ZA – POLSKĘ – WOLNOŚĆ – i LUD” (“For Poland, Liberty and People”) on arms. The reverse bears the horizontal inscription “PARTYZANTOM” (“To partisans”), and the date “1939” on an upper vertical arm and “1945” on a lower arm.

The ribbon is dark green, 35 mm wide, with black strips 7 mm wide, near both edges.

The Order of the Cross of Grunwald

The Order of the Cross of Grunwald is a military decoration created in Poland in November 1943 and conferred for merit in combat.

The Order of the Cross of Grunwald (or Order Krzyża Grunwaldu in Polish) was a military decoration created in Poland in November 1943 by the High Command of Gwardia Ludowa, a World War II Polish resistance movement organized by the Polish Workers Party.

The medal was conferred to Polish or the allied military for valor or merit in combat with Nazi Germany. After the end of the Second World War it continued to be awarded for outstanding merit in commanding or outstanding contribution to the development of the Polish Armed Forces.

On 20 February 1944 it was confirmed by the State National Council and on 22 December by the Polish Committee of National Liberation and further confirmed on 17 February 1960 by the government of the People’s Republic of Poland. It was disestablished by the President of Poland via Parliament in 1992.

The Order of the Cross of Grunwald Design

The medal is a cross with 4 equilateral arms with gold edges and pointed ends. It’s struck in silver and measures 45 by 45 mm in diameter. Overall arm length with finials is 16.5 mm and without finials 15 mm. Thickness is 2.5 mm.

The center of the obverse shows a shield within which are two swords facing downwards. In the center of the reverse is also a sword, in which is the transcription 1410 KG 1944 below one another.

The ribbon has a central grey stripe flanked by red with green edges.

The Monte Cassino Commemorative Cross

The Monte Cassino Commemorative Cross was awarded to all soldiers of the Polish II Corps who fought in the battle of Monte Cassino.

The Monte Cassino Commemorative Cross (or Krzyż Pamiątkowy Monte Cassino in Polish) is a commemorative medal awarded to all soldiers of the Polish II Corps who fought in the battle of Monte Cassino and the battles for Piedimonte and Passo Corno.

The Battle of Monte Cassino (also known as the Battle for Rome and the Battle for Cassino) was a costly series of four assaults by the Allies against the Winter Line in Italy held by Axis forces during the Italian Campaign of World War II. The intention was a breakthrough to Rome.

After the capture of Monte Cassino in May 1944, the Polish government-in-exile (in London) created a campaign cross to commemorate the role of the Polish II Corps (often known as Anders Army) in capturing this strategic point, which had long blocked the Allied advance up the Italian peninsula. A consignment of 50,000 crosses was ordered from a manufacturer in Tel Aviv, then part of British-ruled Palestine, where the Polish forces had spent part of 1942 and almost all of 1943 in training.

A total of 48,498 crosses were awarded with accompanying award documents issued in the field to each soldier who took part in the battle. The lists of named cross recipients are held at the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum.

The Monte Cassino Commemorative Cross Design

The medal is a cross with 4 equilateral arms, incised grooves and outward curving, radiant tips. It is struck in silver or bronze and measures 40 mm in diameter. The design of the cross echoes that used by the order of St. Benedict, who founded the Monte Cassino Abbey in 529.

The obverse (top left) bears the inscription “MONTE CASSINO MAJ 1944“. The reverse (top right) has the serial number of the medal.

The grosgrain ribbon has alternating vertical stripes of equal width: 6 blue, 5 orange. The ribbon is inserted through a suspension ring attached to a ring suspension attached to a loop in the cross point.

The Army Medal for War 1939-45

The Army Medal for War 1939-45 was created in 1945 to reward members of the Polish ground forces for service during World War II.

The Army Medal for War 1939-45 (or Medal Wojska za Wojne 1939-45 in Polish) was created in 1945 by the Polish government in Exile (in London) to reward members of the Polish ground forces for service during World War II.

The eligibility criteria for the medal were:

  • Six months of operational service during World War II, or
  • 12 months in a non-operational role.

The medal could be conferred up to four times, although for a subsequent award the period of service was doubled.

The Army Medal for War 1939-45 Design

The medal measures 35 mm in diameter.

The ribbon is crimson, with four thin stripes of white (including two edges).

The Cross of Independence (Poland)

The Cross of Independence had three versions and was awarded to individuals who had fought heroically for the independence of Poland.

The Cross of Independence (or Krzyż Niepodległości in Polish) was awarded to individuals who had “fought heroically for the independence of Poland” and existed in three versions. It was the second highest Polish military decoration between World Wars I and II.

The Cross of Independence was established with a decree of the President of Poland of 29 October 1930. It was to be awarded to the people who laid foundations for the independence of the Fatherland before the World War or during it, as well as during the fights between 1818 and 1921, with the exception of the Polish-Russian War. After 1938 it was also awarded to people responsible for the reunification of Zaolzie with Poland.

Although the cross without the swords was awarded mainly to the civilians, all versions were considered to be military decorations.

The recipients of all grades of the Cross of Independence had a right to be elected to the Senate of the Republic of Poland, the right to travel by Polish State Railways free of charge and a right to send their children to the schools of their choice free of charge.

The Cross of Independence had three classes:

  1. Cross of Independence with Swords (1818 awarded by 1938)
  2. Cross of Independence (7917 awarded by 1938)
  3. Medal of Independence (51735 awarded all together)

The Cross of Independence Design

Both the Cross and the Medal were designed by professor Mieczysław Kotarbiński and most of the copies were made by Warsaw-based jeweler Wiktor Gontarczyk.

The cross measures 42 by 42 mm and is made of gilt bronze. The obverse has a rectangle shield with stylised eagle in bas-relief. The reverse is covered with black enamel and the motto “Bojownikom Niepodległości” (“To the Fighters for Independence”). The version with Swords had two golden swords crossed above the cross.

The medal of Independence is round, measures 35 mm in diameter, and is made entirely of bronze. On the obverse there is a symbolic depiction of three Hydras (symbolizing three partitioning Powers) stroke with two swords and surrounded by the motto “Bojownikom Niepodległości”. The reverse is plain with letters RP in the center (standing for Rzeczpospolita Polska).