- Time Period: Interwar Period
- Year of Institution: 4 February 1921
- Country: Poland
The Order of Polonia Restituta (or Order Odrodzenia Polski in Polish, Order of the Rebirth of Poland in English) is a Polish state order established in 1921 and conferred on both military and civilians as well as on foreigners for outstanding achievements in the fields of education, science, sport, culture, art, economics, national defense, social work, civil service, or for furthering good relations between countries.
The Order of Polonia Restituta was established on 4 February 1921 with Marshal Józef Piłsudski as first Grand Master. The Marshal awarded the first recipients on 13 July 1921.
After World War II both the Polish government-in-exile and the Communist People’s Republic of Poland, aligned with the Warsaw Pact, awarded the order, though the versions differed slightly. The order was saved from abuse as it was simply passed over in favor of more traditional communist awards. During this time, the Order of Merit of Poland became the favored award for foreigners.
On 22 December 1990 the Polish government-in-exile returned the rights to its version of the order to the new Polish state. Invalid awards have been revoked and today the remaining communist versions of the order hold the same status as any other issues.
The Order of Polonia Restituta has five classes, categorized according to the Constitution of Poland, Article 138, as follows:
- Grand Cross. Order of Polonia Restituta First Class, Krzyż Wielki, the Grand Cross, referred to as the Grand Cordon.
- Commander’s Cross with Star. Order of Polonia Restituta Second Class, Krzyż Komandorski z Gwiazdą, the Commander’s Cross with Star.
- Commander’s Cross. Order of Polonia Restituta Third Class, Krzyż Komandorski, the Commander’s Cross.
- Officer’s Cross. Order of Polonia Restituta Fourth Class, Krzyż Oficerski, the Officer’s Cross.
- Knight’s Cross. Order of Polonia Restituta Fifth Class, Krzyż Kawalerski, the Knight’s Cross.
The Order of Polonia Restituta Design
The badge of the Order of Polonia Restituta is a gold Maltese cross enameled in white.
The obverse central disc bears a white eagle on a red background, the Coat of Arms of Poland, surrounded by a blue ring bearing the words “Polonia Restituta“. The reverse central disc bears the year 1918 (for the People’s Republic of Poland version: 1944).
The badge is worn on a ribbon, red with a white stripe near the edges, as a sash on the right shoulder for Grand Cross, around the neck for Commander with Star and Commander, on the left chest with a rosette for Officer, and on the left chest without rosette for Knight.
The star of the order is an eight-pointed silver star with straight rays. The central disc is in white enamel, bearing the monogram “RP” (Republic of Poland) (for the People’s Republic of Poland, “PRL”) and surrounded by a blue ring bearing the Latin words “Polonia Restituta“.
