Post by Bonobo on Sept 6, 2016 21:59:23 GMT 1
The Order of the White Eagle (Polish: Order Orła Białego) is Poland's highest decoration awarded to both civilians and the military for their merits. It was officially instituted on 1 November 1705 by Augustus II the Strong and bestowed on eight of his closest, diplomatic and political supporters.
It is awarded to the most distinguished Poles and the highest-ranking representatives of foreign countries. The Order of the White Eagle is attached to a blue ribbon slung over the left shoulder to the right side. The star of the Order, once embroidered, is worn on the left side of the chest.............
The badge Order of the White Eagle was originally a red enamel oval gold medal with an image of the Polish white eagle on its front side and bearing Augustus II's royal cypher over crossed swords on its reverse side worn on a light blue ribbon. This was replaced by a Maltese cross in 1709. By 1713 it was worn from the neck, with a blue sash, and a star. Although Augustus the Strong limited the number of knights to seventy-two, he only conferred the Order forty times before his death in 1733. His son, Augustus, however, awarded the Order more than three hundred times. Augustus may have been inspired to found the Order by the example of Peter the Great's recent founding of the Russian Order of Saint Andrew (of which he himself had been made one of the first knights by the Russian emperor), and above all by the example of the prestigious French Order of the Holy Spirit, with which the light blue ribbon, and the star with a bird, have a strong resemblance, and which had also inspired Peter the Great's Order of Saint Andrew. Initially the creation of the Order was strongly opposed by many of the Polish nobility since membership in the Order conferred a distinction which violated the traditional equality of all Polish nobles. Since the Order had no patron saint, Augustus II made 2 August the feast of the Order. His son, Augustus III, however, changed the Order's feast day to 3 August.
After the third partitioning of Poland, in 1795, the Order was abolished, though it was renewed by 1807 and became the highest award of the Duchy of Warsaw, and after 1815 of the Kingdom of Poland, an autonomous part of the Russian Empire; it was also popular among the Russian tsars, who also conferred the Order upon themselves.
After Russian troops put down the Polish uprising of 1830-31, the Order of the White Eagle was officially "annexed" by Nicholas I on 17 November 1831 and became part of the Russian Imperial honors system. The insignia of this new Imperial Russian Order of the White Eagle was modified to more closely resemble those of Russian orders. It remained in this form until the Russian Revolution of 1917, in which the Russian Empire fell.
The Order of the White Eagle officially became Poland's highest decoration by act of Parliament of 4 February 1921, and the insignia was redesigned. In the interbellum the Order was awarded to 24 Polish citizens and 87 foreigners, among whom were 33 monarchs and heads of state, ten prime ministers and fifteen other ministers of state, and twelve members of royal families.
After 1948, when the People's Republic of Poland came into existence, the Order of the White Eagle was no longer awarded, but it was never officially abolished. It was also used by the Polish Government in Exile. Following the collapse of communism, the Order was once again reinstated on 26 October 1992, the Polish Government in Exile having already presented the seal and archives of the Order to Lech Wałęsa, first post-communist President of Poland. The first person to be awarded the White Eagle after its reinstatement was Pope John Paul II. The President of Poland is always the Grand Master of the Order.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_White_Eagle_(Poland)
It is awarded to the most distinguished Poles and the highest-ranking representatives of foreign countries. The Order of the White Eagle is attached to a blue ribbon slung over the left shoulder to the right side. The star of the Order, once embroidered, is worn on the left side of the chest.............
The badge Order of the White Eagle was originally a red enamel oval gold medal with an image of the Polish white eagle on its front side and bearing Augustus II's royal cypher over crossed swords on its reverse side worn on a light blue ribbon. This was replaced by a Maltese cross in 1709. By 1713 it was worn from the neck, with a blue sash, and a star. Although Augustus the Strong limited the number of knights to seventy-two, he only conferred the Order forty times before his death in 1733. His son, Augustus, however, awarded the Order more than three hundred times. Augustus may have been inspired to found the Order by the example of Peter the Great's recent founding of the Russian Order of Saint Andrew (of which he himself had been made one of the first knights by the Russian emperor), and above all by the example of the prestigious French Order of the Holy Spirit, with which the light blue ribbon, and the star with a bird, have a strong resemblance, and which had also inspired Peter the Great's Order of Saint Andrew. Initially the creation of the Order was strongly opposed by many of the Polish nobility since membership in the Order conferred a distinction which violated the traditional equality of all Polish nobles. Since the Order had no patron saint, Augustus II made 2 August the feast of the Order. His son, Augustus III, however, changed the Order's feast day to 3 August.
After the third partitioning of Poland, in 1795, the Order was abolished, though it was renewed by 1807 and became the highest award of the Duchy of Warsaw, and after 1815 of the Kingdom of Poland, an autonomous part of the Russian Empire; it was also popular among the Russian tsars, who also conferred the Order upon themselves.
After Russian troops put down the Polish uprising of 1830-31, the Order of the White Eagle was officially "annexed" by Nicholas I on 17 November 1831 and became part of the Russian Imperial honors system. The insignia of this new Imperial Russian Order of the White Eagle was modified to more closely resemble those of Russian orders. It remained in this form until the Russian Revolution of 1917, in which the Russian Empire fell.
The Order of the White Eagle officially became Poland's highest decoration by act of Parliament of 4 February 1921, and the insignia was redesigned. In the interbellum the Order was awarded to 24 Polish citizens and 87 foreigners, among whom were 33 monarchs and heads of state, ten prime ministers and fifteen other ministers of state, and twelve members of royal families.
After 1948, when the People's Republic of Poland came into existence, the Order of the White Eagle was no longer awarded, but it was never officially abolished. It was also used by the Polish Government in Exile. Following the collapse of communism, the Order was once again reinstated on 26 October 1992, the Polish Government in Exile having already presented the seal and archives of the Order to Lech Wałęsa, first post-communist President of Poland. The first person to be awarded the White Eagle after its reinstatement was Pope John Paul II. The President of Poland is always the Grand Master of the Order.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_White_Eagle_(Poland)
