International Order of Saint Stanislaus

The Order of Saint Stanislaus (Polish: Order św. Stanisława, Russian: Орденъ св. Станислава) was an Order in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The Order of St. Stanislaus originally existed between 1765 and 1917.

There are three or four Orders of Saint Stanislaus today.These different Orders and Grandmasters do not recognize each other as legitimate successors or revivals of the Order of Saint-Stanislaus.

This is the point of view given by a contributor about the Order that was established in London in 1979:

"On 9 June 1979, the Order of Saint Stanislas was re-established in five classes by the legitimate Polish Government (In Exile) which was based in London. From the 9 June 1979 until the 20 December 1990 the Polish Government (In Exile) used the Order of Saint Stanislas as an effective weapon against Communism. The Order was bestowed upon worthy individuals who had been at the forefront in the struggle against Communism and as well the Order gave a very high profile to the struggle for independence and the work being done by the European Central Council which was a group of Freedom Fighters made up of the following GovernmentsFact|date=September 2008.

In 1990, following the withdrawal of Soviet Forces from Polish soil and the free election of a new and democratic President, “both” (In Exile) Polish Government's were merged with the now legal Government in Warsaw on the 20 December 1990. Control of all Polish decorations was returned to Warsaw, but by a decree that was signed by the President and all Ministers of the Polish Government (In Exile) the Order of Saint Stanislas was made an Independent Charitable Order of chivalry, entrusted with a special role to assist the poor in Poland and Eastern EuropeFact|date=September 2008.

The Order of Saint Stanislas is now a worldwide organization with Priories established in most countries. The Order is a true international Brotherhood made up of Honorable men and women who have a very real concern for their fellow human beings and wanting to make a difference. Membership into the Order is by invitation from a member in good standing."

In mid 1990, the Polish Government (In Exile) of President Sokolnicki was informed that the soon to be democratically elected government of Poland had no intention of any form of continuation of the Order of Saint StanislasFact|date=September 2008. Knowing this the members of the Government (In Exile) decided to give the Order an independent character; (it had been used with tremendous success as a weapon against communism and had established a great many secure networks in Eastern Europe); on the 15 September 1990 an amendment to that effect was drawn up and signed by the President and all members of the legitimate Polish Government (In Exile).

The Order was, on that date, transferred from a Polish decoration into a charitable Order of chivalry, and so as not to cause confusion a name change to: The Sovereign Order of Saint StanislasFact|date=September 2008. The word Sovereign was used for a period of five (5) years and then discarded. *sovereign - one that exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere; an acknowledged leader - Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary.

At the same time the Order discarded the Insignias design that had been used during the “Exile” period (which featured an upraised crusaders sword between the initials SS, surmounted by a Corona Civica), and began having the decorations struck from the original dies of the Order which had gathered dust in a Warsaw museum for a period of 200 years. These featured Saint Stanislas as the decorations centerpieceFact|date=September 2008.

With the fall of Communism the Order of St. Stanislas swung into action and in the first five critical years of Poland's newfound freedom the Order provided financial aid to Poland. This aid was out of all proportion to the size of its membership. Funds were raised and distributed through the Saint Stanislas Foundation to Parish Priests in Poland for allocation to the needy. Weekly shipments of ex. US Army medical supplies were distributed to hospitals and rural medical clinics.

Educational materials from the many schools and libraries of the closed military bases in Germany were sent to Poland to assist in education programs. A medical sponsorship program was begun at the Medical University of South Carolina (the first student being Doctor Dorota Kopanska from the Warsaw University). This sponsorship program was arranged by Doctor J. Richard Sosnowski GCStS, Dean Emeritus of the Medical University of South Carolina. In 1994, with the assistance of General William C. Westmoreland GCStS, Lieutenant General George Seignious GCStS, and Colonel James Leach GCStS the American Grand Priory of the Order of Saint Stanislas delivered to Poland thirty-five (35) surplus military ambulances and a large quantity of medical equipment to the Polish Government. Since then the Order has sent aid, on a monthly basis, to Poland. Within these sealed containers are the following types of a medical supplies: wheelchairs, crutches, bandages, and the like. Now the Order of St. Stanislas has become involved in sending aid into other parts of impoverished Eastern EuropeFact|date=September 2008."

The Ukrainian chapter of the International Order of Saint Stanislaus founded in 1979 declared itself independentFact|date=September 2008.

History

Stanislaus II Augustus Poniatowski, King of Poland established the "Order of the Knights of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr" on May 7, 1765 to honor the service to the King.

After the partition of Poland it was recognized in the Grand Duchy of Warsaw in 1807. Since 1815 in the Polish (Congress) Kingdom, the order, originally in a single class, was retained and divided into four classes. After the downfall of the November Uprising, the order was added to the awards system of the Russian Empire in 1832, where it remained until 1917. In 1918 Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic, the order was not renewed and was replaced by the Order of Polonia Restituta.

External links

* [http://order-sw-stanislaw.eu/ Webpage of the Order of St.Stanislas]
* [http://sankt-stanislaus-orden.eu/ Webpage of the Grand Priory of the Order of St.Stanislas in Germany]
* [http://order-of-st-stanislas.org/index.htm Order of St. Stanislas]
* [http://almanachdechivalry.com/_wsn/page8.html.com Almanach de Chivalry]
* [http://www.geocities.com/polishnobles/Sokolnicki.html The Self-Styled Order of St. Stanislas of Mr. Juliusz Nowina-Sokolnicki]
* [http://www.chivalricorders.org/orders/self-styled/slfstlod.htm Opinion of G. Stair Sainty]
* [http://www.maineworldnewsservice.com/caltrap/once_and_perhaps_still_lucrative.htm The Once and Perhaps Still Lucrative Trade in Polish Military Decorations]