Arms of the Presidents of Poland

Heraldry of Poland
Jonathan Webster
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Arms of the Presidents of Poland

Postby Jonathan Webster » 29 Dec 2012, 13:18

In a similar vein to other posts Ive started as regards the arms of the Presidents of various countries; I noticed that quite a sizable (but by no means all) percentage of the Presidents of Poland were armigerous via descent from noble families. I wondered if anyone knows what any of these arms are? (and I'm including the Presidents of the Government-in-exile during the Communist period as well)

Marcus Karlsson
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Poland

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 08 Jan 2013, 22:55

I know about some. The first one is Ignacy Moscicki (1867-1946 in exile in Switzerland) President 1926-39. On 29 May 1936 He was awarded the Swedish Order of the Seraphim and his Stallplate shows the following Arms:
Shield: Azure a Raven Sable holding in its beak an annulet Or and standing on a cross issuant from a Horse-shoe Argent.
Crest: the Raven from the Shield standing on a crest coronet.
Last edited by Marcus Karlsson on 08 Jan 2013, 23:18, edited 2 times in total.

Marcus Karlsson
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Poland

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 08 Jan 2013, 23:15

The only other Polish President who has been awared the Order of the Seraphim (so far) is Lech Walesa (1943-) President 1990-95. he recieved the Order on 16 September 1993. For His Stallplate new arms war composed (with the assistance of the Heraldist Adam Heymowski). They are base on the Arms of the city of Gdansk (Danzig) where Walesa becom know as a Strike leader and founder of the Non communist Tade Union Solidarnosc. Not withsantanding that He was born in the southern Province of Silesia near Wroclaw (Breslau).

Shield: Argent a Pale Gules charged with a Fleur the Lys Argent between a Coronet Or and a Cross paty Argent.
Crest the Polish Eagle (Argent crowned Or) issuant.
Motto Odwaznie i roztropnie = Courage and Sense.

The Crown and the Cross are from the City Arms, the Second Cross in the City Arms has been replaced by a Fleur the Lys showing Walesa's addoration for the Black Madonna of Częstochowa. The Polish Crowned Eagle perhaps symbolises Walesa's Term as the First Non-Communist Polish President exercising His power in Poland since World War II. During Communist rule The Eagle bore no Crown. But Poland was one of the few Eastern Block States, that had Real Heraldic Arms during the Whole Communist Rule. The Silver Eagle beeing perhaps to rooted as Symbol of Poland, to be much altered even during the most harsh times of Communist Rule.

Marcus Karlsson
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Poland

Postby Marcus Karlsson » 15 Jan 2013, 17:58

Black and White painting of President Walesa's Full Arms (done by Adam Heymowski I think. Hatching Pattern done by Myself):

Image

Jonathan Webster
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Poland

Postby Jonathan Webster » 16 Jan 2013, 14:56

I know Jaruselski was from an old szlachta family (ironically for a communist Head of State), though I'm not 100% sure, but if so he would have been entitled to some Herb arms, presumably.

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Tomasz Steifer
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Re: Arms of the Presidents of Poland

Postby Tomasz Steifer » 24 Apr 2013, 00:21

Jonathan Webster wrote:In a similar vein to other posts Ive started as regards the arms of the Presidents of various countries; I noticed that quite a sizable (but by no means all) percentage of the Presidents of Poland were armigerous via descent from noble families. I wondered if anyone knows what any of these arms are? (and I'm including the Presidents of the Government-in-exile during the Communist period as well)

Gabriel Narutowicz (1st President of Poland 1922) - polish nobility coat of arms Narutowicz
Stanisław Wojciechowski (President 1922-1926) - polish nobility coat of arms Nałęcz
Ignacy Mościcki (President 1926-1939) - polish nobility coat of arms Ślepowron (also Corvin, Bujno etc)
Władysław Raczkiewicz (1st President in Exile, 1939-1947) probably Sas CoA.
August Zaleski (President in Exile 1947-1972) - polish nobility coat of arms Lubicz
Stanisław Ostrowski (President in Exile 1972-1979) probably Nieczuja
Edward Bernard, Count Raczyński (1979+1986) Nałęcz
Kazimierz Sabbat (1986-1989) - ?
Ryszard Kaczorowski (last Presiden in Exile, 1989-1990) - polish nobility coat of arms Jelita
Bolesław Bierut (President of People's Republic of Poland 1947-1952) - without arms
Wojciech Jaruzelski ( President of People's Republic of Poland 1989-1989, President of Poland 1989-1990) - polish nobility coat of arms Ślepowron (also Corvin, Bujno etc)
Lech Wałęsa (1990-1995) - personal arms
Aleksander Kwaśniewski (1995-2005) - ?
Lech Kaczyński (2005-2010) - polish nobility coat of arms Pomian
Bronisław Komorowski (2010- ) originally polish nobility coat of arms Dołęga, but as the result of a mistake or usurpation of the nineteenth century been approved by the (Austrian Empire) medieval title of Count of another family of the same name Komorowski with Korczak Coat of Arms

Caution! According to the rules of Polish heraldry (as in many countries in central Europe), the same arms, with no variations (undifferenced), have all members of the family. In addition, the same coat of arms is often used by many (even hundreds!) Families unrelated to each other. This is probably stored in arms the memory of forgotten kinship from the preheraldic times. Therefore, do not ask for consanguinity Jaruzelski and Moscicki, or Wojciechowski and Raczynski on the basis that they used the same coat of arms!
regards

Tomasz Steifer
IAAH Fellow


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