The Fund for National Culture (Polish: ''Fundusz Kultury Narodowej'', FKN) was a Polish state foundation with headquarters in Warsaw, operating in the

Second Polish Republic The Second Polish Republic, at the time officially known as the Republic of Poland, was a country in Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe that existed between 1918 and 1939. The state was established on 6 November 1918, before the end of ...

, between 1928–1939 and later during the war with the support of the

Polish government in exile The Polish government-in-exile, officially known as the Government of the Republic of Poland in exile ( pl, Rząd Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej na uchodźstwie), was the government in exile of Poland formed in the aftermath of the Invasion of Pola ...

. The Fund was subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior, and later, to the

Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education may refer to: * Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education (Poland) * Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education (Russia) Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collect ...

History

The Fund for National Culture was established in 1928. It was subsidized by the state and supported by contributions from private individuals and institutions. The Fund's task was to support Polish scientific and artistic enterprises through: allowances and scholarships for individual persons, subsidies for publishing houses and subsidies for scientific and artistic institutions and teams. Among the beneficiaries, that obtained subsidies for the implementation of specific scientific and research projects, was the Polish Academy of Learning. The Fund for National Culture was headed by a Committee chaired by the Prime Minister of Poland. However, the fund was self-governing and had some independence from political institutions. Scholars and artists sat on the Fund's council and committees. Stanisław Michalski was the director of the Fund for National Culture throughout all its activity. Pursuant to the Act of 16 July 1937, the Fund for National Culture took the patronage of Józef Piłsudski, adopting the name of the Józef Piłsudski Fund for National Culture. Following the German invasion of Poland, in October 1939 the Fund was reactivated by the

. It would play a significant role in supporting Polish educational, cultural and research initiatives during the war period in the Allied-controlled territories.

References

Bibliography

* {{authority control Foundations based in Poland Government agencies of Poland Polish culture 1928 establishments in Poland