The Order of the Cross of Independence (''Order Krzyża Niepodległości'') was established on 5 August 2010, to honor those who between the years of 1939-1956 voluntarily served with merit in defending the independence of the
Polish State
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. At its establishment it was declared to be a continuation of
Cross of Independence which was established on 29 October 1930. It is fifth in the order of precedence of
Polish awards and decorations.
Classes
The
Order is divided into two classes. The first class cross of the Order of Independence is suspended by swords attached to a ribbon with a width of 45mm which is worn around the neck. The ribbon is blue with stripes of gold and red at the edges. The
ribbon bar
A medal ribbon, service ribbon or ribbon bar is a small ribbon, mounted on a small metal bar equipped with an attaching device, which is generally issued for wear in place of a medal when it is not appropriate to wear the actual medal. Each cou ...
of the first class is denoted by a
rosette at the center. The first class is awarded to those who guided the struggle or fought with arms for independence and sovereignty of the motherland with an extraordinary sacrifice. The second class cross of the Order of the Cross of Independence is worn on the left breast suspended from a ribbon with a width of 40 mm, with colors identical to that of the first class. The ribbon bar of the second class is unadorned by any
clasp or attachment. The second class is awarded to those who for a significant period of time or in circumstances of extreme danger defended the independence and sovereignty of the homeland, fighting for her recovery, or maintaining the functioning of institutions and traditions of the
Polish Republic.
Recipients
On 28 February 2013 the first investiture of the order took place. Eight persons were awarded the order with swords and nineteen the order without swords.
References
See also
*
Polish awards and decorations
*
Cross of Independence
*
Cross of Freedom and Solidarity
The Cross of Freedom and Solidarity (''Krzyż Wolności i Solidarności'') was established on 5 August 2010, to honor members of the democratic opposition in Poland who between the years 1956 and 1989 were killed, seriously wounded or injured, arr ...
{{Polish awards
Orders, decorations, and medals of Poland
Awards established in 2010