Polish Red Cross ( pl, Polski Czerwony Krzyż, abbr. PCK) is the Polish member of the
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, an ...
. Its 19th-century roots may be found in the
Russian and
Austrian Partitions of the
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. On regaining its independence in 1918 Poland's charitable institutions were able to reconvene and establish the Red Cross on its territory under the presidency of
Paweł Sapieha, formerly President of the Red Cross in
Galicia
Galicia may refer to:
Geographic regions
* Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain
** Gallaecia, a Roman province
** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia
** The medieval King ...
. The new society was recognized by the International Red Cross on 24 July 1919. During the
Polish People's Republic (1947–1989) the Polish Red Cross lost its autonomy and all its assets to the state. Across its hundred year history it continues its humanitarian work at home and abroad. Its focus is on education, exhumations and missing persons. It continues to carry aid to refugees.
History
On 18 January 1919 the Polish Samaritan Society organized a meeting of all Polish charities that followed the Red Cross principles. With the support of
Helena Paderewska
Helena Maria Paderewska (née von Rosen; previously Górska) (August 1, 1856 – January 16, 1934) was a Polish social activist who helped found the Polish White Cross society during World War I (among other humanitarian activities), and also is k ...
, then head of what was called the Polish White Cross society, the participants formed the Polish Red Cross Society. A temporary committee of 30 was elected to develop draft statutes and to proceed with preparations of the new PCK.
Polish Soviet War
In 1922 after the
Polish–Soviet War the Polish Red Cross participated in an exchange of Polish and Russian prisoners.
Ekaterina Peshkova
Yekaterina Pavlovna Peshkova, née Volzhina (russian: Екатерина Павловна Пешкова, née Волжина; 26 July 1887 – 26 March 1965) was a Soviet human rights activist and humanitarian, first wife of Maxim Gorky.
Li ...
the chairwoman of organisation, ''Assistance to Political Prisoners'' (Pompolit, ''Помощь политическим заключенным'', Помполит), was given an award by the Polish Red Cross for her participation in the exchange of
POWs.
[ Yaroslav Leontiev ]
''Dear Ekaterina Pavlovna
'', Russian Germany, N24 -2005[''Fighters for the Human Rights'']
, Novaya Gazeta
''Novaya Gazeta'' ( rus, Новая газета, t=New Gazette, p=ˈnovəjə ɡɐˈzʲetə) is an independent Russian newspaper known for its critical and investigative coverage of Russian political and social affairs. It is published in Mo ...
, N81, 2002 Before World War II the PCK operated ambulances on behalf of the Polish Army in order to aid the Army's budget.
WWII
In 1942, the eminent Polish cryptologists
Marian Rejewski
Marian Adam Rejewski (; 16 August 1905 – 13 February 1980) was a Polish mathematician and cryptologist who in late 1932 reconstructed the sight-unseen German military Enigma cipher machine, aided by limited documents obtained by French mili ...
and
Henryk Zygalski escaped from occupied France to
Spain. Upon arrival they were imprisoned by the Spanish. The Polish Red Cross made arrangements for food parcels to be delivered to the prisoners. Red Cross personnel sent a list in Polish of "Polish Prisoners" who were to receive food parcels. The Red Cross was later able to secure their release.
During the Italian campaign in 1944, the director for the Red Cross in
Anders' Army was Count
Stefan Tyszkiewicz
Stefan Eugeniusz Tyszkiewicz, in Polish, Stefan Eugeniusz Maria Tyszkiewicz-Łohojski z Landwarowa, Leliwa coat of arms, (born 24 November 1894 in Warsaw, died 6 February 1976 in London) was a member of the Polish nobility, landowner, engineer, i ...
.
[Piotrowski, Jacek, Ed. ''Dzienniki czynności Prezydenta RP Władysława Raczkiewicza : 1939 - 1947'' - Wrocław: Wydawn. Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2004, (Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis; 2687), , Signatur der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin: 3 A 128733-2 1a: 3 A 128733-2, p. 527 - the Journals of President Raczkiewicz, 1939-1947.]
References
External links
Homepage
{{Authority control
1919 establishments in Poland
Medical and health organisations based in Poland
Red Cross and Red Crescent national societies
Organizations established in 1919