![[salt]](../images/p/pl@salt.gif)
Last modified: 2024-09-07 by rob raeside
Keywords: dar pomorza | ufe | salt mines | buttons museum | bialowieski national park |
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image by Zach Harden, 22 Mar 2002
Salt mines near Krakow - in the underground chapel there are Polish,Vatican
and miners green over black flags, There is also a white-yellow vertical
banner.
Dov Gutterman, 22 Mar 2002
Adam Kromer was recently in Wieliczka, in the salt mines (as a tourist,
not as a condemned one) and talked to some people in authority about the Dov's flag on your Polish pages. That flag is
not only for the salt mines but for all the miners, primarily the coalminers,
so numerous in Poland. To confirm it, he saw (on TV) a lot of recent demonstrations protesting
closures of those mines (Welcome to European Union) where these flags were
in abundance.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 19 Nov 2002
![2]](../images/p/pl-rccv.gif)
image by Zach Harden, 22 Mar 2002
Salt mines near Krakow - there is also a white-yellow vertical banner.
Dov Gutterman, 22 Mar 2002
![[Buttons Museum flag]](../images/p/pl@butt.gif)
image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 20 Nov 2002
There is, most likely one of a kind, Museum of Buttons in Lowicz, Poland
run by one Jerzy Rutkowski, great authority on ... buttons. The Museum
has its own flag, even if it is rather small institution. The entire collection
fits into a suitcase and is stored in the closet in Mr. Rutkowski's apartment
in Lowicz. The best way to view the significant collection is by the way
of Internet at this webpage, where
the information is presented in both, Polish and English.
The flag is pictured and described at this
webpage.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 20 Nov 2002
![[Białowieski National Park]](../images/p/pl@bnp.gif)
image by Jens Pattke, 11 Jan 2006, after image on this
site, spotted by Valentin Poposki.
The cited cite states:
"We workers of the Białowieski National Park granted with the holy
flag vow to:
- protect nature, all living in Białowieski National Park plants and
animals,
- guard the reputation of park, win over followers and friends. With
dignity fulfill professional duties,
- protect and defend our flag, symbol of our unity and devotion to
the service of our Country Rzeczpospolita Polska
On the third of September 2005, the 83rd anniversary of establishment of the Białowieski National Park, the 75th anniversary of European bison restitution in Białowieża Primeval Forest, the 25th anniversary of receiving by our National Park the World Heritage Title the ceremony of awarding and blessing of the Białowieski National Park flag in front of the administrative-museum building took place.
The flag was founded by the Association of Local Government of “Puszcza Białowieska” Euroregion (Starostwo Powiatowe w Hajnówce, Miasto Hajnówka, Gmina Hajnówka, Gmina Białowieża, Miasto and Gmina Kleszczele, Gmina Czeremcha, Gmina Czyże, Gmina Dubicze Cerkiewne, Wójt Gminy Narew, Gmina Narewka, Gmina Bielsk Podlaski, Orla Gmina).
Włodzimierz Pietroczuk the chairman both of the Hajnówka Administrative District and the Association handed the flag to managing director Józef Popiel. The blessing act was performed by archbishop Leszek Sławoj Głódż - the catholic ordinary of the Polish Army and bishop Miron the orthodox ordinary of the Polish Army. In the ceremony many representatives of the Local Government, the Ministry of Environment, The National Found of Environment Protection and Water Management, Ekofundusz Fund, Pekao S.A. Bank (co-organizer of “Żubr Year” celebration), “Żubr” Brand (“Żubr Year” sponsor) and Białowieża inhabitants participated. In the name of BNP workers vowed: Anna Gierasimiuk and Andrzej Karczewski.
The flag was designed by a visual artist Lech Z. Nowacki from Białowieża. On a green face side there is a picture of two first European bison brought to Białowieża Primeval Forest in 1921, above them the inscription- Białowieski National Park, and under it the year 1921 (the year of BNP establishment). There were placed also signs of BNP affiliation to the World Heritage Site (since 1979) and to the World Network of Biosphere Reserves (since 1977). On the bottom of the flag there is the inscription: “In the service of nature and mankind”. On the reverse there is the image of the Piast eagle. The flag was made in Suwałki by Mrs Krystyna Brzezińska`s company.
The Białowieski National Park is the third national park (after Biebrzański
and Tatrzański National Park) that can take pride in possessing a flag."
Valentin Poposki, 1 Jan 2006
By sheer coincidence, I took my dog today morning for an outing in Ronald Reagan Park in Diamond Bar. There, we met a nice American-Filipino man with a beautiful Pekingese, who just returned from a trip to Poland. While there, he visited the Białowieża Forest National Park and told me a story about riding in a horse-driven carriage all around the forest with a highly knowledgeable, English-speaking, guide, who also possessed a hilarious sense of humor.
This guide, most likely, received his training in the Forestry Schools Complex (named after "Polish Foresters") in Białowieża, which standard is presented here.
There is one more national park in Poland with own standard, namely
Kampinos National Park (Kampinoski Park Narodowy) near Warsaw:
obverse at: http://kampinoski-pn.gov.pl/images/stories/sztandar-a.jpg
reverse at: http://kampinoski-pn.gov.pl/images/stories/sztandar-b.jpg
Chrystian Kretowicz, 17 Sep 2009
![[Polish Red Cross]](../images/p/pl_pck.gif)
image by Tomislav Šipek, 1 September 2018
The flag of Polish Red
Cross is white with logo.
http://www.pck.org.pl/plock/?news=56
Tomislav Šipek, 1
September 2018
![[Union of Poles in Germany 1932-39]](../images/p/pl_akp_ov.jpg)
image located by Martin Karner, 1 August 2024![[Union of Poles in Germany 1932-39]](../images/p/pl_zpn.gif)
image by Chrystian Kretowicz, 30 Sep 2009
Union of Poles in Germany (1922-1939) - Związek Polaków w Niemczech
- Bund der Polen in Deutschland e.V.
"Union of Poles in Germany is an organisation of the Polish minority
in Germany, founded in 1922. The union initiated collaboration between
other minorities, including Sorbs, Danes, Frisians and Lithuanians. From
1939 until 1945 the Union was outlawed in Nazi Germany. After 1945 it had
lost some of its influence; in 1950 the Union of Poles in Germany split
into two organizations:
the Union of Poles in Germany (German: Bund der Polen in Deutschland
e.V.), which refused to recognize the communist Polish government of
the Polish United
Workerś Party, and the Union of Poles "Zgoda" (Unity) (German:
Bund
der Polen "Zgoda" (Eintracht)), which did recognize the new Communist
government in Warsaw and had contacts with it. The split was healed in
1991.
The union was intended to express the views of the Polish minority in
Germany, This partly comprised the Polish-native population of the former
East German provinces which remained with Germany under the conditions
of the Treaty of Versailles (Upper Silesia, East Brandenburg, Pomerania,
Warmia or areas where Poles settled in Middle Ages (East Prussia) - mostly
farmers and workers - and partly the Polish immigrants in Ruhr area.
This constituency of the Union was calculated to number approximately
1,500,000 people. However, the Polish minority was only legally recognised
as such in Upper Silesia, where they possessed international status due
to Treaty of Versailles. In other areas Poles were subject of assimilationist
policies that did not recognize their distinct ethnicity.
In Nazi Germany Poles faced increased problems as the Nazis attempted
to force cultural unity on the country. Poles outside of the Upper Silesia
were forced to declare German nationality; activists of the union were
subject of persecutions. However, the union was kept legal in the hope
to avoid escalations of ethnic conflict that would create problems for
the German minority in Poland (mostly in the autonomous Silesian Voivodeship,
in Wielkopolska and former West Prussia in the Polish Corridor, 1919-1939).
The leaders of the Union found it necessary to invent new symbols for
the Union to avoid the possibility that Poles would adhere to the new "national"
symbols, such as the Nazi salute and the swastika. This led to invention
of the symbol of the Union, the Rodło, a stylized representation
of the Vistula river. The reason for its adoption was that the Polish national
symbol, the White Eagle, was not allowed by Prussian law. The Nazi swastika
provided an inspiration for the Poles' own alternative symbol that was
designed to be a challenge for Nazi Germany." (wikipedia)
The Polish national emblem, the White Eagle, having been banned in
Nazi Germany, the Rodło was invented as a new symbol that Poles
in Germany could rally around. The name, "Rodło," is a portmanteau
of "ród" ("folk") and "godło" ("emblem").
The Rodło graphics was conceived in 1930's by the graphic designer,
Janina Kłopocka, who sketched the "emblem of the Vistula River, cradle
of the Polish people, and royal Kraków, cradle of Polish culture". (marked
on the lowest arm) [CWK].
The white emblem was placed on a red background - the Polish national
colors. It was adopted in August 1932 by the leadership of the Union of
Poles in Germany.
Chrystian Kretowicz, 30 Sep 2009
Isn't Pomorze "Pomerania"?
Pascal Vagnat, 19 May 1999
DAR POMORZA is a Polish sail training ship, so I guess that must be
the flag of the ship...
Robert M J Czernkowski, 21 May 1999
I think, that it could be some flag of Świętokrzyskie voyevodship. It
had a coat of arms with 7 vertical red/white stripes on right (heraldic)
side of shield and eight golden stars on blue field on left side.
O. Myszor, 20 Nov 2001
If I understand the description clearly, looking at the flag attached
to the pole (on the left for arguments sake) the flag is red on the left
side, white on the right, with a white eagle on the red part. Lodge
or club flags tend to have local symbols, most clubs revolve around a town
or region. If it is Polish, it sounds more like some sort of battle
or naval flag. It wasn't until later centuries, probably about the
18th -19th that the current colors of white on top and red on the bottom
were codified. Tradition says that the early Polish flag was red
on top white on the bottom, until so much blood was shed on Polish soil
that it soaked into the land leaving the sky white. One hint on the
identity of the flag in question would be how the eagle is represented.
The stylization of the eagle seems fairly consistent over long periods
so that it should look similar to the current version. Those are my best
guesses. When I have some time, I'll see if I have any pictures of
flags that look like this one. It might help to know where this flag
was seen.
Michael J Cwik, 8 Aug 2000
My understanding of the description tallies with your supposition: the
flag is divided vertically, the red to the hoist, the white to the fly.
I asked my girlfriend tonight about the eagle charge and she's pretty sure
that it was not holding anything in its claws, but equally she doesn't
think it was crowned, which would tend to identify it as Polish if it was.
Roy Stilling, 8 Aug 2000
The absence of a crown may make this a communist-era flag, if indeed
it is Polish. Unless and until some New Yorker reports more detail on this
flag, we'll have to live with Cwik's guess as a working hypothesis.
Al Kirsch, 9 Aug 2000
I went researching about this flag, & other polish flags, while
doing this I visited FOTW's polish flag page. I discovered this flag to
match the description of the unidentified Polish flag: Banner
of President of Republic of Poland 1945-1952.
Joshua Horn, 30 Sep 2001
What would a Polish president be doing in Broadway?
Rob Raeside, 1 Oct 2001
![[Republikca flag]](../images/p/pl_repub.gif)
image by Ivan Sache, 23 November 2020
Republika was a Polish rock band established in 1981 in Toruń, succeeding an
earlier band founded in 1978 as Res Publica. Original members were Paweł
Kuczyński (bass), Zbigniew Krzywański (guitar), Sławomir Ciesielski (drums) and
Grzegorz Ciechowski (vocal, piano, flute). Republika winded up in 1986 after the
departure of Ciechowski and re-formed in 1991 as a trio, without Kuczyński.
Ciechowski's sudden death in December 2001 definitively ended Republika.
Republika's fame spread out of Poland thanks to the band's original music,
anti-conformist posture, and black and white universe inspired by the artist Ina
Koneczna.
The official video of the song "Mamona" (1998) features a flag
diagonally divided black and white, modeled on the band's emblem.
Republika has a seminal song called "Biała Flaga" (White
Flag), whose title is explained in the last verses:
"Where are my friends
Fighters from those years
There have always been few of them
I'm alone now
Here they are, here they all are
My friends on many sides
What a
procession, what a beautiful step
They march side by side straight ahead
And in slippers and suits
With pajamas under the arms
With jobs, taxes,
and white flags
Their multitudes are coming
Their multitudes, their
multitudes
Their multitudes, their multitudes
Crowds of them."
![[Republikca flag]](../images/p/pl_repu1.gif)
![[Republikca flag]](../images/p/pl_repu2.gif)
images by Ivan Sache, 23 November 2020
On
17 December 2011, the 10th anniversary of Ciechowski's was celebrated in Od Nowa
(Akademickie Centrum Kultury i Sztuki “Od Nowa”), the Toruń's legendary culture
club managed by the Nicolaus Copernicus University, which was the place of
Republika's first rehearsals and performances.
Different artists offered
covers of Republika's songs to a public waving black and white striped flags.
Maja / Mayka Babyszka, who has since then been growing as a multi-talented
classical and jazz pianist and singer, was only 12 years old when she offered
this performance.
("Ah, have no fear, though.
Young I may be; but in the
noble heart
Valour’s no need of years, a thing apart.")
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltmfg8FGJcs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbUQ4XUxA-4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OyLijBD5jmw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKFqRrgeim4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AMtb31hDMs
Ivan Sache, 23
November 2020
![[LGBT flag]](../images/p/pl_lgbt.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorovic, 20 January 2024
This Polish LGBT flag is derived from the state flag of Poland by recoloring the red areas into the rainbow-striped patterns - the bottom field into the horizontal stripes (red at the top) and the field of the arms into the vertical stripes (red at the dexter side); the crowned eagle is all white, with no details, like a silhouette.
The earliest recorded appearance of the
flag was in July 2018, at the Częstochowa Pride Parade [1, 2, 3]. There were
some threats from the then government to prosecute the flag bearers for
desecration of the national symbols [4], but nothing seems to have come out
of it and the flag was used again in September, at the Katowice Pride Parade
[5]. In 2019, the flag was used in Gniezno on 13th April [6, 7]; in June, in
was used in Częstochowa again [8] and then in Rzeszów [9, 10] while the
hand-held signs displaying the shield alone (the eagle in full colors, with
all details depicted) were seen in Warsaw [11]. July witnessed the first
recorded use of the flag abroad by Polish visitors of the Christopher Street
Day in Berlin [12, 13]. There seem to be no registered sightings of the flag
in 2020, the COVID-19 outbreak having greatly reduced the number of Pride
events worldwide, Poland not being the exception, but the flag returned to
use in 2021, when it was seen in Katowice [14], Warsaw [15] and Kraków [16,
17, 18]. Currently, the last recorded sighting was in Warsaw on 2023-12-12
[19, 20]: the flag was brought to the Sejm by the audience of the session at
which the current government was voted in. The man who brought it, Bart
Staszewski, was also one of its first users in Częstochowa four-and-half
years earlier [3].
Image of described flag is derived from
the SVG image of the flag from Wikimedia Commons:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gay_Pride_Flag_of_Poland.svg
Sources:
[1] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Częstochowa Pride Parade, on
2018-07-08:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02018_0305_Czestochowa_Pride-Parade.jpg
[2] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Częstochowa Pride Parade, on 2018-07-08:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02018_0307_Czestochowa_Pride-Parade.jpg
[3] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Częstochowa Pride Parade, on 2018-07-08:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02018_0284_Bart_Staszewski,_CzestochowaPride-Parade.jpg
[4] Pink News website:
https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/07/09/prosecute-lgbt-poland-national-symbol-white-eagle/
[5] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Katowice Pride Parade, on 2018-09-08:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02018_0594_KatowicePride-Parade,_Renata_Kim.jpg
[6] LGBTQ Nation website:
https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2019/07/violence-lgbtq-people-poland-get-aggressive/
[7] GayNrd website:
http://www.gaynrd.com/warsaw-pride/
[8]
Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Equality March in Częstochowa, on 2019-06-16:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02019_0689_(2)_Equality_March_2019_in_Cz%C4%99stochow.jpg
[9] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Rzeszów Pride, on 2019-06-22:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02019_0895_Rzesz%C3%B3w_Pride.jpg
[10] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Rzeszów Pride, on 2019-06-22:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02019_1268_Rzesz%C3%B3w_Pride.jpg
[11] Getty Images photo archive - Photo from Warsaw Pride, on 2019-06-08:
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/people-are-seen-taking-part-in-the-equality-parade-in-news-photo/1148577051
[12] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Christopher Street Day in Berlin, on
2019-07-27:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christopher_Street_Day_Berlin_2019_28.jpg
[13] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Christopher Street Day in Berlin, on
2019-07-27:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christopher_Street_Day_Berlin_2019_29.jpg
[14] Wikimedia Commons - Photo from Equality March in Katowice, on
2021-09-11:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:02021_0318_Equality_March_2021_in_Katowice.jpg
[15] Getty Images photo archive - Photo from Warsaw Pride, on 2021-06-19:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Parada_rownosci_2021_1.jpg
[16]
Alamy photo archive - Photo from Equality March in Kraków, on 2021-08-14:
https://www.alamy.com/krakow-poland
[17] Alamy photo archive - Photo from Equality March in Kraków, on
2021-08-14:
https://www.alamy.com/members-of-polish-lgbtq-community
[18] Getty Images photo archive - Photo from Equality March in Kraków, on
2021-08-14:
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/polish-national-flag-with-rainbow-colours-is-seen-during-news-photo/1234749812
[19] Getty Images photo archive - Photo from the Sejm, Warsaw, on
2023-12-12:
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/polish-lgbt-activist-bart-staszewski-holds-a-rainbow-flag-news-photo/1849424642
[20] Getty Images photo archive - Photo from the Sejm, Warsaw, on
2023-12-12:
https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/polish-lgbt-activist-bart-staszewski-holds-a-rainbow-flag-news-photo/1849424533
Tomislav Todorovic, 20 January 2024
_Equality_March_2019_in_Częstochow.jpg){kind=link}
