International Order of Saint Stanislaus

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The Order of Saint Stanislaus (Polish: Order św. Stanisława, Russian: Орденъ Св. Станислава) was an Order in Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.[1] The Order of Saint Stanislaus originally existed between 1765 and 1917. In 1979, a Polish exile group claiming to be the legitimate government tried to revive the order resulting in several claimed successor movements.[2]

History

File:Certificate of International Order of Saint Stanislas.JPG
Certificate of International Order of Saint Stanislas

Stanisław August Poniatowski, King of Poland, established the Order of the Knights of Saint Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr on May 8, 1765[3] to honor the service to the King.[4] Initially, the order was limited to 100 members who were required to prove four generations of nobility.[5]

After the partition of Poland it was recognized in the Grand Duchy of Warsaw in 1807. Since 1815 in the Polish (Congress) Kingdom, the Order, originally in a single class, was retained and divided into four classes. On 25 January 1831, the Polish Parliament deposed tsar Nicholas I of Russia (also grand master of this Polish order) from the throne of Poland. After the downfall of the November Uprising the Imperial House of Romanov created the Royal and Imperial Order of Saint Stanislaus and added it to the awards system of the Russian Empire in 1832, where it remained until 1917. The order was abolished with the fall of the Romanovs in 1917 but, unlike other Polish orders awarded by the Tsars, the Order of Saint Stanislaus was not revived by the newly independent Second Polish Republic (possibly because in its Russian form it was often awarded by the imperial government to those Poles who co-operated with Russia rule making the Order a symbol of subservience to an occupying power).[5] The newly created Order of Polonia Restituta was created as a successor order.[1]

Attempted revival

There are several organizations which claim to be the heirs of the Orders of Saint Stanislaus today. The most prominent of these was the Order of Saint Stanislas founded (or revived) by Juliusz Nowina-Sokolnicki who claimed to be the president of the Polish government-in-exile from 1972 until the restoration of Polish democracy in 1990.[6] In his capacity as president, he claimed to restore the Order of Saint Stanislaus on June 9, 1979.[6] Sokolnicki's claim to the Polish presidency was widely rejected[7][8][9] and he is not recognized by the current government of Poland (in 1990, Lech Wałęsa accepted symbols of the pre-War presidency from Ryszard Kaczorowski).[10] Sokolnicki's status was enhanced by the fact that he was an associate of August Zaleski, generally recognized as the head of the Polish government-in-exile from 1947 to 1972.[11] That connection gave Sokolnicki's order a veneer of legitimacy that other such endeavors lacked.

After Lech Wałęsa became President of Poland with universal recognition on December 22, 1990, the rationale for the governments in exile ended. Sokolnicki followed the path of his rival, Ryszard Kaczorowski, in formally recognizing Wałęsa as his successor.[12] Nevertheless, Sokolnicki claimed to retain the office of Grand Master in his Order of Saint Stanislaus.[13] He based his continued control of the order partially on his status as an independent bishop after his ordination in 1983.[14] Ultimately, Sokolnicki claimed that the grand mastership was an hereditary office for his family.[15] The result was the division of the order into several competing groups, none of which recognize the claims of the others.[16][17] On January 27, 1997, disgruntled members of the Order deposed Sokolnicki and replaced him with Zbigniew Kazimierz.[18] The Polish government does not accept any of these groups as legitimate.[19]

Today, there are at least four competing claims to the represent the Order of Saint Stanislaus. Of these three, the Order of Polonia Restituta is a governmental order of merit awarded by the President of Poland, while the Ordo Sancti Stanislai[20] and the International Order of Saint Stanislaus describe themselves as private charitable organizations. Only the International Order of Saint Stanislaus pretends to have a chivalric character. The orders are listed based on the date they claim to be founded (without giving any particular credence to the validity of that claim).

Imperial and Royal Order of Saint Stanislaus

(founded 1765)[21]

One of the competing claimants to the headship of the House of Romanov, Maria Vladimirovna has been awarding membership in her Imperial and Royal Order of Saint Stanislaus since 2003.[22] Her father and predecessor, Vladimir Kirillovich awarded the order independently at least once (in 1973),[22] but both Grand Duke Vladimir and his predecessor, Grand Duke Kirill awarded the Order of St. Andrew, which automatically awards the recipient membership first class in the Orders of St. Vladimir, St. ANna, and St. Stanislaus. As a result, the Order of St. Stanislas has been awarded continually by the legitimist pretender to the Russian throne since 1917. Maria Vladimirovna maintains that her order is the Russian Imperial continuation of the order founded by King Stanisław August Poniatowski in 1765.,[21] and this order, the Russian Imperial Order of St. Stanislas which she awards is the only one recognized by most legitimate chivalric organizations, including The Augustan Society,[23] The International Commission on Orders of Chivalry,[24] and Burke's Peerage.[25] As with everything regarding the Romanov succession, Maria Vladimirovna's claims regarding the Order of Saint Stanislaus are disputed by her cousin, Nicholas Romanovich, the Romanov Family Association, and those who maintain that the Romanov monarchy was legally abolished in 1917. Interestingly, at least one of the competing Saint Stanislaus orders, the British Association of Chevalier's of Saint Stanislas which is part of the umbrella International Order of Saint Stanislaus, is open to the claims of Maria Vladimirovna, noting "the view that with the abolition of communism the Order reverts back to the dynastic line of the house of Romanov, and on the 23rd December, 2003, on the occasion of her jubilee the Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna Romanova invested several persons as chevaliers of the Orders of St Anna and St Stanislas."[26] In fact, the Imperial and Royal Order of St. Stanislas has been continuously awarded by the legitimist-monarchist pretender to the throne of Russia since 1923. Grand Dukes Kirill and Vladimir both awarded St. Stanislas, both individually and as part of the award of the Order of St. Andrew,[27] and Maria Vladimirovna has awarded the order regularly.

The Order of Polonia Restituta

(official foundation February 4, 1921)[28]

Founded by the Polish Republic on February 4, 1921[29] as a secondary award to the Order of the White Eagle, the Order of Polonia Restituta or the Order of the Restored Poland, was intended as a successor to the Order of Saint Stanislaus.[2] The new Polonia Restituta order used the same ribbon as the old Saint Stanislaus order and their decorations are very similar.[30] The goal was the preserve the tradition of the Order of Saint Stanislaus and its association with Polish history while changing the name which had become associated with Poland's oppression under the Russian Tsars.[31]

Ordo Sancti Stanislai

(claimed recreation June 9, 1979)[32]

The Ordo Sancti Stanislai claims to be the order revived in 1979 by Juliusz Nowina-Sokolnicki in his capacity as president of the Polish Government in Exile.[32] Their version of the order's history has Sokolnicki transforming the Order of Saint Stanislaus into a private charitable institution on September 15, 1990 before transferring his authority to the new Polish government of Lech Wałęsa in December of the same year.[32][33] Prior to his death on August 17, 2009, Sokolnicki appointed Polish businessman Jan Zbigniew Potocki as his successor.[19] Potocki was fired by the Ordo Sancti Stanislai in February 2010 "after he violated the Constitution of the Order repeatedly."[16] On February 16, 2011, Waldemar Wilk was named as the new Grand Master.[34] Perhaps not surprisingly, in an recreation of the circumstances that brought Juliusz Nowina-Sokolnicki to his disputed office as president, Waldemar Wilk claims that he was the legitimately designated successor to Sokolnicki but that Jan Zbigniew Potocki somehow managed to obtain the position ahead of him.[35] The Ordo Sancti Stanislai says of itself: "The Order of Saint Stanislas is a hierarchically organized body of men and women, many with a Polish Connection, who support and assist in charitable works of various kinds to help the poor and disadvantaged in Poland and in other countries throughout the world. Originally a dynastic chivalric order from Poland, it is now an international charitable non-profit association in the form of a private chivalric order."[20]

International Order of Saint Stanislaus

(claimed foundation date May 16, 2004)[17]

During the 1990s, disputes with Sokolnicki caused several national sub-groups of this organization (called priories) to break away.[15] In 2004, several of these national priories joined together to create the International Order of Saint Stanislaus.[17] The International Order functions as an alliance of national groups.[36] Although the International Order "follows the code of chivalry"[37] it acknowledges that it is a recently founded private organization and does not claim to have a fount of honour or to be a legitimate order of chivalry.[15] In so doing, they frankly acknowledge the problems with Sokolnicki and the events between 1979 and 2009. As such, it is generally regarded as a fraternal organization and is frequently compared to the masonic movement.[38][39]

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Stanisław Łoza, "Kawalerowie Orderu Świętego Stanisława 1765–1813" (Warszawa 1925)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ http://www.president.pl/x.node?id=436
  8. ↑ http://www.senat.gov.pl/k6/dok/sten/oswiad/arciszew/2301.htm
  9. ↑ Juliusz Nowina-Sokolnicki (1920-2009), Autor: Norbert Wójtowicz (pl)
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Dz. U. z 1921 r. Nr 24, poz. 137 Ustawa z dnia 4 lutego 1921 r. o ustanowieniu orderu "Odrodzenia Polski"
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ 32.0 32.1 32.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  36. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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