Coat of arms of Poland

The coat of arms of Poland is a white, crowned eagle with a golden

beak and talons, on a red background.
Coat of arms of Poland

In Poland, the coat of arms as a whole is referred to as godło both in

official documents and colloquial speech,[1] despite the fact that other
coats of arms are usually called an herb (e.g. the Nałęcz herb or the
coat of arms of Finland). This stems from the fact that in Polish
heraldry, the word godło (plural: godła) means only a heraldic charge
(in this particular case a white crowned eagle) and not an entire coat
of arms, but it is also an archaic word for a national symbol of any
sort.[2] In later legislation only the herb retained this designation; it is
unknown why.

Contents Armiger Republic of Poland

Adopted 26 June 1295; last
Legal basis
modified in 22 February
Design
1990
History
Blazon Gules, an eagle argent,
Evolution
armed, crowned and
Kingdom of Poland
beaked or, langued
Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
argent
Partitioned Poland
Restored Poland
Third Polish Republic
Military Eagle
See also
References
External links

Legal basis
The coat of arms of the Republic of Poland is described in two legal documents: the Constitution of the
Republic of Poland of 1997[3] and the Coat of Arms, Colors and Anthem of the Republic of Poland, and State
Seals Act (Ustawa o godle, barwach i hymnie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oraz o pieczęciach państwowych) of
1980 with subsequent amendments[1] (henceforth referred to as "the Coat of Arms Act").

Legislation concerning the national symbols is far from perfect. The Coat of Arms Act has been amended
several times and refers extensively to executive ordinances, some of which have never been issued.
Moreover, the Act contains errors, omissions and inconsistencies which make the law confusing, open to
various interpretations and often not followed in practice.[4]
Design
According to Chapter I, Article 28, paragraph 1 of the Constitution,
the coat of arms of Poland is an image of a crowned white eagle in a
red field.[3] The Coat of Arms Act, Article 4, further specifies that the
crown, as well as the eagle's beak and talons, are golden. The eagle's
wings are outstretched and its head is turned to its right.[1] In English
heraldic terminology, the arms are blazoned as Gules an eagle
crowned, beaked and armed Or. In contrast to classic heraldry, where
the same blazon may be rendered into varying designs, the Coat of
Arms Act allows only one official rendering of the national coat of
arms. The official design may be found in attachment no. 1 to the
Coat of Arms Act.[1]

The nearly circular charge, i.e., the image of the white eagle, is highly John III Sobieski's coat of arms
crowning the Royal Chapel in
stylized. The heraldic bird is depicted with its wings and legs
Gdańsk
outstretched, its head turned to the right, in a pose known in heraldry
as 'displayed'. The eagle's plumage, as well as its tongue and leg
scales are white with gradient shading suggestive of a bas-relief. Each
wing is adorned with a curved band extending from the bird's torso to the upper edge of the wing, terminating
in a heraldic cinquefoil. Note that a cinquefoil is a stylized five-leafed plant, not a star. Three of its leaves are
embossed like a trefoil (note similar trefoils in the medieval designs of the eagle). In heraldic terms, the eagle is
"armed", that is to say, its beak and talons are rendered in gold, in contrast to the body. The crown on the
eagle's head consists of a base and three fleurons extending from it. The base is adorned with three roughly
rectangular gemstones. The fleurons – of which the two outer ones are only partly visible – have the shape of a
fleur-de-lis. The entire crown, including the gems, as well as spaces between the fleurons, is rendered in gold.

The charge is placed in an escutcheon (shield) of the Modern French type. It is a nearly rectangular upright
isosceles trapezoid, rounded at the bottom, whose upper base is slightly longer than the lower one, from the
middle of which extends downwards a pointed tip. Although the shield is an integral part of the coat of arms,
Polish law stipulates, in certain cases, to only use the charge without the escutcheon. The shades of the
principal tinctures, white (Argent) and red (Gules), which are the national colors of Poland, are specified as
coordinates in the CIE 1976 color space (see Flag of Poland – National colors for details).

History
According to legend, the White Eagle emblem originated when Poland's legendary founder Lech saw a white
eagle's nest.[5] When he looked at the bird, a ray of sunshine from the red setting sun fell on its wings, so they
appeared tipped with gold, the rest of the eagle was pure white. He was delighted and decided to settle there
and placed the eagle on his emblem. He also named the place Gniezdno (currently Gniezno) from the Polish
word gniazdo ("nest").

The symbol of an eagle appeared for the first time on the coins made during the reign of Bolesław I (992-
1025), initially as the coat of arms of the Piast dynasty. Beginning in the 12th century, the eagle has appeared
on the shields, ensigns, coins, and seals of the Piast dukes. It appeared on the Polish coat of arms during
Przemysł II reign as a reminder of the Piast tradition before the fragmentation of Poland.

The eagle's graphic form has changed throughout centuries. Its recent shape, accepted in 1927, was designed
by professor Zygmunt Kamiński[6] and was based on the eagle's form from the times of Stefan Batory's reign.
It was adapted to stamps or round shields rather than to a rectangular shape.

Chrobry denarius with a heraldic bird,
about 1000 AD
The arms of the Polish–
Lithuanian Commonwealth
was quartered, with Polish
eagle and Lithuanian Pahonia
on opposite sides. Kings used
to place their own emblems
in the center of the national
coat of arms (i.e., House Tapestry with the coats of arms of
Vasa). the Crown of the Kingdom of Poland
and Lithuania, ca. 1555
Despite the fact that new
emblems were given to
provinces established by the invaders after the partitions of Poland,
the White Eagle remained there with or without crown and
occasionally with face turned towards left and in some exceptions
with Pahonia. But in most cases they were combined with the
invader's emblem.

After the November Uprising, the tsars, titled also as Polish kings,
adapted the Order of the White Eagle with blue ribbon, well accepted
in Russia. Archangel, the symbol of Ukraine, joined the eagle and
Pahonia during the January Uprising.

The Poles conscientiously collected coins from the pre-partitions

period with the eagle on their obverse and reverse. The symbol of the
eagle, often with Pahonia, appeared on numerous flags and emblems
of the uprising.
A silver heraldic base for King John
Casimir's crown, ca. 1666 The resurrection of the Polish
Kingdom (Polish Regency)
in the territories of the former
Congress Poland (which had been partitioned and annexed by the
Russian Empire as the Vistula Land in 1867) was approved by
Austria-Hungary and Wilhelm II's Germany in 1916. A year later, the
first Polish banknotes (Polish Marka) with Crowned Eagle on an
indivisible shield were introduced. After regaining total independence
and the creation of the Second Polish Republic (1918–1939) the
White Eagle was implemented by the act of 1919. Official image of
the coat of arms (which reminds of Stanisław Poniatowski's emblem)
was used until 1927 when Zygmunt Kamiński designed a new one.
According to the research of Polish heraldist Jerzy Michta published
in 2017, the version designed by Kamiński was actually plagiarized
from a 1924 medal by Elisa Beetz-Charpentier made in honor of
Ignacy Paderewski.[7]

After World War II, the communist authorities of the Polish People's
Republic removed the "reactionary" royal crown from the eagle's
King of Poland in tournamental attire
head. Still, Poland was one of the few countries in the Eastern Bloc
with no communist symbols (red stars, ears of wheat, hammers, etc.)
on either its flag or its coat of arms. The crownless design was
approved by resolution in 1955. To counter that, the Polish government in Exile introduced a new emblem
with a cross added atop the crown. After the fall of communism in 1989, the crown came back, but without
the cross.
The eagle appears on many public administration buildings, it is
present in schools and courts. Furthermore, it is placed on the obverse
of Polish coins. However the issue on which conditions it should be
exposed and how it should be interpreted is the topic of numerous
debates in Poland. The eagle was formerly on the Poland national
football team's shirts; a new shirt without the eagle was introduced in
November 2011, prompting complaints from fans and president
Bronisław Komorowski. Due to this overwhelming public pressure,
the football shirts were redesigned with the eagle reinstated in the
centre of the shirt in December 2011.[8]

Evolution

Kingdom of Poland

Coat of arms of Poland in Paris

during the exposition in 1937

Emblem of Civitas Coat of arms of

Schinesghe Poland (966-1370)
(Bolesław era, 1000
AD)

Coat of arms of Coat of arms of Coat of arms of

Poland (1295–1569) Poland in personal Poland (1386-1569)
union with Hungary
(1370-1384)

Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
 Coat of arms of Coat of arms of Coat of arms of Coat of arms of
Poland (1569–1795) Poland (1573-1574) Poland (1575-1586) Poland (1587-1668)

Coat of arms of Coat of arms of Coat of arms of Coat of arms of

Poland (1669-1673) Poland (1674-1696) Poland (1697-1704, Poland (1704-1709)
1709-1763)

Coat of arms of
Poland (1764-1795)

Partitioned Poland
Coat of arms of the Small Coat of arms Medium Coat of Great Coat of arms
Duchy of Warsaw of Congress Poland arms of Congress of Congress Poland
(1807–1815) (1815-1832) Poland (1815-1832) (1815-1832)

Coat of arms of the Coat of arms of the Coat of arms of the Coat of arms of
November Uprising Kraków Uprising January Uprising Vistula Land (1867–
(1830–1831) (1846) (1863) 1918)

Restored Poland
 Coat of arms of Template of the Coat of arms of Coat of arms of
Poland (1916–1918) white eagle in the Poland (1919–1927) Poland (1927–1939)
coat of arms of and of the Polish
Poland (1919- government-in-exile
1927)[9] until 1956[10]

Coat of arms of the Coat of arms of the Coat of arms of the

Polish government- Polish People's Polish People's
in-exile (1956– Republic (1955– Republic (1980–
1990)[11] 1980) 1990)

Third Polish Republic

Coat of arms of the Same coat of arms Coat of arms of the Presidential
Republic of Poland with black outlines Republic of Poland standard
(since 1990) according to the Law
Dz.U. z 2005 r. Nr
235, poz. 2000

The eagle used by The logo of the The Coat of arms on

governmental Senate a Polish passport
institutions and on (2006)
Polish passports

Military Eagle
Polish Land Forces Polish Air Force Polish Navy Polish Special
Forces

Territorial Defence
Force

See also
Banner of Poland
Coat of arms of Lithuania
Coat of arms of Congress Poland
Coat of arms of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth
List of Polish nobility coats of arms images
Flag of Poland
Order of the White Eagle – the highest order in Polish honours system.
Polish coins and banknotes
Polish military eagle
Polish heraldry

References
1. (in Polish) Ustawa o godle, barwach i hymnie Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oraz o pieczęciach
państwowych (http://www.abc.com.pl/serwis/du/2005/2000.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.o
rg/web/20080225165928/http://www.abc.com.pl/serwis/du/2005/2000.htm) 2008-02-25 at the
Wayback Machine [Coat of Arms, Colors and Anthem of the Republic of Poland, and State
Seals Act], Dz.U. 1980 nr 7 poz. 18
 2. (in Polish) Ustawa z dnia 1 sierpnia 1919 r. o godłach i barwach Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (htt
p://isap.sejm.gov.pl/Download;jsessionid=13502C21DD8CF65A0BC4187FA294613F?id=WD
U19190690416&type=2) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20170917033700/http://isap.sej
m.gov.pl/Download;jsessionid=13502C21DD8CF65A0BC4187FA294613F?id=WDU1919069
0416&type=2) 2017-09-17 at the Wayback Machine[Symbols and Colors of the Republic of
Poland Act, 1st of August 1919] Dz.U. 1919 nr 69 poz. 416
3. (in Polish) Konstytucja Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej (http://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/polski/ko
n1.htm) [Constitution of the Republic of Poland (http://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/k
on1.htm)], Dz.U. 1997 nr 78 poz. 483 Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20090918154841/h
ttp://www.sejm.gov.pl/prawo/konst/angielski/kon1.htm) September 18, 2009, at the Wayback
Machine
4. Informacja o wynikach kontroli używania symboli państwowych przez organy administracji
publicznej (https://web.archive.org/web/20080227175814/http://bip.nik.gov.pl/pl/bip/wyniki_kont
roli_wstep/inform2005/2005076/px_2005076.pdf) (PDF) (in Polish), Warsaw: Supreme
Chamber of Control (NIK), 2005, archived from the original (http://bip.nik.gov.pl/pl/bip/wyniki_ko
ntroli_wstep/inform2005/2005076/px_2005076.pdf) (PDF) on 2008-02-27
5. https://www.expatspoland.com/polish-eagle-means-poland/
6. "Godło Polski jest plagiatem?" (https://www.rp.pl/Historia/310289962-Godlo-Polski-jest-plagiat
em.html). www.rp.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2020-08-05.
7. Wiktor Ferfecki: Godło Polski jest plagiatem? (https://www.rp.pl/Historia/310289962-Godlo-Pols
ki-jest-plagiatem.html). Rzeczpospolita, 2018-10-29.
8. Nakrani, Sachin (14 November 2011). "Poland and Ukraine lose momentum with issues over
shirts and injuries" (https://www.theguardian.com/football/2011/nov/14/poland-ukraine-issues-s
hirts-injuries). The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 November 2011.
9. "Ustawa z dnia 1 sierpnia 1919 r. o godłach i barwach Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej. Dz.U. 1919
nr 69 poz. 416" (https://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU19190690416)..
10. "Rozporządzenie Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej z dnia 13 grudnia 1927 r. o godłach i barwach
państwowych oraz o oznakach, chorągwiach i pieczęciach. Dz.U. 1927 nr 115 poz.980" (http
s://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU19271150980).
11. "Dekret Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej z dnia 11 listopada 1956 r. o zmianie Rozporządzenia
Prezydenta Rzeczypospolitej z dnia 13 grudnia 1927 r. o godłach, barwach państwowych oraz
o oznakach, chorągwiach i pieczęciach przez dodanie Krzyża w Koronie. Dz.U Władz RP na
Uchodźstwie 1956 nr 3 poz. 3" (https://prawo.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=LDU1956
0030003).

External links
Jan Rękawek, The White Eagle (https://web.archive.org/web/20161010162805/http://info-polan
d.buffalo.edu/classroom/eagle.html)

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coat_of_arms_of_Poland&oldid=976531947"

This page was last edited on 3 September 2020, at 13:26 (UTC).

Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this
site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia
Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.