Topics of coins
Patriots 1944 Citizens 2014
In 2014, we shall celebrate the 70th anniversary
of the outbreak of the Warsaw Uprising, an
event holding a particular place in our history
and memory. The heroism of those who stood
up to fight for free and independent Poland on
1 August 1944 is an example of the highest test
of patriotism. The attitude of the insurgents
was unique – guided by solidarity, loyalty, and
responsibility for the homeland, city, home, for
others and for themselves. Today, after 70 years,
we demonstrate our patriotism in a different way –
in our daily civic attitude, by participating in social
and political life, by working pro Res Publica.
However, patriotism is still expressed by the same
words, as relevant today as ever: responsibility,
solidarity, commitment, loyalty, faithfulness, care,
cooperation, integrity. Its essence is the care for
the common good. If we are able to cultivate
and develop this attitude, then those who were
apparently defeated have actually won.
The Patriots of 1944 were fighting for freedom
with weapons in their hands. However, the
Warsaw Uprising was not only a battle for each
street and each house; it was also 63 days of
free Poland. For two months, legal civilian and
military authorities operated in Warsaw, as well
as the legal judiciary, public order protection
services and the fire department. The press of all
political orientations was printed, the radio and
the field post operated, and own postal stamps
were issued (!). Hospitals, field canteens and
soldier inns functioned. The Insurgent Republic
had its own journalists, operators documenting
the Uprising and its own film chronicle. “This
state emerging from the underground in Warsaw
is only four days old” – reported “Biuletyn
Informacyjny” (Information Bulletin), the major
daily of the Insurgent Warsaw on the fifth day of
the Uprising – “… it is here, without waiting for an
end to the fighting, in the fire of battles, directly on
the front line – that the state and Polish social life
is rapidly appearing from the underground”. And
the “Rzeczpospolita Polska” (Republic of Poland), in
its issue of 6 August 1944 wrote: “The population of
Warsaw passes its exam with an excellent result, as
usual … There is nobody who would avoid their civic
obligations at such a historic moment for us as this”.
This is how, under extreme conditions, the real civic
society was born, able to organise itself, imbued with
responsibility and care for the Republic (a unique
example of this attitude are the two Dzienniki Ustaw
RP (Journals of Laws of the Republic of Poland)
issued during the Uprising, laying the systemic
foundations for the future Poland. The Patriots of
1944 became the citizens of 1944. The example of the
Warsaw Uprising proves how strongly these two
notions – patriot and citizen – are correlated.
This correlation is reflected by the words placed on
the coin reverse: „PATRIOCI OBYWATELE”(Patriots
Citizens) and „OBYWATELE PATRIOCI” (Citizens
Patriots). This inscription was made by using letters in
the style of the font from the “Information Bulletin”.
The reference to the Warsaw Uprising is also visible
in symbolic form – on the reverse the coin designer
has placed the outline of the emblem derived from
the famous poster “Long live the government of the
Republic. Honour to the courageous Home Army”,
dated 1 August 1944.
Piotr C. Śliwowski