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ORDERS AND DECORATIONS OF POLAND People's Republic of Poland 1944-1989 (Click here to see updates) |
1.Obverse (gold)(Nagroda Panstwowa)
Instituted by decision of the Government of April 15, 1953, as an addition to the honorary title of National Prize established by the decision of the Government of March 10, 1951. Conferred to national prize recipients in the following grades: gold for the 1st grade prize, silver for the 2nd and bronze for the 3rd.
Badge: golden, silver or bronze eight pointed star, 23 mm in diameter, each arm in the form of a trefoil, joined by white enameled devices in the form of a lily. The obverse of the central medallion depicts an uncrowned silver eagle on red background, surrounded by a red ring circumscribed NAGRODA PANSTWOWA (national prize) and the Roman numeral I, II or III depending on the class. The medallion reverse bore the letters PRL circumscribed NAUKA SZTUKA : TECHNIKA (science, arts, technology).
Suspension: 21 x 4 mm in the form of two laurel sprays. The badge is worn on the left breast.
1.Badge (1969)(Odznaka honorowa "Zasluzony Pracownik Panstwowy")
Instituted by decision of Government of January 20, 1969 as the Decoration of Honor "Meritorious Worker of National Council" ("Zasluzony Pracownik Rady Narodowej"), National Councils were Polish local administration sites, equivalent to to city or town halls, etc. On April 16, 1974 it was renamed and on July 9 it obtained a new appearance. The decoration was conferred in a single grade by the Prime Minister, to honor members of local administration. Conferment was suspended at the beginning of 1990s. Despite its similar name. the decoration had nothing to do with honorary titles of the People's Republic of Poland which were the awards of much greater importance.
"Meritorious Worker of National Council" badge 1969-74: oval medallion 26 x 26 mm, made of gilt metal. The obverse depicted the contour of Poland with two horizontal stripes of enamel: white (upper) and red (lower), with the letters PRL (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa - People's Republic of Poland) in the center. The background was green enameled. Around ran the decoration's name: ZASLUZONY PRACOWNIK RADY NARODOWEJ and two stylized laurel sprays below. The reverse side was not enameled, and had the year of institution 1969 in the center. The medallion suspended from a pentagonal device of gilt metal, with stylized laurel leaves. On the reverse side there was a safety pin for mounting. The badge was worn on the right breast.
"Meritorious State Worker" badge 1974: as above, but with the circumscription: ZASLUZONY PRACOWNIK PANSTWOWY.
"Meritorious State Worker" badge 1974-90: round gilt medal, 33 mm of diameter, Obverse: a contour of Poland, enameled white and red, with the letters PRL in the center, surrounded by an open laurel wreath of 10 highly stylized leaves. Reverse: a four line inscription ZASLUZONY / PRACOWNIK / PANSTWOWY / PRL.
Ribbon: 30 mm, white with 7.5 mm red edges.
1.Obverse (silver)(Odznaka "Za Zaslugi dla Obrony Cywilnej")
Instituted by decision of the Government of August 6, 1976. Awarded in three grades: gold, silver and bronze, to the individuals who contributed to development and organization of Civil Defense, to prevention from disasters, and natural calamities, and to protection of natural environment. The decoration was conferred by the Prime Minister or Director of Civi Defense. It could be conferred to institutions and organizations.
Badge: round medal, 30 mm of diameter. Obverse: symbolic contour of Poland with the letters PRL inside, circumscribed ZA ZASLUGI : DLA OBRONY CYWILNEJ (for merit to Civil Defense). Reverse: a five line inscription: OBRONA / CYWILNA / CHRONI / POMAGA / RATUJE (civil defense protects, assists, rescues).
Ribbon: 30 mm, dark blue with a half white, half red narrow central stripe and yellow side pinstripes.
[Silver (1st type)](Odznaka honorowa "Zasluzony Przodownik Pracy Socjalistycznej")
(Odznaka honorowa "Przodownik Pracy Socjalistycznej")
Instituted by decision of Government of June 30, 1945 as the Meritorious Leader of Labor Decoration (Odznaka "Zasluzony Przodownik Pracy") and Leader of Labor Decoration (Odznaka "Przodownik Pracy"). Amended and renamed in 1974. Conferred as a in gold and silver respectively to leaders of labor, winners in the so-called socialist labor competitions. The silver decoration was conferred by the director of the factory of the leader, while the right to confer the gold one rested solely in the hands of the approprite minister, only to those individuals who had been previously awarded with the silver decoration.
Badges 1945-74: a seven-pointed gold or silver star, 36 mm in diameter. In the center there is a silver right profile of a miner on red background; a white ring bears the inscription PRZODOWNIKOM : PRACY (to leaders of labor). The reverse has a screw for mounting. The badge is worn on the left breast.
Gold badge 1974-90: as the gold badge above, but the head of the miner is surrounded by the words PRACY : SOCJALISTYCZNEJ, and the inscription in the white ring reads ZASLUZONY : PRZODOWNIK.
Silver badge 1974-90: as above, but in silver; the ring has the inscription PRZODOWNIK (or PRZODOWNIKOWI - to the leader) in the upper half, and with two laurel sprays in the lower half.
1.Badge pre-1979(Odznaka "Zasluzony Racjonalizator Produkcji")
(Odznaka "Racjonalizator Produkcji")
Instituted by decision of Government of June 30 1949, and amended 1979 and 1983. Conferred in two grades (gold and silver) to honor rationalizers of production. The silver decoration was conferred by the director of the factory of the rationalizer, while the right to confer the gold one rested solely in the hands of the approprite minister, only to those individuals who had been previously awarded with the silver decoration.
Badge: gold or silver six-pointed star, 36 mm in diameter. In the square central medallion there is the head of a miner, seen from the right profile, on red bckground. The red ring bears the inscription RACJONALIZATOROM : PRODUKCJI (to rationalizers of production).
Suspenision: initially screw; from 1979 a red enameled bar, 23 x 5 mm.
1.Gold(Odznaka "Brygada Pracy Socjalistycznej")
Instituted by the Government on February 14, 1974 to raise the consciousness of socialist competition in factory workers. Conferred in three classes (gold, silver and bronze) to groups (brigades) of at least five individuals who had exceeded the production norms. A bronze decoration was granted to all members of the brigade for the first time, then a silver for the second and a gold for the third time. The decoration was conferred by the director of the factory and the factory youth organization.
Badge (gold): gold plaque with a 12-pointed star in it. In the central medallion there were the letters B / PS on red background, surrounded by a stylized wreath.
Badge (silver): a four pointed star inscribed in a silver octagonal plaque, with the medallion as above.
Badge (bronze): an eight pointed star inscribed in an octagonal plaque, the medallion as above.
Suspenison: a golden, silver or bronze metal bar with two diagonal stripes, enameled half white half red and with a mounting pin on reverse.