Polish Red Cross

Polish Red Cross (Polish: Polski Czerwony Krzyż, abbr. PCK) is the Polish member of International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It was founded in 1919 by Dr. Benjamin Reschovsky of Warsaw City Hospital and recognized by the Red Cross on July 24, 1919. Its first President was Paweł Sapieha.

Polish Red Cross
Founded18 January 1919
TypeNon-governmental organization
FocusHumanitarian
Location
Area served
Worldwide
MethodAid
Members
600,000
President
Stanisław Kracik
Websitewww.pck.pl

History

On 18 January 1919 the Polish Samaritan Society organized a meeting of all Polish charities that followed the Red Cross principles. With the support of Helena Paderewska, then head of what was called the Polish White Cross society, the attendees formed the Polish Red Cross Society. A temporary committee of 30 was elected to develop draft statutes and to proceed with preparations of the new PCK.

Polish Soviet War

Before World War II the PCK operated ambulances for the Polish Army in order to save Army budget. In 1922 after the Polish–Soviet War Polish Red Cross participated in an exchange of Polish and Russian prisoners. Ekaterina Peshkova the chairwoman of organisation, Assistance to Political Prisoners (Pompolit, Помощь политическим заключенным, Помполит),[1] was awarded an order of Polish Red Cross for her participation in the exchange of POWs.[2][3]

WWII

In 1942, the eminent Polish cryptologists Marian Rejewski and Henryk Zygalski escaped from occupied France to Spain. Upon arrival they were imprisoned by the Spanish. The Polish Red Cross made arrangements for food packages to be delivered to the prisoners. The Red Cross personnel sent a list in Polish of "Polish Prisoners" who were to receive packages. The Red Cross was later able to secure their release. During the Italian campaign in 1944, the director for the Red Cross in Anders' Army was Count Stefan Tyszkiewicz.[4]

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References
  1. "ПРАВОЗАСТУПНИКИ". 2002.novayagazeta.ru. Archived from the original on 2012-07-16. Retrieved 2019-06-11.
  2. (in Russian) Yaroslav Leontiev Dear Ekaterina Pavlovna Archived 2007-03-11 at the Wayback Machine, Russian Germany, N24 -2005
  3. (in Russian) Fighters for the Human Rights Archived 2012-07-16 at the Wayback Machine, Novaya Gazeta, N81, 2002
  4. Piotrowski, Jacek, Ed. Dzienniki czynności Prezydenta RP Władysława Raczkiewicza : 1939 - 1947 - Wrocław: Wydawn. Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2004, (Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis; 2687), ISBN 83-229-2566-2, Signatur der Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin: 3 A 128733-2 1a: 3 A 128733-2, p. 527 - the Journals of President Raczkiewicz, 1939-1947.
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