# Cross of Merit (Poland)

The Cross of Merit (Polish: Krzyż Zasługi) is a Polish civil state decoration established on 23 June 1923, to recognize services to the state.

## History

At the time of its establishment in 1923, the Cross of Merit was the highest civilian award in Poland. It was awarded to citizens who went beyond the call of duty in their work for the country and society as a whole. May be awarded twice in each grade to the same person.
* Gold Cross of Merit issued by the People's Republic
* Silver Cross of Merit issued by the People's Republic

### The Order

The Order has three grades:
* Gold Cross of Merit
* Silver Cross of Merit
* Bronze Cross of Merit

## Recipients
### Gold Cross of Merit

| Name | Date | Notes |
| Przemysław Krych | July 2024 | for exemplary public and charity service, Poland |
| Edyta Piecha [Edita Piekha] | 2012 | Soviet and Russian singer of Polish origin. |
| Edward Karpinski | January 2023 | For exemplary public service in the Polish community in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada |
| Józefa Bramowska | 1939 | Politician |
| Ewa Hojna | 13 May 2022 | Director of Polish School Cultural Association (ACEP), Spain |
| Jan-Krzysztof Duda | 2021 | chess grandmaster |
| Rick Sahar | 2020 | For building good relations through shared events within the Polish-Jewish communities in Wellington, New Zealand |
| Helena Kmieć | 2017 | for merits in charitable and social activities and her commitment to people in need of help |
| Wanda Paulina Gluszek | 2016 | political activist, poet; Chicago, Illinois |
| Michał Korwin-Szymanowski, also known as Michel Korwin | 2015 | Montréal, Canada |
| John P. Lynch | 3 November 2014 | CEO and founder of Lynka |
| Philippe Blain | 27 October 2014 | coach of Poland men's national volleyball team – World Champions 2014 |
| Fabian Drzyzga | 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 |
| Mateusz Mika | 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 |
| Karol Kłos | 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 |
| Michał Kwiatkowski | 2014 | Polish road cyclist |
| Andrzej Wrona | 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 |
| Paweł Zatorski | 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 |
| Joanna Zawadzka | 2 May 2014 | community activist living in Scotland, director of Polish Cultural Festival Association |
| Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm | 20 June 2014 | U.S.-based writer and academic |
| Katarzyna Maria Dziewanowska | 26 September 2013 | scientific research, University of Idaho |
| Elwira Grossman | August 2013 | Scotland |
| John Dodunski | March 2013 | New Zealand |
| Robert Dodunski | March 2013 | New Zealand |
| Bogdan Labecki | 2013 | |
| Margaret Scannell née Dodunski | March 2013 | New Zealand |
| Michal Kuleczka | 2013 | |
| Máté Szabó | 10 December 2012 | The Ambassador of Poland to Hungary, Roman Kowalski presented the award to recognize Máté Szabó 's merits in strengthening the protection of human rights as Ombudsman and for his work developing Polish-Hungarian relations. |
| Thomas Gabriel Grasza Esq | 11 November 2011 | postage stamp and coin designer and noted Canadian-Polish philatelist of four decades |
| Izabella Zielińska | 2011 | Polish pianist |
| Bronisław Oczkowski | 14 December 2010 | Melbourne, Australia |
| Captain Stefan-Joseph Camilleri | 23 January 2009 | Warsaw, for distinguished and outstanding service to Poland and its people |
| Geertjan Lassche | 2007 | Dutch reporter and documentary film maker |
| Tomasz Miśkiewicz | 2011 | Silver Cross of Merit 2006, mufti, for work with the immigrant and native Islamic Youth, Gold Cross of Merit 2011, for work with the Muslim minorities, and for interfaith dialogue |
| Edvard Kardelj | 1946 | |
| Maciej Klich | 2005 | Polish historian, graphic artist, and a former anti-communist Polish independence diaspora activist |
| Małgorzata Kalinowska-Iszkowska | 2005 | Polish computer scientist |
| Agata Mroz-Olszewska | 2005 | volleyball player, double European champion team member, 2003 and 2005 |
| Adam Skorek | 2004 | |
| Ryszard Antoni Kuśmierczyk | August 2002 | Engineer and community leader based ub Windsor, Ontario, Canada |
| Alojzy Nowak | 2002 | |
| Jerzy Zralski | 2000 | II WW veteran and writer. |
| Stanisław Nosal | 1979 | Polish Colonel of the 5th Rocket Artillery Battalion in Modlin Fortress, Poland. |
| Witold Bełza | 1938 | Polish librarian, writer, publicist and cultural activist. |
| Stefan Kaczmarz | 1937 | Polish mathematician |
| Michael Biegler | | German head coach of the Poland national handball team |
| Jan Bujak | July 1984 | Corporate owner |
| Stanisław Sylwester Alfonzy Grodyński | 1939 | Polish Governor (Starost), military intelligence officer, lawyer. |
| Stanisław Horno-Popławski | 1952 | Polish painter, sculptor and pedagogue. |
| Ryszard Jurkowski | | Silver and Gold Cross of Merit, Polish architect |
| Zbigniew Janowicz | | Gold Cross of Merit, polish professor |
| Jerzy Łucki | August 1995 | Toronto, Canada |
| Marian Machowski | | Polish footballer and researcher |
| Krzysztof Kazimierz Miller | 1964 | architect, urbanist |
| Agnieszka Radwańska | | tennis player |
| Bronisława Rychter-Janowska | 1939 | Cracovian artist. |
| Moses Schorr | | Rabbi, Polish historian, politician, bible scholar, assyriologist and orientalist |
| Stefania Skwarczyńska | | Polish theorist and historian of literature, theatrologist, full professor, honorary doctor of the University of Łódź, World War II resistance fighter |
| Captain Raymond Delver Smith Carrington J.P. | 1990 | for distinguished and outstanding service to Poland and its people |
| Henri Strzelecki | 1990 | co-founder of Henri Lloyd. |
| Arthur Szyk | 1931 | Polish-Jewish fine artist, book illustrator, and political artist. |
| Józef Weyssenhoff | 1932 | Polish writer, novelist, poet, literary critic, publisher. |
| Edward Lisiowski | 1974 | Mayor of Wojszyn. |
| Afanasij Poliszczuk | 1946 | veterinary service chief in the First Polish Army |
| Alojzy Walentego Zygmunt | 29 November 1972 | For fifteen years of uninterrupted and distinguished work in the mining industry |
| Emil Rauer | 20 September 1925 | industrialist, creator and commander of a railway protection formation, social activist, and independence fighter |

### Silver Cross of Merit

| Name | Date | Notes |
| Maria Boniecka | 1937 | work with illiterate adults |
| Francis K. Czyzewski | 4 July 1939 | writer, astronomer, meteorologist, photographer, playwright, WSBT Polish Hour radio program host, life member of the solar division of the American Variable Star Observers at Harvard College Observatory (1951); former president, Polish-American Central Civic Committee; staff writer, South Bend Tribune; South Bend, Indiana |
| Adela Dankowska | 1970 | Polish glider pilot |
| Grzegorz Fryc | September 2014 | New York |
| Helena Gąsienica Daniel | | Olympic cross-country skier |
| Marcin Pawel Grzadka | November 2013 | Harcmistrz, co-founder of YPCPA. & chairman of Quo Vadis Leadership Conference. – Canada |
| Rudolf Gundlach | | Gundlach tank periscope inventor |
| Robert Makłowicz | 2004 | journalist and historian, notable for promoting the Polish cuisine |
| Tomasz Moczerniuk | September 2014 | New York |
| Witold Pilecki | 1938 | Soldier |
| Filip Slipaczek | May 2014 | UK |
| Adam Świerkocz | 2005 | Polish brigadier general |
| Jerzy Troszczynski | | photographer |
| Krzysztof Wojciechowski | August 2013 | Poland |
| Wlodzimierz Mieczyslaw Wojciechowski | 1973 | Polish soldier and resistance fighter, London |
| Czesław s. Ignacego Przybylak | 1956 | decorated Polish humanitarian activist, decorated worker of the state and Holocaust Survivor |
| Jacek Banasiak | 2014 | Professor and DST/NRF SARChI Chair in Mathematical Models and Methods in Biosciences and Bioengineering at the University of Pretoria |
| Maciej Żółtowski | 2002 | Polish conductor and composer |
| Alex Dancyg | 2007 | Historian and advocate of Polish-Israeli relations |
| Anna Styszyńska | 1997 | Climatologist |
| Halina Zdebska-Biziewska | 19 September 2005 | exemplary and exceptionally conscientious fulfillment of professional duties |

### Bronze Cross of Merit

| Name | Date | Notes |
| Stefan Ficner | 1945 | Great Grandfather, Patriot, Golina, Polska |
| Edward Lisiowski | 1974 | Mayor of Wojszyn |
| Stanisław Łukaszewicz | 1944 | Bronze Cross of Merit with Swords, Sargeant 10 Dragoons, 1 Polish Armoured Division, 1 Polish Corps for action at Falaise Gap, France 1944 |
| Piotr Paweł Morta | 1998 | Also Silver Cross of Merit – 2010 |
| Emil Jung | September 1996 | Stellenbosch, South Africa, Political activist and advocate of Polish-South African relations |
| Marguerite Ettienette Andrée Mouton – née Guillemin | 1950s | Educator; Soissons, France |
| Elżbieta Smereka | 3 May 1987 | For meritorious social services |
| Tomasz Trembowski | 2013 | Canada |
| Dariusz Jemielniak | 2018 | |
| Krzysztof Ligęza | 2006 | habilitated doctor specializing in security studies, reserve officer of the Polish Navy |