The last medal ceremony under the reign of the first
Grand Master of the Order, King Stanislaw August
Poniatowski, took place on 25th November 1795.
After the death of the first Grand Master the Order
survives despite the difficult circumstances. The state
of Poland was divided three times and finally
disappeared from Europe's map for 123 years.
The first revival of the Order of St. Stanislas was
established on 22nd July 1807 in the Constitution of
the Grand Duchy of Warsaw. Friedrich August I, Elector
of Saxony, and King of Poland, also known as Grand
Duke of Warsaw at that time was the second Grand
Master. After the Congress of Vienna on the 1 st
December 1815, Alexander I, King and Emperor, takes
over as Grand Master of the Order.
A new ordinance had been introduced "to give the
Order to a greater number of officials and citizens who
diligently and faithfully served the Kingdom." When
Tsar Nicholas II, the seventh Grand Master, and his
entire family were murdered, there was no Grand
Master left.
Only in 1979, during the anniversary of the death of St.
Stanislas the order was re-established by the Polish
government (in exile) in London.
After the fall of the Communist regime in Eastern
Europe and after free elections in Poland and its
stabilization after the death of the Order's modern-
day Revolutionary, Julius Nowina Sokolnicki, the Order
returned to Poland again. Grand Master Jan Zbigniew
Potocki holds his office in Warsaw.
From 1846 onwards, the automatic process of
inheriting a peerage title was limited by the awarding
of the St. Stanislas Order by the Czars: the elevation to
the nobility was only associated with the award of the
St. Stanislas Order of Class I.
In 1979 on the occasion of the 900th anniversary of the
martyrdom of St. Stanislas, the Order was re-
established by the Free Polish Government in exile for
its original purpose.
The Polish Order has become an international order
and is now represented in more than 30 countries.
Since, then more than 4,000 Dames and Knights are
active as members in the Order. In the large number
of persons who were awarded the St. Stanislas Order
there were princes, nobles, politicians, researchers,
artists, military commanders, scientists, musicians.
For example: Wilhelm II - the German emperor, the
last German Emperor (Kaiser) and King of Prussia.
Haakon VII - King of Norway; Edward VII - King of
England; George V- King of Great Britain; Ernst Albert
Alfred- son of Queen Victoria; Connaught Arthur-
Prince of Great Britain and Ireland; Duke of Saxony;
Prince of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; His Imperial Majesty
Nasir al-Din Shah Ghazi of the Persian Empire; Damad,
Ibrahim al-Hami Prince, Pasha of Egypt; Miles, Charles
Gordon Norman, Major of the Australian Air Force;
Helmuth Count von Moltke, General Field - Marshal;
Mott Thomas, Zivkovic, Peter, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Minister of War; Huseyngulu, Iskandar Khan, Governor
of Ghana; Emmerich Freiherr von Babarczy, also
Emmerich Baron de Babárczy (* 1818); Franz Liszt (*
1811), composer, pianist, conductor, theater director,
music teacher and writer; Verdi, Giuseppe – Alexander
II appointed Verdi commander of the St. Stanislas
Order; Möller, Friedrich, music director at the Royal
Guards Regiment; Ernst (by) Mendelssohn-Bartholdy
composer, conductor, banker.All of today's knights of Order of St. Stanislas are aware
of the tradition of this order and are proud that they
have become part of the many personalities- the
Knights of the Order. Nowadays, where the historical
awareness and the knowledge of historical contexts
and developments, as well as traditional care seem to
wither away, the historic order of knights of Saint
Stanislas, which has existed for 250 years, has set itself
the task of assuring the preservation and further
development of the heritage of the historic Royal
Order, thus does a service to humanity in the 21st
century as well.First it wants to practice humanity and charity. We
understand humanity as a generally positive attitude
towards other people. Above all, it is characterized by
understanding, empathy, consideration, and
helpfulness, combined with a deep-rooted respect for
the dignity of one's fellow human being.The role of the Knights during the Crusades in the Holy
Land was both, a military order in grace and justice, as
well as in support of the sick, the poor and the needy.In recent years, the spread of knights' orders and its
humanitarian activities have taken a new direction.
Help for the poor and the sick are today's goals for
many Knights Orders. They also support schools in
poor countries and provides assistance to the elderly
in Europe and America.
The Order also works closely with other charities
associations. These include various humanitarian
programs, such as orphanage support or support for
schools in poor parts of the world. Priories and
Commanderies from all countries organize fundraisers
and charity events to fulfil their mission.