Polonia Warsaw on a postage stamp
On November 19th of this year, Poczta Polska introduced a commemorative postage stamp from the "Polonia Warszawa" issue. This collector's item will be available in a circulation of 135,000 pieces in a five-stamp sheet with a tag.
The Polonia Warszawa club was founded in the autumn of 1911. Its patriotic name was given by the Legion soldier and poet Wacław Denhoff Czarnocki. The young football team played its first match at Agrykola on November 19, 1911, against Korona. On this day, the 110th anniversary of the club's existence, the Polish Post honors Polonia Warszawa with a commemorative postage stamp.
On the stamp, next to the Polonia Warszawa coat of arms, we see the team after the match at Agrykola in October 1916. From the left: Stefan Pronaszko, Wacław Gebethner, Zygmunt Strubel, Zygmunt Kochański, manager Maurycy Szleser, Podkuliński, Stanisław Zantman, Leszek Sosnowski, Tadeusz Gebethner, Tadeusz Konopacki, Marian Strzelecki, Witold Staniszewski, Jerzy Grabowski.
On the cover of the sheet from the top left: Stefan Loth, Stefan Kisieliński, Mieczysław Ałaszewski, club president Gen. Kazimierz Sosnkowski, Tadeusz Gebethner, Feliks Gross, Tadeusz Grabowski, Włodzimierz Krygier, Stanisław Zantman, Jan Loth, Tadeusz Walczak, Aleksander Tupalski, Marian Strzelecki, Janusz Muck, Michał Hamburger, Władysław Szczepaniak, Jerzy Bułanow, Zenon Odrowąż-Pieniążek, Zdzisław Gierwatowski.
The club's fate is inextricably intertwined with Polish history. The club's resilience, popularity, and success earned it the title of best club in Poland in 1939. This successful development was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. At the beginning of the occupation, the Germans commandeered the stadium and all sports equipment, but the Polonia team continued its activities. The players successfully participated in clandestine championships in Warsaw.
Polonia Warszawa is Warsaw's oldest existing football club. During its 110-year history, it has been a two-time Polish Champion, three-time Polish Vice-Champion, two-time Polish Cup winner, winner of the Polish Super Cup, and the Polish League Cup. It is a co-founder of the Polish Football Association and the Polish Football League. Fans and activists from all sections deeply believe that the 21st century will be a prosperous one for the Black Shirts, and that a rebirth comparable to the Greater Polonia of the interwar years will quickly occur.
Recently, Poczta Polska commemorated the centenary of Jagiellonia Białystok and the centenary of the Ruch Chorzów Sports Club. The company also honors important anniversaries associated with prominent figures in the world of sports. In February of this year, the company honored the memory of Kazimierz Górski by issuing a stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the legendary coach's birth. Fans of other sports disciplines should also be pleased with the company's philatelic offerings. Poczta Polska has issued stamps from the "XVI Summer Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020" and "Games of the XXXII Olympiad Tokyo 2020" issues.
About the stamp:
Designer: Agnieszka Sancewicz
Number of stamps: 1
Value: PLN 3.30
Circulation: 135,000
Printing technique: offset
Stamp format: 40.5 x 40.5 mm
Paper: fluorescent
Sales sheet: 5 stamps + tag
Date of introduction into circulation: November 19, 2021
This and other philatelic publications of Poczta Polska can be purchased at post offices and in the online store .