The history of the development of sport and the Olympic movement in Poland is inextricably linked with the social situation in the Polish lands which were annexed by Russia, Austria and Prussia for 123 years. Poland regained its independence on November 11, 1918, and it was only in 1919 that state and sports structures began to emerge, and the Polish Olympic movement, now represented by the Polish Olympic Committee, was born. The first participation in the Olympic Games was planned in Antwerp in 1920, however, the aggression of Soviet Russia against Poland and the fight against the Bolshevik aggressor in 1920 to maintain the country’s independence interrupted these preparations.
Poland’s Olympic debut took place on July 5, 1924 at Games the 8th Olympiad 1924 in Paris. We will celebrate the 100-years of Poland’s first participation in the Olympics in Paris in 2024.
In May 2023, the author’s first article from the series “POLAND FOR THE OLYMPJAD” was published in the new independent electronic magazine of Polish philatelists FILATEL.pl, No. 5 ● May 2023 (https://www.filatel.pl/?strona=pobi&numer=6&kampania=akn&jezyk=en). Articles describing the hundred-year history of Polish Olympism, are based on author’s philatelic collection, memorabilia and Olympic Polonica. Many of the presented artifacts belong to the group of “pearls” of Polish Olympic and sports philately and are presented to the public for the first time. Articles, in a monthly cycle will appear until July 2024.