| Cross of Merit Krzyż Zasługi | |
| Presenter: | the President of Poland |
| Type: | Medal awarded in three grades: Gold, Silver, and Bronze |
| Awarded For: | Exemplary public service or humanitarian work that goes above and beyond the call of duty |
| Status: | Currently awarded |
| Clasps: | denotes subsequent award |
| Established: | 23 June 1923 |
| Firstawarded: | 11 November 1923 |
| Higher: | Cross of Merit with Swords |
| Lower: | Military Cross of Merit with Swords, Air Force Cross of Merit with Swords, Navy Cross of Merit with Swords |
The Cross of Merit is a Polish civil state decoration established on 23 June 1923, to recognize services to the state.[1]
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.[2]
The Order has three grades:
| Name | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Przemysław Krych | July 2024 | for exemplary public and charity service, Poland[3] | |
| 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 | |
| 2021 | chess grandmaster[4] | ||
| Rick Sahar | 2020 | For building good relations through shared events within the Polish-Jewish communities in Wellington, New Zealand | |
| 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[5] | |
| 27 October 2014 | coach of Poland men's national volleyball team – World Champions 2014 | ||
| 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 | ||
| 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 | ||
| 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 | ||
| 2014 | Polish road cyclist | ||
| 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 | ||
| 27 October 2014 | volleyball player, World Champion 2014 | ||
| Joanna Zawadzka | 2 May 2014 | community activist living in Scotland, director of Polish Cultural Festival Association | |
| 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 | [6] | |
| 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.[7] | |
| Thomas Gabriel Grasza Esq | 11 November 2011 | postage stamp and coin designer and noted Canadian-Polish philatelist of four decades | |
| 2011 | Polish pianist | ||
| Bronisław Oczkowski | 14 December 2010 | Melbourne, Australia[8] | |
| Captain Stefan-Joseph Camilleri | 23 January 2009 | Warsaw, for distinguished and outstanding service to Poland and its people | |
| 2007 | Dutch reporter and documentary film maker | ||
| 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 | [9] | |
| Maciej Klich | 2005 | Polish historian, graphic artist, and a former anti-communist Polish independence diaspora activist | |
| 2005 | Polish computer scientist[10] | ||
| 2005 | volleyball player, double European champion team member, 2003 and 2005 | ||
| 2004 | |||
| Ryszard Antoni Kuśmierczyk | August 2002 | Engineer and community leader based ub Windsor, Ontario, Canada | |
| 2002 | [11] | ||
| Jerzy Zralski | 2000 | II WW veteran and writer.[12] | |
| Stanisław Nosal | 1979 | Polish Colonel of the 5th Rocket Artillery Battalion in Modlin Fortress, Poland. | |
| 1938 | Polish librarian, writer, publicist and cultural activist.[13] | ||
| German head coach of the Poland national handball team | |||
| Jan Bujak | July 1984 | Corporate owner | |
| 1939 | Polish Governor (Starost), military intelligence officer, lawyer.[14] | ||
| 1952 | Polish painter, sculptor and pedagogue.[15] | ||
| Silver and Gold Cross of Merit, Polish architect | |||
| Gold Cross of Merit, polish professor [16] | |||
| Jerzy Łucki | August 1995 | Toronto, Canada | |
| A.E.G.Jung | September 1995 | Stellenbosch, South Africa | |
| Polish footballer and researcher[17] | |||
| Krzysztof Kazimierz Miller | 1964 | architect, urbanist | |
| tennis player[18] | |||
| 1939 | Cracovian artist.[19] | ||
| Rabbi, Polish historian, politician, bible scholar, assyriologist and orientalist | |||
| 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 | |
| 1990 | co-founder of Henri Lloyd. | ||
| 1931 | Polish-Jewish fine artist, book illustrator, and political artist.[20] | ||
| 1932 | Polish writer, novelist, poet, literary critic, publisher.[21] | ||
| Edward Lisiowski | 1974 | Service to the people of Wojszyn. | |
| 1946 | veterinary service chief in the First Polish Army | ||
| 29 November 1972 | For fifteen years of uninterrupted and distinguished work in the mining industry |
| Name | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | |
| 1970 | Polish glider pilot | ||
| Grzegorz Fryc | September 2014 | New York | |
| Olympic cross-country skier[22] | |||
| Marcin Pawel Grzadka | November 2013 | Harcmistrz, co-founder of YPCPA.[23] & chairman of Quo Vadis Leadership Conference.[24] – Canada | |
| Gundlach tank periscope inventor | |||
| 2004 | journalist and historian, notable for promoting the Polish cuisine | ||
| Tomasz Moczerniuk | September 2014 | New York[25] | |
| 1938 | Soldier | ||
| Filip Slipaczek | May 2014 | UK[26] | |
| Adam Świerkocz | 2005 | Polish brigadier general | |
| photographer[27] | |||
| Krzysztof Wojciechowski | August 2013 | Poland[28] | |
| 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 | |
| 2014 | Professor and DST/NRF SARChI Chair in Mathematical Models and Methods in Biosciences and Bioengineering at the University of Pretoria[29] | ||
| Maciej Żółtowski | 2002 | Polish conductor and composer | |
| 2007 | Historian and advocate of Polish-Israeli relations[30] |
| Name | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stefan Ficner | 1945 | Great Grandfather, Patriot, Golina, Polska | |
| 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[31] | |
| 1998 | Also Silver Cross of Merit – 2010 | ||
| Marguerite Ettienette Andrée Mouton – née Guillemin | 1950s | Educator; Soissons, France | |
| Elżbieta Smereka | 3 May 1987 | For meritorious social services | |
| Tomasz Trembowski | 2013 | Canada[32] | |
| 2018 | [33] |