Medal for your liberty and ours

**Tomahawk** · 12-05-2013, 04:35 PM

Hi!
I open this topic to put your pictures of this medal for those who fought in Spain during its Civil War.
Some info from medals.pl:

Instituted by decree of the State Council of October 18, 1956. Awarded to Polish volunteers who participated in the Spanish Civil War of 1936-1939 on side of the Republic.

Badge: silver medal, 35 mm of diameter. Obverse: head of one of Republican army commanders, Gen. Swierczewski, ciricumscribed ZA WASZA WOLNOSC I NASZA (for your liberty and ours). Reverse: a three pointed star as worn by the Republican troops, surrounded by a laurel wreath, and with the inscription: XII / B I / 1936-1939 on it (13th International Battalion, named after Polish general Dabrowski, in which Polish volunteeers fought), and with the year of institution1956 below; around runs the circumscription DABROWSZCZAKOM (to members of the Dabrowski battalion).

Ribbon red with a white central stripe (of the Spanish Military Order of Merit).

And this are my pictures:

What do you think about it?
How many of this were given?

Thanks!

**StefanM** · 12-05-2013, 07:44 PM

The translation of "Za naszą i waszą wolność" should correctly be "For Your Freedom and Ours"

First seen during a patriotic demonstration to commemorate the Decembrists, held in Warsaw on January 25, 1831

Above: Flag of the November Uprising 1831

Some of the Polish Jewish participants in the Spanish Civil War were in the Botwin brigade (socialist/communists) which became a Jewish sub-unit of the Palafox Battalion, 13th Dabrowski Brigade of the International Brigade later took part in the Ghetto uprising as well as partisan activities in Poland during WWII.

Above: Flag of the Botwin brigade

Poles supported both the Republican forces and conversely the Nationalist & Falangist forces also in the civil war. The Carlists had many supporters in Catholic Poland...The Christ of Nations.

**Tomahawk** · 12-05-2013, 11:35 PM

Hi 4thskorpion,
Thanks for this interesting infornmation, I didn´t know it.
About liberty and freedom I saw both, so I chose the one of the webpage.
Thanks again!

**StefanM** · 12-06-2013, 02:54 PM

by Tomahawk

Hi 4thskorpion,
Thanks for this interesting infornmation, I didn´t know it.
About liberty and freedom I saw both, so I chose the one of the webpage.
Thanks again!

Polish historian Marek Jan Chodakiewicz produced an interesting essay in English about Poland and Spain which was based on his book Zagrabiona pamięć: Wojna w Hiszpanii, 1936-1939 [Expropriated Memory: The War in Spain, 1936-1939] Warszawa: Fronda, 1997. An English edition is available as: Spanish Carlism and Polish nationalism : The Borderlands of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries by Marek Jan Chodakiewicz; John Radziłowski (Amazon: Spanish Carlism and Polish Nationalism: The Borderlands of Europe in the 19th and 20th Centuries: Marek Jan Chodakiewicz)

The essay was written for the Historical Society's National Convention at Boston University, May 27-29, 1999, and specifically for the panel “Reaction and Counterrevolution in Spain: Carlism, 1810-1939” can still be found online as a PDF on the link below:

Affinity and Revulsion: Poland Reacts to the Spanish Right, 1936-1939 (And Beyond) by Marek Jan Chodakiewicz.

Above: Distinctive red beret of the Carlist militia

**StefanM** · 12-06-2013, 03:42 PM

by Tomahawk

What do you think about it? How many of this were given?

To answer you original questions

The medal looks okay with ribbon faded. Value for mint condition between 30-40 Euros to 40-60 Euros with case.

A total of 1487 medals awarded between 1956 and 1987 when awards ceased. It was awarded to both Poles involved in combat for the Republican cause during the civil war and those who distinguished themselves in helping Polish combatants fighting in Spain.

Recipients of the Medal Za naszą i waszą wolność were also likely to have fought in partisan units during WII and receive the Krzyż Partyzancki or Partisan Cross:

**Tomahawk** · 12-07-2013, 04:05 PM

Hi again!
Thanks for all the info you gave me! I´ll look for that pdf, now the link is down, but for sure it will be in another website.
About the number of it given...wow! I thought that will be about 5.000 (moreless the number of partisans of the Dabrowski battalion) so that´s why the price was good (60 € with case) but after seeing that was given less than 1.500 times...incredible price for such a scarce medal.
Thanks for your time!