THE CONSTITUTION OF 3 MAY, 1791 POLAND

On May 3, 1791, the Constitution of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was adopted. It was modern Europe's first codified national constitution and the second in the world, following the American one.

Rejtan, by Matejko1776

The Constitution of 3 May, 1791The document was adopted by the Great Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, a dual monarchy comprising Poland and Lithuania.Drafted over 32 months beginning on 6 October 1788, and formally adopted as the Government Act, the manuscript was designed to redress the Commonwealth's political defects. The system of Golden Freedoms, also known as the "Nobles' Democracy", had conferred disproportionate rights on the nobility (szlachta) and over time had corrupted politics. The adoption of the Constitution was preceded by a period of agitation for—and gradual introduction of—reforms beginning with the Convocation Sejm of 1764 and the election of Stanisław August Poniatowski as the Commonwealth's last king.

The Constitution of May 3, is an 1891 Romantic oil painting on canvas by the Polish artist Jan Matejko. It memorializes the Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791, a milestone in the history of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and the high point of the Polish Enlightenment.

Like many Matejko’s works, the picture presents a grand scene populated with numerous historic figures, including Poland's last King, Stanisław August Poniatowski; Marshals of the Great Sejm Stanisław Małachowski and Kazimierz Nestor Sapieha; co-authors of the Constitution such as Hugo Kołłątaj and Ignacy Potocki; and other major contemporary figures such as Tadeusz Kościuszko. Some twenty individuals have been identified by modern historians; another ten or so who had been reported in older sources as being present, await definitive identification.

King Stanislaw August Poniatowski

The Constitution of May 3, 1791 was adopted as a "Government Act" on that date by the Sejm (parliament) of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth. It has been called "the first constitution of its type in Europe" and the world's second democratic constitution.The Constitution sought to supplant the existing anarchy fostered by some of the country's magnates with a more democratic constitutional monarchy.It introduced political equality between townspeople and nobility (szlachta) and placed the peasants under the protection of the government, thus mitigating the worst abuses of serfdom.The Constitution abolished pernicious parliamentary institutions such as the liberum veto, which at one time had put the Sejm at the mercy of any deputy who might choose, or be bribed by an interest or foreign power, to undo the legislation adopted by that Sejm.

Tadeusz Kościuszko

The Constitution is a symbol of the Polish people and of their struggle for liberty, justice, and honor.The Polish Constitution was written by the aristocracy. With the most noble of intentions, its authors saw government as an instrument of service for the common good. They recognized that government must serve not the interests of the few, but the welfare of the entire nation. With this thought, they were prepared to sacrifice their wealth and good fortunes for the cause of a free and independent nation. Indeed, the Constitution of 1791 epitomized a recognition that duty and responsibility were the true foundations of liberty. This unparalleled sense of generosity was most profound, so much so that it earned admiration from all ends of the political spectrum. The Prussian statesman Ewald von Hertzberg would express the fears of European conservatives. The Poles, he wrote, "have given the coup de grace to the Prussian monarchy by voting a constitution . . . . How can we defend our state . . . against a numerous and well-governed nation."

The Constitution of May 3, 1791, stands for the proposition that free people everywhere must step forward despite all odds, to undertake the burdens of serving as champions of liberty. Truly, this is the belief which we honor today.

Year after year, The Polish community, whether at home or abroad, gathers together to commemorate the 3rd of May Constitution and to honor all the great minds who took part in the creation of this revolutionary document.

Stanisław Staszic Hugo Kołłątaj Ignacy Potocki

Only two days after the Constitution had been passed by the Grand Sejm (1788-1792), the 3rd of May was established as a national holiday. It was subsequently suspended for a long time due to the country’s partitioning and was only reinstituted after Poland regained its freedom in 1918. After World War II, in 1946, the communist regime forbade its public celebration, and attempts of manifestations were suppressed by the authorities. In 1951 the holiday was officially cancelled. Since 1990 the 3rd of May Holiday has again been celebrated as an official statutory holiday in Poland, and a red-letter day.

• Piotr Machnikowski (December 1, 2010). Contract Law in Poland. Kluwer Law International. p. 20. ISBN 978-90-411-3396-0. Retrieved July 12, 2011.

• Albert P. Blaustein (1993). Constitutions of the world. Wm. S. Hein Publishing. p. 15. ISBN 978-0-8377-0362-6.

• Bill Moyers (May 5, 2009). Moyers on Democracy. Random House Digital, Inc. p. 68. ISBN 978-0-307-38773-8. Retrieved May 30, 2011.

• Sandra Lapointe; Jan Wolenski; Mathieu Marion (2009). The Golden Age of Polish Philosophy: Kazimierz Twardowski's Philosophical Legacy. Springer. p. 4. ISBN 978-90-481-2400-8. Retrieved May 30, 2011.

• Norman Davies (1996). Europe: A History. Oxford University Press. p. 699. ISBN 0-19-820171-0.

• Brzezinski, Mark F. (1991). "Constitutional Heritage and Renewal: The Case of Poland". Virginia Law Review 77 (1): 49–112. JSTOR 1073115.

• Norman Davies (March 30, 2005). God's Playground: The origins to 1795. Columbia University Press. p. 273. ISBN 978-0-231-12817-9. Retrieved August 13, 2011.

References

Halina Ostankowicz- Bazan May 2015