Speaker
Description
After the fall of the November Uprising many Poles were forced to leave the Kingdom of Poland, going into exile - mainly to France – in a movement known as the Great Emigration. In exile Poles formed several political groups engaging in wide-scale political and propaganda activity. Medals must be included among the means used to advance the Polish cause and keep the national spirit alive. They were issued mostly by the conservative-aristocratic political faction centered around Prince Adam Jerzy Czartoryski. These medals proclaimed the glory of the people who had rendered a great service to the Polish emigration, keeping alive the idea of an independent Poland, serving both as prizes awarded to distinguished non-Polish politicians, and as valuable souvenirs for fellow Poles in exile and in partitioned Poland. The medals were created by leading Polish and French artists, and are also excellent examples of the medallic art.
