Rzeczpospolita

Rzeczpospolita (Polish pronunciation: [ʐɛt͡ʂpɔsˈpɔlʲita] ( listen)) is a traditional name of the Polish State, usually referred to as Rzeczpospolita Polska (Polish Rzeczpospolita). It comes from the words: "rzecz" (thing) and "pospolita" (common), literally, a "common thing". In terms of etymology and meaning, the closest Latin phrase is "res publica" ("res" - thing, "publica" - public, common) and the closest English term is "commonwealth" (i.e. "common wealth", "common good"), but a more modern translation is republic (a form of governance).

Origins

The term "Rzeczpospolita" has been used in Poland since beginning of the 16th century. Originally it was a generic term to denote a state or a commonness. The famous quote by Jan Zamoyski, the Lord Chancellor of the Crown, on the importance of education, is a great example of its use:

Polish: Takie będą Rzeczypospolite, jakie ich młodzieży chowanie.
Such will be the Commonwealths as the upbringing of their youth.

—Jan Zamoyski, Foundation Act of the Academy of Zamość; 1600

The meaning of Polish term "Rzeczpospolita" is well described by the term "Commonwealth". As a result the literal meaning of "Rzeczpospolita Polska" is "Polish Commonwealth", or "Republic of Poland". However, the connotation with the term "republic" may be somewhat misleading in a context of Polish State within period from 16th to 18th century, because Poland in that time was an elective monarchy and the "Rzeczpospolita" was reflected in the official name, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

Three Rzeczpospolitas

"Rzeczpospolita" is used also as a symbolic name referring to three periods in History of Poland:

• I Rzeczpospolita (Polish: Pierwsza Rzeczpospolita), as referring to History of Poland (1569–1795). This is a period when Poland was ruled by privileged class, called szlachta, who had rights to elect the Polish king and the Polish parliament, called Sejm. It began with the Nihil novi in 1505 and ended in 1795 after the third and last one from the Partitions of Poland;
• II Rzeczpospolita (Polish: Druga Rzeczpospolita), as referring to the Second Polish Republic. Used to refer to the interwar period, since gaining independence in 1918 until the Invasion of Poland (1939) by the Nazi Germany. Renascent Polish State was initially called Republic of Poland (Polish: Republika Polska). The name Rzeczpospolita was introduced by the March Constitution of Poland, whose the first article assured: Polish: Państwo Polskie jest Rzecząpospolitą, which means "The Polish State is the Commonwealth";
• III Rzeczpospolita (Polish: Trzecia Rzeczpospolita), as referring to History of Poland (1989–present). This is the present duration of the Polish State, after the collapse of the communist regime in 1989.

Other usage

Expressions that make use the concept of "Rzeczpospolita" include:

• Rzeczpospolita szlachecka – Republic of Nobles (szlachta), another name for the "I Rzeczpospolita";
• Rzeczpospolita Obojga Narodów – The Commonwealth of the Two Nations, another name for the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth;
• Rzeczpospolita Babińska – Babin Republic, a satirical, literary society, founded by a group of nobles during the second half of the 16th century;
• Rzeczpospolita Krakowska – Free City of Kraków or Republic of Kraków (1815–1846);
• Rzeczpospolita Zakopiańska – Republic of Zakopane, a short-lasting form of an independent state, established for about a month at October 1918;
• Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa – People's Republic of Poland, a name used formally since 1952 to 1990. Sometimes referenced (wrongly) to the post-war period 1944-1952;
• Czwarta Rzeczpospolita – Fourth Polish Republic, a slogan used by the political party Law and Justice.

Nowadays, the terms "Rzeczpospolita" and "Rzeczpospolita Polska" are used interchangeably, so far as they relate to the Polish State by default.

"Rzeczpospolita" is sometimes abbreviated to "Rzplita" in older, written documents.

"RP" is a common abbreviation for "Rzeczpospolita Polska".

The word "rzeczpospolita" was borrowed from the Polish language by other languages of the nearby region: Lithuanian Žečpospolita, Belarusian Рэч Паспалітая (Rech Paspalitaya) and Ukrainian Річ Посполита (Rich Pospolyta). All of them refer to the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.

See also

• History of Poland
• Name of Poland
• Outline of Poland

External links

• Commonwealth of Diverse Cultures: Poland's Heritage