Order of the Holy Sepulchre

The Order of the Holy Sepulchre, also known as the Cross of Jerusalem, was established by Pope Alexander VI in 1496. It is a badge of membership in the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, reactivated in 1868 to uphold the ideals of the Holy Sepulchre. The symbol of the Order, which is still active in many countries today, is a red cross with four Greek crosses in its corners (the emblem of the former Kingdom of Jerusalem), most often interpreted as the five wounds of Christ or the five patriarchates. The Order was placed under the Pope’s supremacy, and the privilege of awarding it was transferred to the Grand Master of the Order. Currently, there are 19 authorities of the Order worldwide, and in total, in 28 countries, about 30 thousand ladies and cavaliers belong to it. In Poland, the Order of the Holy Sepulchre has been active since 1996. The presented Order belonged to Tadeusz Dzierżykraj-Morawski (1821-1888), a social and political activist in the Grand Duchy of Posen and a chamberlain to the Prussian King Wilhelm I. This meritorious citizen of Greater Poland (Wielkopolska) was the son of Franciszek, a general, poet, translator, participant in the Napoleonic Wars, and Minister of War during the November Rising (1831). As a subject of the Kingdom of Prussia, Tadeusz Morawski was a Knight of several other Orders: the 3rd and 4th Class Red Eagle, the Prussian Crown and the Württemberg Crown. However, it is not known when the decorations took place. The published Morawski’s biographies do not mention the ‘order’ theme.

Genowefa Horoszko