Gymnastic Society ID card

Before the outbreak of the Great War, numerous national liberation organisations were established in the Polish lands. In Galicia, the independence movement was cultivated in athletic organisations. The first of such organisations was Klub Sportowy (“Sports Club)” founded in 1865 in Lviv, renamed in 1867 to Polskie Towarzystwo Gimnastyczne “Sokół” (“Falcon” Polish Gymnastic Society). Later, it established its branches in Tarnów, Przemyśl, Krakow and Stanislawów (now Ivano-Frankivsk). Soon after, other cities have followed suit. In Łańcut, the local branch of the “Falcon” was established in 1891. The founding meeting, held in the hall of the starost's office, was attended by officials, teachers and priests. Dr. Walenty Szpunar, a lawyer, became the first president of the local branch. Initially, the Łańcut branch was led by Galician democrats – supporters of the Polish Democratic Party, and was later taken over by national democrats. The openness to supporters of other political parties made the ranks of the Łańcut branch grow rapidly, eventually reaching over a hundred members, recruited mainly from the local intelligentsia. Women were also involved in the work of the “Falcon” Society and its athletic teams, eagerly participating in national rallies. The organisation also had honorary members – subsequent owners of the Łańcut estates. Before the Society had its own building, its activists used the old parish. When the grand new building was erected in 1896, an additional lot was purchased to establish a park and playing fields. The organisation organised physical education classes in school, taught cycling and skating, organised parties, literary evenings, lectures, as well as celebrations of national anniversaries, such as the centennial of the Constitution of 3 May and the Kościuszko Uprising, anniversaries of the November and January Uprisings and the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Tannenberg. Through these activities, the organisation influenced the national consciousness of the residents of Łańcut and the surrounding villages. Joanna Kluz