1.4.1 “This legendary country.”
Students and teachers in front of the Batignolles school in the 1870s (Polish Historical and Literary Society. Polish Library).
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- The Polish National School in Paris
1.4
The Polish National School in Paris
Paris became the centre of Polish political and cultural life, maintaining constant contact with the country’s opposition. The Polish National School in Paris, known as Les Batignolles, the first Polish school in France, was founded in 1842. It was not just a question of teaching the children of emigrants the Polish language: they needed to be brought up with an awareness of their Polish identity!
The Polish National School of Paris was founded in 1842 by General Józef Dwernicki and the poet Antoni Gorecki. It was originally established in Châtillon-sous-Bagneux for the children of the Great Emigration. In 1844, it moved to 56 rue des Batignolles in Paris. It was henceforth known as the École Polonaise des Batignolles.
In 1865, Napoleon III, Emperor of France, issued a decree recognising the Polish School as being of public utility and approved its statutes.
In 1874, the School moved to 15, rue Lamandé, still in the Batignolles district.
By the beginning of the twentieth century, the school was in crisis, and only had about forty students.
Poland regained its independence in 1919. As stipulated in the statutes, as soon as the country was liberated, the government of the Republic of Poland took control of the school. In 1922, it closed the school and converted the building in Rue Lamandé into a hostel for Polish students.
1.4.2 “Recognised as an establishment of public utility.”
Facsimile of Napoleon III's decree (Public domain).
—Extracts from the Decree recognising the Polish School. Paper booklet published in 1905 by Imprimerie Heymann & Guelis.
1.4.3 “It was doomed to disappear altogether.”
On 11 November 1918, Poland regained its independence. The closing of the Polish School would be a distant consequence (Public domain).
