03/05/2026
“The Constitution of Polish Freedom” 🇵🇱
On 3 May 1791, the May 3 Constitution was adopted by the Sejm of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. It is widely regarded as the first modern constitution in Europe and the second in the world, following the United States Constitution.
➡This landmark act introduced a modern vision of the state. It established a constitutional monarchy and implemented the principle of the separation of powers, dividing authority between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The Constitution was a bold and forward-looking attempt to reform the Commonwealth, strengthen its institutions, and preserve its sovereignty in the face of growing external threats.
➡Although it remained in force for less than two years, its significance proved enduring. The Constitution became a lasting symbol of Polish political thought, civic responsibility, and the aspiration for a sovereign and just state.
➡The reform effort was soon crushed. In 1792, a Russian army of nearly 100,000 soldiers invaded the Commonwealth, supported by the Targowica Confederation, an alliance of conservative elites opposing the reforms. In 1793, Russia and Prussia carried out another partition of Polish territory, and under pressure from St. Petersburg, the Sejm revoked the Constitution. The final attempt to defend independence came with the uprising of 1794.
➡Despite the loss of statehood, the memory of the Constitution endured. After Poland regained independence, 3 May was restored as a national holiday in 1919.
➡During WW2, celebrations were banned by both German and Soviet occupiers. However, it was in the period of the Polish People's Republic that systematic efforts were made to erase the meaning of this historic act from public life.
➡In 1951, the communist authorities officially abolished the 3 May holiday, replacing it with 1 May (International Workers’ Day) as the central state celebration. The Constitution of 1791, symbolizing democratic traditions, national sovereignty, and civic freedoms, stood in clear opposition to the ideological foundations of the communist regime.
➡Despite the ban, Polish society continued to cultivate the memory of the Constitution. Attempts to commemorate 3 May often transformed into demonstrations of attachment to independence and opposition to the authorities. Participants faced surveillance, harassment, and arrests carried out by the security apparatus. For many, the anniversary became not only a historical remembrance, but also a manifestation of resistance.
➡A partial breakthrough came in 1981, during the period known as the “Solidarity carnival,” when the 190th anniversary of the Constitution was celebrated legally, though still under close scrutiny of the authorities.
➡Since 1990, in a free and sovereign Poland, 3 May has once again been observed as an official national holiday - honouring both a groundbreaking legal act and the enduring aspirations of generations who refused to abandon the idea of independence.
📷 A postcard commemorating the May 3 Constitution issued by underground Solidartiy in 1983 (IPN Archive)
