National Culture Fund of Poland

The National Culture Fund (Polish: Fundusz Kultury Narodowej, FKN) was a Polish state foundation with headquarters in Warsaw, operating in the Second Polish Republic, between 1928–1939 and later during the war with the support of the Polish government in exile.

The Fund was subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior, and later, to the Ministry of Religious Affairs and Public Education.[1]

History

The National Culture Fund was established in 1928. It was subsidized by the state and supported by contributions from private individuals and institutions.[2]

The Fund's task was to support Polish scientific and artistic enterprises through: allowances and scholarships for individual persons, subsidies for publishing houses and subsidies for scientific and artistic institutions and teams.[2] Among the beneficiaries, that obtained subsidies for the implementation of specific scientific and research projects, was the Polish Academy of Learning.[2]

The National Culture Fund was headed by a Committee chaired by the Prime Minister of Poland.[2] However, the fund was self-governing and had some independence from political institutions. Scholars and artists sat on the Fund's council and committees.[2] Stanisław Michalski was the director of the National Culture Fund throughout all its activity.[2]

Pursuant to the Act of 16 July 1937, the National Culture Fund took the patronage of Józef Piłsudski, adopting the name of the Józef Piłsudski National Culture Fund.[3]

Following the German invasion of Poland, in October 1939 the Fund was reactivated by the Polish government in exile. It would play a significant role in supporting Polish educational, cultural and research initiatives during the war period in the Allied-controlled territories.[4][5][1]

References
  1. Zdzisław Jagodziński (1993). Biblioteka Polska w Londynie, 1942-1992: sine litteris mors. Biblioteka Polska, Polski Ośrodek Społeczno-Kulturalny. pp. 13–15.
  2. "Fundusz Kultury Narodowej" (in Polish). Encyklopedia PWN. Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  3. "Dz.U. z 1937 r. nr 55, poz. 424" (in Polish). Retrieved 9 April 2020.
  4. Jan Draus (1993). Oświata i nauka polska na Bliskim i Środkowym Wschodzie 1939-1950. Tow. Nauk. Katolickiego Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego. p. 34-43. ISBN 978-83-85291-72-5.
  5. Jan Draus; Ryszard Terlecki (1984). Polskie szkoły wyższe i instytucje naukowe na emigracji 1939-1945. Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich. p. 4. ISBN 978-83-04-01894-5.

Bibliography
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