Sokół 4154104 225241436 2008-07-12T17:21:15Z 83.31.250.59 equalling the grammatical numbers (to singular) {{seealso|Sokol (disambiguation)}} [[Image:Polskie Towarzystwo Gimnastyczne Sokol w Bedzinie-sztandar.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Banner of the [[Będzin]]-based Sokół nest]] [[Image:Lviv 1903.jpg|thumb|right|Sokół festival in Lwów, 1903]] [[Image:Pocztowka portret sokola.jpg|thumb|right|Sokół member in parade uniform]] '''Sokół''' ({{lang-pl|Polskie Towarzystwo Gimnastyczne "Sokół"}}, ''Polish Gymnastic Society "Falcon"'') is the [[Poland|Polish]] off-shoot of the [[Pan-Slavism|Pan-Slavic]] [[Sokol]], and the oldest [[youth movement]] organization Poland. Created in [[Lwów]] in 1867, by the end of [[World War I]] the movement had its units (called ''nest'' or ''gniazdo'' in Polish) in all parts of Poland, as well as among the [[Polonia|Polish communities abroad]]. == History == The Sokół was formed [[February 7]], [[1867]] in [[Lwów]], then a capital of [[Austria-Hungary|Austro-Hungarian]] [[Galicia (Central Europe)|Galicia]]. The basic aims of the society were promotion of gymnastics and national revival in all parts of [[partitions of Poland|partitioned]] Poland. In 1885 the first chairman, [[Józef Millert]] managed to convince the [[German Empire|German]] authorities to allow for Sokół nests to be formed in German-held parts of Poland. After the [[Revolution of 1905]] the Sokół expanded into the [[Russian Empire]]. As opposed to the [[Scouting movement]] which emerged in Poland simultaneously (by large promoted by [[Józef Piłsudski]]'s [[Socialism|socialists]]), the Sokół was largely rightist, with the majority of important posts taken by supporters of [[Roman Dmowski]]'s [[Liga Narodowa|National League]]. It promoted [[gymnastics]] and healthy life, as well as traditional moral values. Interestingly, the movement opposed [[football]], as a [[plebs|plebeian]] sports. Because of that, many members left the organization in early 20th century and founded their own [[football club]]s, among them the [[Czarni Lwów]] - the first football team in Poland. After Poland regained her independence, in 1919 the nests formed in various partitions were united in the ''Union of Gymnastic Societies "Sokół"''. After the [[Polish Defensive War|Polish defeat in 1939]] the new [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] and [[Nazism|Nazi]] authorities banned the Sokół and it was not allowed to emerge after the war. It was not until 1988 that the ban was lifted by the Communist authorities of Poland. During that time only minor nests continued their activity abroad, among the Polish diaspora in the [[United Kingdom]], [[United States]] (''[[Polish Falcons]]''), [[France]] and several other countries. The following year, on [[January 10]] the first nest since WWII was officially registered and on [[March 1]], [[1990]], the society was again registered in Poland. Currently the organization has 86 nests and claims to have approx 10,000 members both in Poland and abroad. == See also == *[[Związek Strzelecki]] ==References== *<!--blacklisted: [http://www.sokolztg.prv.pl/ Official web-page]--> {{DEFAULTSORT:Sokol}} [[Category:Nationalism]] [[Category:Sport in Poland]] [[Category:Gymnastics]] [[Category:1867 establishments]] [[pl:Polskie Towarzystwo Gimnastyczne "Sokół"]]