February 10th 1920: Poland’s Wedding to the Sea
On this day in 1920, the first of the ceremonies marrying the country of Poland to the sea took place in Puck. The symbolic wedding commemorated the restoration of Poland’s access to the Baltic Sea. Poland had lost access to the sea in 1793 due to the Second Partition of Poland, in which Russia, Prussia and Austria divided Poland amongst themselves. After the First World War, Poland once again became an independent nation state, and this was celebrated with a wedding. General Józef Haller led the festivities - a Polish flag was dipped into the sea and Haller threw a ring into the water. Since 1920, other weddings to the sea have occurred, including many in 1945 at the end of the Second World War and Poland’s liberation from Nazi rule, but these later weddings were essentially a renewal of vows.
“In the name of the Holy Republic of Poland, I, General Jozef Haller, am taking control of this ancient Slavic Baltic Sea shore”
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