Dear Readers! As I place this publication in your hands, I would like to thank you wholeheartedly for the trust that was placed in us by the members of the Polish Falcons of America, headed by President Timothy L. Kuzma. The materials donated within the framework of the Archive Full of Remembrance project provide us with a pretext to bring to all those who are interested, the history of this important organization, in whose activities the element of patriotism was constantly present. The welcoming land of America has received Polish immigrants for many years. Among the newcomers were also enthusiasts of the ideals of the “Sokół” (Falcon) Gymnastic Society, which was gaining popularity in the Polish lands under partition. As a result, the first Falcon nest in Chicago began its activities under the leadership of founding father Feliks L. Pietrowicz, exactly two decades after the formation of “Sokół” in Lvov – the mother nest. Despite the distance and the fact that Poland was not on any maps at that time, contact between the Polish Falcons of America and their native land was constantly maintained and strengthened over the years. It was thanks to the aficionados emerging from Falcon structures – on Polish soil and in the United States, as well as in other countries – that the national identity of Poles could survive throughout the period of partition. When the historical hour came, the rising up of Polonia was not to be underestimated.
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