About Arkonia
Polish Student Corporation Arkonia
is an apolitical student organization of ideological and self-educational character focused on upbringing young men in a public-spirited and patriotic way. Arkonia was founded in Riga, Latvia in 1879 and moved to Warsaw after Poland regained its independence in 1918.
The aim to preserve dignity and sense of responsibility in family and professional lives as well as in public activities of its members, Arkonia expects of its fellows to develop specific features of character and coherent philosophy of life to be of benefit to the common good.
The words of Arkonia's motto 'Veritate ac labore' (English: 'By truth and work') point at the values Arkons see as means in attaining every aim of their lives from the smallest to the grand ones. Truth is a fundamental value in life and the only solid basis one can rely on. Work, including pro-bono activities, whether of benefit to local or global community, is also of great value. We believe permanent changes and goals can be attained only through work and therefore genuine success shall be connected with effort.
Friendship, self-work and patriotism are the three pillars Arkonia is based on. Arkons are proud of the values they believe in, plunge into various activities and understand the sense of contributing to the common good.
During over 130 years of its history, the ranks of Arkonia have been joined by such figures as:
-
Lieutenant-General Wladyslaw Anders CB (a General in the Polish Army and later in life a politician with the Polish government-in-exile in London)
-
Edward O'Rourke (bishop of Riga and the first head of the bishopric of the Free City of Danzig)
-
professor Czeslaw Skotnicki (rector of the Warsaw University of Technology)
-
professor Jozef Mikulowski-Pomorski (rector and founder of The Warsaw University of Life Sciences)
-
professor Jan Nielubowicz (rector of The Medical University of Warsaw and a pioneer of Polish transplantology)
Today the distinguished members of the fraternity include:
-
professor Andrzej Jeleński
-
professor Henryk Manteuffel
-
professor Witold Trzeciakowski
as well as members of Polish diplomatic service, entrepreneurs, artists or lawyers. Arkons take active part in events promoting entrepreneurship in Poland and are additionally memebers of other student organizations including AIESEC (projects: Liberate Your Mind, Forum500), student division of Business Centre Club (project: Entrepreneurship Festival BOSS) or Freshmen Festival WOW! - Wielkie Otrzesiny Warszawy.