Happy Polish Constitution Day to one and all.

To read the Constitution, the first written constitution in Europe, and the proximate cause of simultaneous invasion of Poland by Germany, Russia, and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, who had sought to preserve absolute monarchy, rather than tolerate democracy, see my Polish Constitution of May 3, 1791 page. The May 3rd Constitution was a beacon of pride and hope throughout 175 years of tyranny, brutality, and subjugation.

From the Baltic Times: Lithuania and Poland celebrate the first constitution in Europe

Lithuania and Poland held a joint celebration of the signing of the constitution of the Republic of Two Nations on Wednesday. It was the first time that the two countries have ever celebrated the event together. The 1791 Lithuanian-Polish constitution was the first document of its kind in Europe —“ a fact of which both countries are proud.

In a speech commemorating the event, Lithuanian President Valdas Adamkus noted that “remembering the works of our ancestors lets spread and nourish the democratic ideas and defend the civil rights that were the biggest virtue at the time already. Let’s protect this virtue by respecting our past. And together lets remember that faithfulness for ideas of the first written European constitution today means the joint responsibility for the future of united and strong Europe.”

In Poland, the Lithuanian-Polish Constitution Day is one of the biggest national holidays.