May 3rd Constitution Day
03.05.2026
This year, we celebrate the 235th anniversary of the adoption of the May 3rd Constitution. Adopted in 1791, it was the first written constitution in Europe and the second in the world, after the United States Constitution, regulating the functioning of the state and defining the rights and obligations of citizens.
The Constitution introduced a modern model of constitutional monarchy, which was not adopted in many European countries until the 19th century.
The Constitution's authors were King Stanisław August Poniatowski, Ignacy Potocki – leader of the Patriotic Party, Bishop Hugo Kołłątaj, and the Speaker of the Four-Year Sejm, Stanisław Małachowski.