POLAND

POLAND / POLSKA.

40th Anniversary of the Recovery of Polish North and West Territories.
Stylized map of Poland with territories recovered and portrait of Bolesław III Krzywousty.
First stamp in a set of 3, issued on 08.05.1985.
Face value: 5 Polish złotych.
Design: Stefan Małecki (1924-2012).
Printing: Offset Lithography.
Printed by PWPW (Polska Wytwórnia Papierów Wartościowych), Warszawa.
Primt: 8,600,000 copies.
Size: 42 x 42 mm.

Catalogues
- AFA No. 2859.
- Michel No. 2970.
- Scott No. 2673.
- StampWorld No. 2973.
- Stanley Gibbons No. 2985.
- Yvert et Tellier No. 2782.

The Polish Reclaimed Territories (in Polish, Ziemie Odzyskane, literally "reclaimed lands") was an official term used by the People’s Republic of Poland to describe the territory of the former Free City of Danzig and parts of pre-WWII Germany that became in fact part of Poland in June 1946. The rationale for adopting the term "Recovered", made official by a Decree of October 11, 1938, after the annexation of Zaolzie by the Polish army, was the concept that these territories were once part of the traditional Polish homeland, being fiefdoms or parts of a Polish state during the rule of the Piasta dynasty. Piast concept (developed in 1890s) versus Jagiellonian concept had the support not only of the communist government and the USSR, but also of the Catholic Church.

Bolesław III Krzywousty (Bolesław III Wrymouth, 20 August 1086 - 28 October 1138) was Duke of Poland between 1107 and 1138. It strengthened Poland's international position by its victory over the Holy Roman Empire in the Battle of Hundsfeld (1109). It was also the architect of the expansion of the country's territory to the north and west. He belonged to the Piast dynasty, the first historical ruling dynasty of Poland.

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Thanks to Sylvester Dulewski for his contribution (https://birdsposta.blogspot.com/).