For our freedom and yours

Za naszą i waszą wolność
Flags of the November Uprising written in Russian using Cyrillic (left) and Polish (right), 1831
Origin/etymologyNovember Uprising
MeaningFor our freedom and yours
Original formW imię Boga za Naszą i Waszą Wolność
ContextCommemoration of the Decembrist revolt
Coined byJoachim Lelewel

For our freedom and yours (Polish: Za naszą i waszą wolność or Za wolność naszą i waszą) is one of the unofficial mottos of Poland. It is commonly associated with the times when Polish soldiers, exiled from the partitioned Poland, fought in various independence movements all over the world. First seen during a patriotic demonstration to commemorate the Decembrists, held in Warsaw on January 25, 18311, it was most probably authored by Joachim Lelewel. The initial banner has the inscription in both Polish and Russian, and was meant to underline that the victory of Decembrists would also have meant liberty for Poland. The slogan got shorter with time; the original had the form 'In the name of God, for our freedom and yours' ('W imię Boga za Naszą i Waszą Wolność'). The original banner has been preserved in the collection of Muzeum Wojska Polskiego in Warsaw.