October 8, 2007

Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley received the Commander Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland September 25 from President Lech Kaczynski of Poland.

The award is given to foreign citizens and Polish nations living abroad for extraordinary efforts and achievements in the field of international cooperation and cooperation with Poland.

During the award ceremony at Chicago's city hall, Daley said, “I accept this award with gratitude, but also as a pledge to continue in my efforts to promote the cultural ties and solidarity between Poland and the United States – and the Polish-American community and the City of Chicago. I am always proud to say that Chicago is considered one of the largest Polish cities in the world, because hundreds of thousands of Polish people have made this their home.”

Chicago’s long history with Poland dates back to the 1850’s when Polish immigrants started settling in the city. In 1960, the mayor’s father, Richard J. Daley, signed Chicago’s first Sister City agreement with Warsaw during his fifth year in office as mayor. Chicago has the largest Polish population of any city in the world, outside of Warsaw.