Welecja is a Polish academic korporation which was established in Riga in 1883. Riga was at that time a very popular destination for polish students. Welecja’s principles were oriented around values of self-development, intellectual stimulation, work aimed at regaining independence by Poland as well as on the principle of friendship between its members. After I World War Welecja moved to Warsaw, where it functioned until the II World War. After the fall of communism Welecja restored its activities in Warsaw in 2002 with admission of first after the War new members.

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Welecja’s motto reads: Viribus Unitis Suum Cuique. It serves as expression of fundamental for Welecja values of lifelong friendship as well as tolerance and respect for different world views among its members. Both of this values are well reflected in a rich and diverse list of members of Welecja. They represented multitude of world views, political affiliations as well as religions, including atheists, Jews, Muslims and Christians. Welecja was also always very deeply democratic and underlined equality between members. Historically it was not well seen to use aristocratic titles of symbols in the relations between members. Also seniority in the fraternity did not lead to inequalities between members.

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During 135 years Welecja accepted around 1000 members. Many of them played an important role in the history of Poland and Europe as outstanding statesmen, architects, scientists, artists, philanthropists etc. Among the most notable ones were Prof. Ignacy Mościcki, world famous chemist and President of the Republic of Poland (1926-1939), Senator Tadeusz Giedroyć, architects known from numerous works in Warsaw and many other cities: Bohdan Pniewski, Józef Szanajca, Franciszek Lilpop or Leon Suzin; scientists and inventors: Maurycy Chorzewski, Edmund Załęski or Mirosław Gersdorf and many others.