The Second Foundation

One must distinguish between the two separate Lanckoronski foundations: (1) the main one, to which this website relates, is the Lanckoronski Foundation (formally registered as the Fondation Lanckoronski); whilst (2) The De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation was created by Karolina Lanckorońska on September 24th 1973 in order to benefit from certain tax exemptions granted to the British charitable foundations.

The main objectives set by the foundress of the London-based De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation were the financing of scholarships for academics conducting research work into the humanities in the UK, in exceptional circumstances to subsidise scholarly publications, and the purchase of books for the Jagiellonian University of Kraków.

In 1973 the Foundation had two houses in Eardley Crescent, London which not only rented rooms to recipients of the Foundation’s grants but also housed the Lanckoroński Library as well as valuable furniture. Because the maintenance of the houses was expensive the main Lanckoronski Foundation subsidised the London-based one. With the collapse of communism the situation changed. The property in Eardley Crescent was sold, the collection of books was given to the Polish Academy of Learning and the valuable furniture was donated to the Royal Castle in Warsaw. The London-based De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation then became autonomous and no longer required funds from the main Lanckoronski Foundation.

Over the years the De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation in London has focused primarily on the financing of scholarships for Polish academics as part of the wider programme managed by the Polish Academy of Learning on behalf of the both the main Lanckoronski Foundation as well as the De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation. The amount of scholarships financed each year by the London-based foundation amounts to thirty five per annum and in addition it provides limited financial assistance to Polish institutions in the UK for specific projects.

The current address of the De Brzezie Lanckoronski Foundation is 10 Roxborough Park, Harrow-on-the-Hill, Middlesex HA1 3BE, UK. Currently there are five trustees and the president is Piotr Chłapowski, who is also a member of the main Lanckoronski Foundation. Correspondence should be sent to him at the above address.