- 12 June 2007 Founding of AAALE Pologne in Olsztyn
- A historic first First Foreign Legion association created in a former Eastern Bloc country
- A community Around 100 members in 2023
- A mission Brotherhood · Solidarity · Remembrance · Transmission
The history of the Association of Former Members and Friends of the Foreign Legion in Poland.
Former members and friends of the Foreign Legion in Poland — brotherhood, solidarity and remembrance.
A history born in Poland
On 12 June 2007, in Olsztyn, the Amicale des Anciens et Amis de la Légion étrangère de Pologne — known as AAALE Pologne — was founded.
This founding marked an important milestone for former legionnaires living in Poland. AAALE Pologne thus became the first Foreign Legion association created in a country of the former Eastern Bloc.
From the outset, the association’s purpose has been to bring together, in Poland, former legionnaires, their families and friends of the Legion around a shared attachment: brotherhood, remembrance and the passing on of traditions.
Bringing former legionnaires together
After their service in the Foreign Legion, some former legionnaires choose to settle or return to live in Poland.
AAALE Pologne allows them to keep a bond with their former comrades and to rediscover a community built on shared experience and values.
Over the years, the association has become a meeting point and point of contact for former legionnaires present in Poland.
Its role is not limited to organising gatherings. It can also offer help and support to former legionnaires or their families when they face difficulties, particularly with certain administrative procedures.
A brotherhood that continues after service
One of the association’s reasons for being is to keep alive, after the years of service, the bonds of camaraderie that unite former legionnaires.
AAALE Pologne allows its members to meet again, to share their experiences and to maintain this solidarity beyond their time under the uniform.
This brotherhood lies at the heart of the association. It rests on values deeply linked to the legionnaire’s commitment: honour, loyalty, respect, solidarity and the duty of remembrance.
The association also seeks to be present for veterans who may find themselves isolated in Poland, as well as for their families.
Preserving memory
Remembrance holds an essential place in the history of AAALE Pologne.
The association helps to keep alive the memory of former legionnaires and to pay tribute to those who served before them. In doing so, it takes part in passing on the history and traditions of the Foreign Legion in Poland.
Preserving this memory also means recalling the significant presence of Poles in the history of the Foreign Legion and the special ties that have long existed between Poland, France and the Legion.
A French-Polish history
The history of AAALE Pologne is naturally part of the historic relationship between France and Poland.
Throughout its history, the Foreign Legion has welcomed many Polish nationals into its ranks. Some served for many years and left their mark on the Legion’s history.
The association’s presence in Poland helps to preserve this memory and to keep this bond between the two countries alive.
It provides a space where former legionnaires, families and friends of the Legion come together around a shared history and common values.
An association that grew over the years
Since its creation in Olsztyn on 12 June 2007, AAALE Pologne has gradually built a community of former legionnaires and friends of the Legion in Poland.
In 2023, the association had around a hundred members, a sign of how this community has developed since its founding.
It operates mainly thanks to the commitment of its members, their subscriptions and the donations that support the association’s activities and initiatives.
Today
More than a simple association, AAALE Pologne represents a place of brotherhood, solidarity and remembrance for former legionnaires and friends of the Legion in Poland.
Its history has been built since 2007 around a simple idea: not to let the bonds forged through service disappear, and to pass on to future generations the memory of those who served.
Today the association continues this mission by keeping alive the bonds between its members in Poland, preserving their history and upholding the values that bring them together.