History

The Medal for Merit in the Defence of the Borders of the Polish People's Republic was established by the Council of Ministers in 1965. It was awarded to members of the Polish Border Troops in recognition of meritorious service rendered in defence of Polish borders. In addition, it could be awarded to Polish organisations and institutions in recognition of contributions to border defence, as well as to foreigners and foreign organisations for cooperation in the defence of Polish borders. It was permanently discontinued following the collapse of the communist regime in 1989.

The I Class Medal was only awarded to recipients of the II Class Medal, but in exceptional cases, the Minister of the Interior could bypass this regulation and award the I Class Medal directly.

The I Class Medal features initials that stand for "Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa" (Polish People's Republic) and a reverse inscription that translates to "For Merit in Protecting the State Frontier of the Polish People's Republic."