Jagiellonia

The establishment of the club

Jagiellonia Białystok was founded by soldiers in the Reserve Battalion of the 42nd Infantry Regiment on May 30, 1920. The team's original name was shortened to KSBZ 42 PP. Their first game was played on 30 May 1920 against Kresowcy Białystok which they won 5–1. Later the team name was changed to WKS 42 PP, an abbreviation for Wojskowy Klub Sportowy, which means Army Sport Club. On November 2, 1930 WKS 42PP lost 1–2 against WKS 82 PP for the play-offs to advance to Division 1. January 27, 1932 was the first time Jagiellonia was introduced into the club's name when it was changed to Białystok Sports Club Jagiellonia. The term Jagiellonia refers to the Jagiellonian dynasty which ruled Poland for two centuries. Around the same time, the club's coat of arms was also introduced with its red and yellow colours. In 1938, due to financial problems, the club dissolved and ceased to exist until its reactivation in 1945. Unfortunately, in June the following year, with the new government in place there was no room for Jagiellonia, mostly because of the history with the Bolsheviks in 1920 and the 42nd Infantry Regiment. On January 26, 1957 the merging of Budowlani Białystok and Sparta Białystok reactivated Sports Club Jagiellonia Białystok with the original yellow-red-black crest restored.

1920s

In mid-1920, many players fought in the Polish–Soviet War. In November 1920, the club resumed activities. In 1920–1923, most of the matches Jagiellonia played were either friendlies or small tournaments in Białystok. The club joined the regular league in 1924, starting in klasa B in the Wilno OZPN district. The season was a success, winning the first season and gaining promotion to klasa A. Due to a pause in the league, there were no games in 1925. In 1926, the league started up again with the team being in klasa A. The team was doing well, finishing third in the following season. Later through the years the match officials were being paid off to make the Białystok team not do well and ultimately get demoted. In 1929, it was decided to change districts where Jagiellonia played to the newly formed Białystok OZPN.

1930s

In 1930 42PP, the club's name at the time, was the most successful thus far. They appeared in the play-offs for the top division in the country. At the end of the play-offs Jagiellonia and another team, WKS 82 pp Brześć, were tied for points and had to play one more game at a neutral ground to see who was the winner to that season. Jagiellonia fell to WKS 82 pp Brześć 2–1. Jagiellonia did win the district championship that season but it was the last trophy they won before World War II.

A big moment for the club was on January 27, 1932 when the WKS 42 PP football team and the KS Związku Młodzieży Wiejskiej athletics club merged to create a new multi-sports club called Białostocki Klub Sportowy (Białystok Sports Club) Jagiellonia. It is not known who created the team's new crest but what is known is that it had to do with the history of the Jagiellonian dynasty, which ruled Poland between 1386 and 1572. Several more departments were founded, including volleyball, basketball, boxing. The most successful team sport section was the volleyball team, which qualified to the Polish Championships in 1933 and 1934, finishing 7th and 8th respectively.

In the mid-thirties Jagiellonia began to experience problems, the city was not able to maintain the club. In 1932, the military stationed in Białystok took an active role in trying to save the club, along with the municipal government in 1936 the club's name changed to Military Sports Club Jagiellonia. Unfortunately, this decision did not solve the problem completely. In 1938, the club joined the A-class 1937/38 season but had to withdraw shortly after due to financial reasons. All the matches were cancelled and all the players were forced to find new clubs. Most of the players joined Strzelec Białystok and played there for two seasons before World War II broke out in 1939 and closed the first chapter in the history of the club.

World War II

Many players of Jagiellonia fought in defense of Poland during the German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II in September 1939, and then many joined the Polish resistance movement during the subsequent occupation. Several players were murdered by the Russians in the Katyn massacre in 1940, whereas the fate of vice-chairman Seweryn Nowakowski, who was arrested by the NKVD, remains unknown.

After World War II

After the second world war Jagiellonia was revived mostly in part by Karol Kowalczyński, but the revival was short-lived as the club dissolved on 20 June 1946. In the place of the disbanded Jagiellonia came Motor Białystok, which became the champion of the Białystok region and advanced to the Polish championship in 1946. Next year Motor Białystok joined the struggle for the Polish championship and the right to get into I league. In 1949 Białystok had a new team called Budowlani Białystok and in 1951 Motor Białystok merged into Budowlani Białystok. In 1955 Budowlani Białystok changed its name to BKS Jagiellonia Białystok. On 26 January 1957, a merger of two clubs, Jagiellonia Białystok and Sparta, resulted in a club called Jagiellonia. For the second time in its history Jagiellonia had the host stadium of Stadium Zwierzyniecki.