Ethnic minorities in Poland

Main article: Demographics of Poland

96.7% of the people of Poland claim Polish nationality, and 97.8% declare that they speak Polish at home (Census 2002). The population of Poland became one of the most ethnically homogeneous in the world^{[citation needed]} as a result of the radically altered borders after World War II and the subsequent migrations. This homogeneity is a result of post-World War II deportations ordered by the Soviet authorities, who wished to remove the sizeable Polish minorities from Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine and deportations of Ukrainians from Poland (see territorial changes of Poland and historical demography of Poland for details). Unlike in many other countries, the rights of ethnic minorities in Poland are guaranteed directly in the Constitution (art. 35).

Declared nationality

Other than the Poles, Poland is also inhabited by numerous national minorities. The following numbers on nationalities are from the Polish census of 2002.^[1]

• 38,230,080 Total population of Poland
• 36,983,720 Polish
• 774,885 Nationality not specified
• 471,475 Non-Polish, or multi-racial, including nationalities with more than 1,000 people:
  • 173,153 Silesian
  • 152,897 German
  • 48,737 Belarusian
  • 30,957 Ukrainian
  • 12,855 Roma
  • 6,103 Russian
  • 5,863 Lemko
  • 5,846 Lithuanian
  • 5,062 Kashubian
  • 2,001 Slovak
  • 1,808 Vietnamese
  • 1,633 French
  • 1,541 American
  • 1,404 Greek
  • 1,367 Italian
  • 1,133 Jews
  • 1,112 Bulgarian
  • 1,082 Armenian

Armenians

Main articles: Armenians in Poland and Armenians

Around 50,000 Armenians settled in Poland in the 14th century,^[2] and an Armenian colony gradually formed through successive immigrations. According to the Polish census of 2002, there are 1,082 Armenians in Poland,^[1], although Armenian-oriented sources cite estimates as high as 92,000.^[3] The Armenian-Orthodox community converted to Catholicism in the 18th century.^{[citation needed]} There is still an Armenian church in formerly Polish Lwów (now Lviv in Ukraine) with clergy that preach in the Armenian language. The remains of pre-war Armenian church organizations serve the community.

Belarusians

For more details on this topic, see Belarusian minority in Poland.

In the Polish census of 2002, 48,700 people declared they belong to this group.^[4]

They live in close concentrations on south and east area of Białystok, near and in areas adjoining Belarus border.

Czechs

According to the Polish census of 2002, 386 Czechs live in Poland,^[4] many of them in Zelów or near the Czech border. Arguably, the most famous Pole with Czech roots is painter Jan Matejko.

Germans

For more details on this topic, see German minority in Poland.

Germans remain in Pomerania, Silesia, East Prussia and Lubusz Land. The current estimates based on the 2002 census gives 147 094 Germans living mainly in the region of Opole, Katowice and Częstochowa (south-west part of Poland).^[4]

Greeks

Some 4 - 5,000 Greeks live in central and southeast Poland, most of whom came in 1949, after the Greek Civil War. It is estimated that after this conflict, some 14,000 Greeks came to Poland, settling mainly in the town of Zgorzelec in Lower Silesia. In the course of the time, most of them returned to their homeland or moved to Germany. Today, there is an estimated 25,000 Greeks living in Poland. Among famous Poles of Greek origin, are a popular pop singer Eleni Tzoka, drummer Milo Kurtis (who played in such bands as Maanam and Voo Voo), and guitar virtuoso Apostolis Anthimos from progressive rock band SBB.^{[citation needed]}

Jews

For more details on this topic, see History of the Jews in Poland.

The Jewish community, once numbering 3,474,000, was almost entirely wiped out, due to the Holocaust. Nazis sent most of the Jewish population to concentration camps where they were gassed and killed. A number of Polish Jews who survived the Holocaust emigrated to Israel. If not for the Holocaust, the Jewish people would probably constitute Poland's largest minority group. According to the Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration, at the time of the 2002 census, there were 1,055 Jewish people in Poland. ^[4] Its representatives live mainly in large cities like Warsaw, Wrocław, Kraków and Lublin.

Kashubians

INTERREG estimated there are up to 500,000 Kashubians in Poland.^{[citation needed]} In the Polish census of 2002, however, only 5,100 people declared Kashubian nationality, although 51,000 declared Kashubian as their native language.^{[citation needed]}

Lithuanians

For more details on this topic, see Lithuanian minority in Poland.

There are 5,639 Lithuanians in Poland, according to the 2002 census.^[4] They live in close concentrations, in Suwałki in the north-east of Poland, and in the territory of Puńsk commune where they constitute 80% of inhabitants.

Macedonians(FYR)

There are 4,000 to 5,000 Macedonians in central and southern Poland.^{[citation needed]}

Roma

There are 12,731 Roma in Poland, according to the 2002 census.^[4] They are dispersed and live on the area of the whole country, although their more numerous concentrations are in the south of Poland.

Russians

Russians are scattered around the territory of Poland but mostly reside in eastern Poland. There are 3244 Russians in Poland, according to the 2002 census.^[4] The HFHR estimated around 13,000-15,000 Russians are in Poland.^{[citation needed]} This society includes also Old Believers who are members of the Eastern Old Believers' Church and account for 2,000–3,000 persons living in the south-east of Poland.

Scots

Scottish people migrated to Poland in mass numbers in the mid 15th century. Mostly from the Highlands of Scotland and mainly Catholic and Episcopalian they were fleeing from religious persecution and harsh economic conditions. By the 17th century there were an estimated 30,000 Scots living in Poland. Many came from Dundee and Aberdeen and could be found in Polish towns from Krakow to Lublin. To this day there is believed to be many Poles of Scottish ancestry.^[5][6]

Silesians

Main article: Silesians

INTERREG estimated there are up to 2,000,000 Silesians in Poland. In the Polish census of 2002, however, about 200,000 people officially declared Silesian nationality, although only about 60,000 declared Silesian as their native language.

Slovaks

Slovaks live in some areas in southern Poland, to the number of 1710 according to the Polish 2002 census.^[4] Polish Slovaks inhabit two small frontier regions in the Spisz and Orawa (south of Poland, near Polish-Slovak border). Larger groups of Slovaks are in Kraków and Silesia region.

Tatars

Small populations of Polish Lipka Tatars still exist and still practice Islam. Some Polish towns, mainly in northeastern Poland (in Podlaskie Voivodeship) have mosques. Tatars arrived as mercenary soldiers beginning in the late 14th century. The Tatar population reached approximately 100,000 in 1630 but the 2002 census showed only 447 people declaring this nationality.^[4]

Ukrainians

For more details on this topic, see Ukrainian minority in Poland.

Ukrainians are scattered in various eastern and northern districts. In the Polish census of 2002 27,172 people declared they belong to this group.^[4]

Other

There are also national groups of Americans, Britons, Turks, Hungarians, French, Italians, Serbs, Croats, Bulgarians, Romanians, Georgians, Africans, Palestinians, other Arabs, Kurds, Scandinavians, Chechens and Vietnamese, who constitute small ethnic communities within major cities such as Warsaw, Kraków, and Gdańsk.

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} Polish population census 2002 nationalities tables 1 or 2. Retrieved on 30 April 2009
2. ^ The First Large Emigration of the Armenians - History of Armenia
3. ^ Armenians in Poland on ArmenianDiaspora.com. Retrieved on 1 May 2009
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} (Polish) Mniejszości narodowe i etniczne w Polsce on the pages of Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. Retrieved on 9 September 2007. - English version
5. ^ [1]
6. ^ "Academic studies Poland's Scots". BBC News. 14 July 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/highlands_and_islands/7501969.stm. Retrieved 2 May 2010. 

See also

Little Treaty of Versailles

External links

• Ethnic and national minorities in Poland, Polish Ministry of the Interior and Administration