The archive of the Union of Poles, Zgoda, in the Federal Republic of Germany
After the political and social upheavals in 1989 Zgoda kept contact with organisations of Poles abroad, not only in Germany but also another countries. This was particularly so in the case of the BPiD “Rodło” and the Polish Congress in Germany [Kongres Polonii Niemieckiej].
Furthermore the Zgoda archives contain documents on its internal activities and cultural events. The most important of these were the organisation's Jubilee activities that also contained cultural programmes consisting of contributions by choirs, dance groups and the like. Hence the archives of the Union also contain documents on dance and folklore festivals [Festiwal Zespołów Tanecznych i Folklorystycznych], Polish choir festivals [Festiwal Chórów Polonijnych] and the Polish Culture Days [Dni Kultury Polskiej] in Recklinghausen.
Circular letters make up an important part of the archive. These include circulars for members, information on the work of the Union, its plans, day trips and recreational stays in Poland and other themes. “Głos Polski”, the press organ of the Union had a similar function: from 1951 to 1998 it appeared once a week, then every two weeks, and finally once a month. When it ran into financial difficulties in the 1990s it could only appear sporadically. Indeed there was not a single edition between 1999 and 2001. In 2002 it was revived as a quarterly and was published with one break between 2006 and 2008 before it closed down for good. The editions of “Głos Polski” between 1956 and 2002 were handed over to the AfsB along with the Zgoda archive: more precisely, not the first few years, and after that some editions are missing, although there is a complete register of all the editions. That said, the editions during these years are not an integral part of the stock.
A fundamental part of the archive stock consists of documents relating to the purchase, renovation, upkeep and work of the “Polish House” [Dom Polski] in Recklinghausen. It was purchased as the headquarters of the Union on 20th June, 1980. This was where the organisation held its political, social and cultural events. The stock also contains files on matters concerning children and young people. These include the school system, youth conferences and youth meetings, recreational trips and other trips to Poland, as well as documents on educational opportunities in Polish grammar schools and places of further education from the 1990s onwards. Zgoda also promoted the activities of its female members. Here there are documents on women's conferences and congresses, for example congress documents, reports on trips to Poland and other material. The documents handed over to the AfsB also include further budgetary documents, the Union's annual reports and editorial documents from “Głos Polski”.
One part of the stock consists of a collection of photographs documenting the work and cultural commitment of the organisation, its jubilee festivities, Polish national holidays and religious holidays, the recreational stays of officials and their children in Poland et etc.
Artur Kamiński, October 2017
