“Polak w Niemczech” (1925–1972). The press organ of the Union of Poles in Germany
Representing the interests of German citizens of Polish nationality and mother tongue
“We, who have remained German citizens in Germany, must join together in our shared work if we do not wish to lose our national faith, our Polish language and the culture of our homeland”.[1]
These are the first lines of the appeal issued by the Union of Poles in Germany (Bund der Polen in Deutschland e.V.), the central organisation of Poles living in Germany, which was founded in Berlin on 27 August 1922. The appeal was published on 9/10 December 1922 in the Polish-language daily newspaper in Berlin, “Dziennik Berliński” together with the Union statute (see Fig. 1), shortly after the Union was officially recognised as an association on 3 December with an entry in the Prussian register.[2] Immediately after it was founded, the Union began a drive to recruit new members. One aim was to further expand the work of the Union, while at the same time organising the many Poles living in Germany and to represent them before the German state.[3] However, the Poles resident in Germany in the inter-war years were not a homogeneous group, and were not equally in agreement with the views and aims of the Union. Some of them lived in the border territories in the east (particularly East and West Prussia and Upper Silesia), while the Ruhr Poles, a no less important group, were labour migrants who had come to the German Empire from around 1870 onwards to work in the industrial region on the Rhine and Ruhr rivers, where some had remained. These two groups differed in terms of their Christian denomination, their national awareness and, in particular, their relationship with the German Empire.[4]
In the monograph recounting the history of the organisation, published on the initiative of Edmund Forycki, the president of the Union of Poles during the 1970s and 1980s, the initial period after it was founded is described in retrospect as having been particularly difficult. The heterogeneity of the Poles in Germany and the increasing rate at which Poles were returning to the re-established Polish state during the early 1920s – particularly those who came from the intellectual class and who were leaders of Polish organisations in Germany – made the establishment and development of the Union particularly challenging.[5] The creation of a central press organ for the Union of Poles in Germany was therefore of crucial importance for the future work of the organisation.
[1] Translation from the Polish, in: Dziennik Berliński 9. – 10/12/1922 (65), p. 1.
[2] See Lehr, Helena / Osmańczyk, Edmund: Polacy spod znaku rodła, p. 23; see Związek Polaków w Niemczech: Nasza Historia, in: http://www.zpwn.org/nasza-historia, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
[3] See Lehr, Helena / Osmańczyk, Edmund, p. 7.
[4] See Loew, Peter Oliver: Wir Unsichtbaren. Geschichte der Polen in Deutschland, p. 131.
“Polak w Niemczech” and the Polish-language press in Germany
Relatively soon after it was founded, the Union set out to expand the Polish-language press in Germany. With this aim in mind, in April 1923, it organised a conference of the Polish press in the hope of bringing the Polish-language publications already in existence in the German Reich within the orbit of its own opinions and aims.[6] Such efforts were just the latest chapter in a three decades-long history of Polish press publications in Germany. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, there were a large number of Polish publications in Germany, such as the Polish-language daily newspaper “Wiarus Polski” from Bochum, the daily broadsheet “Dziennik Berliński” from Berlin or the Polish national newspaper for the Ruhr region, “Narodowiec” from Herne, all of which served larger, regional communities of Poles in Germany with different press products (Figs. 2 & 3).[7] At the start of the Polish press conference, the “Dziennik Berliński” reported on the particularly important tasks of the Polish-language press in Germany, which exerted influence over its readership when it came to conveying information as well as with regard to issues of cultural education and national politics.[8] On 1 July, a year after the instructions issued by the Union to the Polish press at the conference were accepted by a number of different Polish editorial boards, the Union finally issued the first publication of its press organ, the “Biuletyn”, which from 1 April 1925 was renamed “Polak w Niemczech” (Fig. 4).[9]
The Union's mouthpiece was issued to its members free of charge. The first edition ran to 10,000 copies, increasing just two years later to 18,500 copies, and 30,000 copies in 1931.[10] These figures clearly indicate the increasing popularity of “Polak w Niemczech” among the members of the Union of Poles. However, a Union periodical was not just of key importance when it came to documenting the Union’s work; it also helped raise the standing of the organisation, highlight ways in which its members could participate, and create a basis for communication for the Polish community that had come together under the auspices of the Union.[11]
[6] See Poniatowska, Anna: Działalność społeczno-polityczna, p. 75.
[7] See ibid.
[8] See ibid.
[9] See Związek Polaków w Niemczech: Leksykon Polactwa w Niemczech: Biuletyn Związku Polaków w Niemczech T. z., p. 60.
[10] See Poniatowska, Anna: Działalność społeczno-polityczna, p. 83.
[11] See Poniatowska, Anna: Organizacja Związku Polaków w Niemczech, p. 40.
The content and (political) aims of the Union periodical
“Polak w Niemczech” focussed its attention on topics relating to culture, politics, religion, language and the work of the Union. There were monthly reports about cultural developments in the Polish community in Germany, about the Polish language and the necessity of teaching and refining it, and on the national awareness of the Poles living in Germany. It provided information about important (political) events in the re-established Polish state, as well as in Germany. It also reported on the religious life of Poles in Germany and on the collaboration between the Union and Polish clerics. In 1934, there was even a special edition of “Polak w Niemczech”, which contained a 28-page report on a pilgrimage by Poles from Germany to Rome, which took place in November 1933 (Fig. 5–7). The periodical also included songs, articles about historical events, sports reports, entertainment, and poems. In 1927, the leadership of the Union decided to add a working calendar, which was dedicated to a different theme each month, and which from then on largely remained a feature of the Union’s press publications. For example, in January, the year began with reports on the organisation of the Union, along with the work of the association and its goals. February was dedicated to literature, the Polish press and Polish cultural life (Fig. 8), while March featured information about religious life in Germany, including church services. In April, the main focus was on young adults and various youth organisations operating in Germany (Fig. 9), while the May issue was dedicated to sports (Fig. 10). Articles relating to mothers and children dominated the June issue (Fig. 11); the theme for July was Polish songs and Polish choirs. During the summer month of August, the periodical dedicated its pages to topics relating to holidays, while September focused on the Polish community. The foundations of charity work were the main theme in October, while in November, it was trade unions. To round off the year, December was declared Polish cooperative month. All Polish organisations were requested to abide by this yearly structure.[12]
As the press organ of the Union of Poles in Germany, “Polak w Niemczech” also reflected the opinions and goals of the organisation. The promotion of Polish culture in Germany, with particular attention paid to the Polish language, customs and traditions, was then, as now, one of the two fundamental goals of the Union of Poles in Germany and as such was an important focus of its work. The second goal was to act as a mouthpiece for the political interests of the Poles before the German state. Therefore, “Polak w Niemczech” was among other things an information platform covering the political activity of the Union during the Weimar Republic. The Union’s successful activities included the dispatch of two representatives of the Union of Poles in Germany to the Prussian parliament (Landtag) in 1924 and the permission granted to the Union to open Polish schools in Germany in 1928.[13] A second core demand of the Union of Poles in Germany was – and still is – the recognition of the Poles living in Germany as a national minority and the observance of the minority rights that such a recognition would entail. Articles on this subject were repeatedly published in the Union periodical.
On 26 January 1924, the Union organised a conference of minorities living in Germany, at which Poles, Danes, Sorbs, Frisians and Czechs joined together to create the “Union of National Minorities in Germany”. The aim was to work in cooperation to promote the observance of human rights by the Weimar Republic. The press organ of this association, which first appeared under the name “Kulturwille”, and from 1925 as “Kulturwehr”, contained information about issues relating to minorities in Germany and, from the 1930s onwards, about the increasing failure to observe minority rights.[14] “Polak w Niemczech” reported on the work of “Kulturwehr” and supplemented it with its own articles relating to minority issues in Germany. One example of these is the article published in the December 1930 issue regarding a contribution by the priest Karol Koziołek on education for the Polish minority:
“The [postulates of the Poles in Germany; author’s note] are as follows: national schools, the end of suppression in all its forms, equal status for the Polish language and in general, the enabling of free cultural-national development”.[15]
Finally, mention should be made of the Union’s anti-communist stance. After the Second World War in particular, “Polak w Niemczech” increasingly published articles that spoke out against communism and its impact on Poles. For example, the periodical reports include criticism of the negative influence of Soviet citizens on the Polish community, and denouncements of anti-Jewish campaigns by the Soviets (Fig. 12):
“There are an increasing number of Soviet citizens on Polish terrain. (...) The Soviet citizens are making community life in Poland increasingly difficult in a wide range of different ways: acts of terror and violence are continuously being committed against the peaceful Polish population. (...) In all cases of such events, the police generally take the side of the Soviet citizens, and treat any attempt at self-defence as enemy activity against the ‘fraternal nation of the Soviet Union’, arresting Poles instead of the Soviet troublemakers. (...) As part of the international antisemitic activities of the communists, the Warsaw police are subjecting Jewish families to targeted acts of terror. (...) The psychological state of the Jews in Poland is currently the same as it was during Hitler’s time”.[16]
In this way, the Union periodical expressed the Catholic-conservative, anti-communist stance of the Union of Poles in Germany. This was also reflected in the close relationship between the Union and the church, and a dedicated campaign to prevent the disappearance of a sense of Polish national awareness among the Poles living in Germany. It also expressed a rejection of Bolshevism and communism and, after the end of the Second World War, of the communist government in Poland.[17]
[14] See Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: “Kulturwehr”, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/en/atlas-of-remembrance-places/kulturwehr, last accessed on 19/6/2020.
[15] Translation from the Polish, in: Polak w Niemczech 1930 (12), p. 8.
[16] Translation from the Polish, in: Polak w Niemczech 1953 (1), p. 8.
[17] See Loew, Peter Oliver, p. 208 f.; see Polak w Niemczech 1972, p. 1 f.
The National Socialist period and the Second World War as a turning point
“Clearly, we have to recognise that we are living in a period of enormous challenges and major change. Currently, there are no normal, peaceful years – it is too early still for years that will bring these stormy times to an end. (...) And today, there is a realisation that the world war was not the end, but just the beginning of the storm”.[18]
The first edition of “Polak w Niemczech” to be published in 1939 began with this quote warning of looming disaster. It was not only referring back to the increasingly repressive activities of the National Socialist regime in the cultural, political and economic life of the Polish and other minorities in the German Reich, but also looked ahead to an ominous future. Right until the end, the Union of Poles attempted to continue its cultural and political work representing the interests of Polish nationals who were citizens of Germany and whose native tongue was Polish in the face of the repressive policies of the National Socialist regime and the lack of observance of minority rights.[19] In 1938, for example, the Union of Poles in Germany organised the first congress of Poles, which marked the 15th anniversary of the founding of the organisation, and which was held in Berlin (Fig. 13).[20] The March edition of “Polak w Niemczech” from 1938 contained a heartfelt appeal to attend the congress, which at that time was the first of its kind (Fig. 14–16):
“In the capital of the German state, the representatives of 1.5 million German citizens of Polish nationality will come together. And before the whole world, which is focusing its attention precisely on the Polish people in the German Reich, the message of our congress will be: our citizenship may be German, but our soul is Polish”.[21]
The congress also proclaimed the five “Truths of Poles” as a fundamental “identification element of the Polish minority”[22]. For the Poles living in Germany and for their sense of national awareness, it was as such an identity-forging event that was unique in its own way.
With the outbreak of the Second World War, the (press) activities of the Union of Poles in Germany came to an end due to the systematic seizure and closure of all Polish organisations and the belongings owned by the Union. Numerous members of the organisation were also rounded up by the National Socialist regime and deported to concentration camps.[23]
[18] Translation from the Polish: Polak w Niemczech 1939 (1), p. 2.
[19] SeeLehr, Helena / Osmańczyk, Edmund, p. 9 ff.
[20] See Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: The first congress of Poles in Germany 1938, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/en/atlas-of-remembrance-places/first-congress-poles-germany-1938, last accessed on 19/6/2020.
[21] Translation from the Polish, in: Polak w Niemczech 1938 (3), p. 2.
[22] Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: The “Truths of Poles”, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/en/atlas-of-remembrance-places/truths-poles, last accessed on 19/6/2020.
[23] See Lehr, Helena / Osmańczyk, Edmund, p. 13 f.; see Polak w Niemczech 1972, p. 26.
“Polak w Niemczech” in the post-war years
The Second World War led to a 13-year break in the periodical’s publication in Germany, before it reappeared in 1952 (Fig. 17):
“After an interruption lasting many years, we are again issuing our Union publication (...). The monthly periodical will document our faith, our thoughts, feelings and activities. It will proclaim our loyal fundamental principles with regard to the church, the nation and humanity, both amongst ourselves and to the outside world”.[24]
Due to financial difficulties during the 1950s, publication of the press organ was again interrupted after 1953, this time for eight years. Then, in 1962, a special edition was published marking the 40th anniversary of the Union of Poles in Germany (Fig. 18). It was followed in 1963 by two editions of “Polak w Niemczech” (Figs. 19 & 20), in which it was announced that the Union council had decided that the press organ would from then on only appear sporadically.[25] The final issue of “Polak w Niemczech”, published in 1972, was an extensive special edition to mark the 50th anniversary of the Union of Poles in Germany, and the 100th anniversary of the Polish workers’ migration (Figs. 21 & 22).[26]
The official website of the Union of Poles in Germany (Bund der Polen in Deutschland e.V.) also contains a reference to a special edition of the periodical published in 2018 after a break of many years to mark the 95th anniversary of the organisation.[27]
Natalia Kubiak, June 2020
[24] Translation from the Polish, in: Polak w Niemczech 1952 (1), p. 1 f.
[25] See Polak w Niemczech 1963, p. 1.
[26] See Polak w Niemczech 1972;
See Krężałek, Iwona: Działalność kulturalno-oświatowa ZPwN w okresie powojennym p. 371.
[27] See Związek Polaków w Niemczech: Ukazał się nowy ‘Polak w Niemczech’, in: http://www.zpwn.org/archiwa/2169, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
List of digitalised editions of “Polak w Niemczech” (The Pole in Germany) on Porta Polonica:
„Polak w Niemczech“, 1928, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1928, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
„Polak w Niemczech“, 1929, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1929, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
„Polak w Niemczech“, 1930, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1930, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Polak w Niemczech“, 1931, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1931, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
„Polak w Niemczech“, 1932, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1932, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
„Polak w Niemczech“, special edition, pilgrimage to Rome 1933, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-sonderausgbe-pilgerfahrt-nach-rom-1933, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
„Polak w Niemczech“, 1937, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1937, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
„Polak w Niemczech“, 1952-1964, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1952-1964, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
„Polak w Niemczech“ 1972, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/polak-w-niemczech-1972, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Further digitalised editions of “Polak w Niemczech” are available on Polona.pl, the largest digital library in Poland, from the following public domain: https://polona.pl/search/?query=polak_w_niemczech&filters=public:1, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
List of sources and bibliography:
Krężałek, Iwona: Działalność kulturalno-oświatowa ZPwN w okresie powojennym, in: Marczewski, Jerzy (ed.), Związek Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1922-1982, Wydawnictwo Polonica, Warszawa 1987, p. 354–377.
Lehr, Helena / Osmańczyk, Edmund: Polacy spod znaku rodła. Księga pamiątkowa na 50-lecie Związku Polaków w Niemczech, Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej, Warszawa 1972.
Loew, Peter Oliver: Wir Unsichtbaren. Geschichte der Polen in Deutschland, C. H. Beck, München 2014.
Poniatowska, Anna: Organizacja Związku Polaków w Niemczech, in: Marczewski, Jerzy (ed.), Związek Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1922-1982, Wydawnictwo Polonica, Warszawa 1987, p. 37–64.
Poniatowska, Anna: Działalność społeczno-polityczna, in: Marczewski, Jerzy (ed.), Związek Polaków w Niemczech w latach 1922-1982, Wydawnictwo Polonica, Warszawa 1987, p. 65–118.
Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: Der erste Kongress der Polen in Deutschland 1938, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/der-erste-kongress-der-polen-deutschland-1938?page=1#body-top, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: Die „Wahrheiten der Polen“, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/die-wahrheiten-der-polen, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: Dziennik Berliński / Die Berliner Zeitung, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/dziennik-berlinski-die-berliner-zeitung, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: „Kulturwehr“, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/kulturwehr, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Ruchniewicz, Krzysztof: Rodło-Zeichen, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/rodlo-zeichen?page=1#body-top, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Schade, Wulf: Der „Narodowiec“ – eine nationalpolnische Ruhrgebietszeitung, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/der-narodowiec-eine-nationalpolnische-ruhrgebietszeitung, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Schade, Wulf: Wiarus Polski – Eine polnische Zeitung aus dem Ruhrrevier, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/wiarus-polski-eine-polnische-zeitung-aus-dem-ruhrrevier, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Skrabania, David: Die Ruhrpolen, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/die-ruhrpolen, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
Związek Polaków w Niemczech (ed.): Leksykon Polactwa w Niemczech, „Nowiny“, Opole (Oppeln OS) 1939, in: https://www.porta-polonica.de/de/atlas-der-erinnerungsorte/lexikon-des-polentums-deutschland?page=1#body-top, last accessed on 16/6/2020.
