The Polish diaspora in the Alsace region. Photographed for posterity

After the collection had been handed over to the Archive of the Polish Catholic Mission (Archiwum Polskiej Misji Katolickiej, APMK) in France, Jean Chęciński also agreed to the public dissemination of the photographs. On 13 August 2021, he wrote: 

“As regards my private collection, I grant you permission to use all photographs and postcards that are now in your possession, together with the related signatures and explanations. (...) Furthermore, I shall attempt to find other documents relating to Polish immigration in the potash basin in Mulhouse and shall arrange for them to be forwarded to you.”[1]

The starting point: field research
 

During the course of a field research project conducted in 2020–2022, in which archive documents relating to the Polish community were acquired and protected, a large collection of photographs was discovered. On 16 June 2020, the Polish diaspora in Mulhouse-Rixheim provided the researchers with several photo albums, chronicles of local activities, correspondence, information brochures and various other materials, which documented the activities of the local community. One particularly important item among these documents is an album that not only records the religious activities of the Polish migrants, but also their attempts to keep alive their Polish culture and traditions in a foreign country. The materials acquired also comprise documents relating to the centenary year 2000, including a Golden Book, and numerous albums containing collections of letters, invoices, documents specifying the rules and regulations of Polonia organisations, and information brochures.

The history of the parish of Rixheim is of significant importance, as it is a valuable source of information about the religious and social life of the local Polish community. On 17 June 2020, a meeting was held of representatives of local Polish associations. Those present included Antoine Jurczyk, who donated a series of valuable documents for the archive. These were a commemorative brochure marking the 50th anniversary of the consecration of the Notre-Dame du Rosaire church, the logbook of the Sainte-Barbe association from Wittelsheim, and several photographs from the time when the first Poles arrived in the Alsace region. While they may be few in number, these photographs are of incalculable value as witnesses to the everyday life, culture and traditions of the Polish diaspora in the Bassin Potassique. The photographs are not just portraits of individual people, but also group shots taken at events and formal gatherings within the community. These visual documents enable us to get a feel of the atmosphere from times long gone and to gain a deeper understanding of how Polish migrants became integrated into the local community, while at the same time preserving their national heritage.[2]

On 6 July 2020, a meeting was held in the church hall of the Église Saint-Jean in Pulversheim, which turned out to be a turning point for research into the history of the Polish diaspora in the Alsace region. This was made possible thanks to the kind support of Mr Alfred Kałużyński, the chairman of the Alsace Polish cultural association (Polski Związek Kulturalny, PZK). The meeting was attended by representatives from local groups, historians and other individuals who had an interest in preserving the Polish heritage in the Bassin Potassique.[3]

At the meeting, Alfred Kałużyński presented a series of valuable documents to the archive, which contained important information about life among the Polish community. They included a Golden Book, which was created in 1983 to commemorate the visitation of families in the community through a copy of the image of the Black Madonna of Częstochowa, as well as numerous files with minutes of PZK meetings, sets of regulations and press reports on the activities of Polish folklore groups, choirs, boy scouts groups and the annual pilgrimages. In addition, Anna Senne, the chairwoman of the “Róża Leśna” choir, gave more valuable documents to the archive, including 17 photographs of various different events held by the Polish diaspora. The meeting was also attended by other well-known members of the local community, including Wiktor Krzemiński, chairman of the “Lutnia” choir, Prof. Jean Chęciński, a historian and chairman of the “Société d’histoire de Kingersheim” association, and Serge Buett, chairman of the “Polonia” music ensemble. Mr Buett presented a series of documents to the Polish Catholic Mission archive which included the set of regulations for the ensemble, documents relating to their performances, music CDs and digital materials on the gala organised to mark the 70th anniversary of the creation of the ensemble. Contact was also made with other people involved in the community: Tomasz Wiśniewski, the leader of the boy scouts and chairman of the Alsace scouts group, and Patrice Dudaczyk, chairman of the “Orzeł Biały” choir. The suggestion was also made to contact René Giovanetti, the former director of the local “mining archive”. Ultimately, one of the most important achievements of the field research project was the acquisition of photographs documenting the life of the Polish community in the Alsace region. They are a unique portrait of everyday life, the culture and the traditions of the Polish migrants. The events recorded in these photographs, such as choir performances, society meetings and events celebrating Polish national holidays, help us gain a better understanding of how the Polish diaspora became integrated into the local community, while at the same time preserving its own identity.

The field research in Pulversheim turned out to be an important step in the acquisition of documents about the Polish diaspora in the Alsace region. The materials collected during the course of the project, including photographs, documents and press articles, provide a valuable insight into the life of the Polish community in the Bassin Potassique. It is thanks to the efforts of the local associations and private individuals that these unique archive materials have been preserved.[4]