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{{Short description|National minority in Poland}}
'''Lithuanian minority in Poland''' consists of 5,639 people mostly living in the ] in north-east of the country (according to the ] ] of 2002). ]n ] notes that there are about 15,000 people in Poland of Lithuanian ancestry.
The '''] minority in Poland''' ({{Langx|lt|Lenkijos lietuviai}}; {{Langx|pl|Litwini w Polsce}}) consists of 8,000 people (according to the ] ] of 2011) living chiefly in the ] (mainly in ]), in the north-eastern part of Poland. The ]n ] in Poland notes that there are about 15,000 people in Poland of Lithuanian ancestry.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lietuviai Lenkijoje|url=http://lietuva.pl/index-old.php?language=lt&page=125|website=Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania|accessdate=February 27, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160227123932/http://lietuva.pl/index-old.php?language=lt&page=125|archive-date=February 27, 2016|language=lt}}</ref>


==History== ==History==
⚫ Lithuanians are an ] of the territories of north-eastern ] in Poland, being the descendants of the various ] of the region (]), which merged into the Lithuanian ethnicity in the Middle Ages. Poland first{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} acquired its Lithuanian minority after the ] in 1569, which transferred the administration of the ] from the ] to the ] (both entities then formed a larger, federated state, the ]). During the next two centuries, the Lithuanian minority, faced with the dominant ] in the region, was subject to ]. After the ] in the late 18th century, the Polish cultural pressure in the region was replaced by that of the ], until the end of the ] resulted in the restoration of independent Polish and Lithuanian states.


== 20th century ==
⚫ Lithuanians are ] of the territories of north-eastern ] in Poland, living there since the area has been colonized after the extinction of ] around ]. Poland first{{fact}} gained a Lithuanian minority after ] in 1563 transferred the administration of the ] from ] to ] (both entities now forming a larger, federated state, the ]). During the next two centuries, the Lithuanian minority, faced with the dominant ] in the region, was subject to mostly voluntary ]. After the ] in the late ], the Polish dominance in the region was replaced by that of the ], until the end of the ] resulted in the restoration of independent Polish and Lithuanian states.
]
During the ] of the 20th century (1920–1939) ] were characterised by mutual enmity. Starting with the conflict over the city of ], and the ] shortly after the First World War, both governments – in an era when nationalism was sweeping through Europe – treated their respective minorities harshly.<ref name="Żołędowski114">Żołędowski, ''Białorusini i Litwini...'', p. 114</ref><ref name="Makowski244">Makowski, ''Litwini...'', pp.244–303</ref> When Poland annexed the town of ] and its surroundings back in 1919, repressions towards the local Lithuanian population started, including ] being banned in public, Lithuanian organizations (with 1300 members), schools (with approx. 300 pupils) and press being closed, as well as the confiscation of property and even burning of Lithuanian books.<ref name=LKA>{{cite book | last = Lesčius | first = Vytautas | title = Lietuvos kariuomenė nepriklausomybės kovose 1918–1920 | publisher = ], ] | year = 2004 | location = Vilnius | pages = 278 | isbn = 9955-423-23-4}}</ref> Beginning in 1920, after the staged mutiny of ], Lithuanian cultural activities in Polish controlled territories were limited; newspapers were closed down and editors arrested.<ref name="Čepėnas">{{cite book |last=Čepėnas |first=Pranas |author-link=Pranas Čepėnas | title=Naujųjų laikų Lietuvos istorija |year=1986 |publisher=Dr. Griniaus fondas |location=Chicago |pages= 655, 656}}</ref> One editor – ] – was accused of treason in 1922 and received the ]; only direct intervention by the ] spared him this fate.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lituanus.org/1963/63_1_05.htm|title=Professor Mykolas Biržiška|publisher=]|accessdate=2007-09-10}}</ref> He was one of 32 Lithuanian and Belarusian cultural activists formally expelled from Vilnius on September 20, 1922, and given to the Lithuanian army.<ref name="Čepėnas"/> When 48 Polish schools were closed in Lithuania in 1927, ] retaliated by closing many Lithuanian educational establishments in Poland.<ref>Alan Warwick Palmer. (2006). ''The Baltic: a new history of the region and its people''. Overlook Press. p. 301.</ref> In the same year 48 Lithuanian schools were closed and 11 Lithuanian activist were deported.<ref name="Żołędowski114"/>


⚫ In 1931 there were about 80,000 Lithuanians in Poland, the majority of them (66,300) in ].<ref name="Spis 1931">{{cite journal | title=Drugi Powszechny Spis Ludności z dnia 9 XII 1931 r. | journal=Statystyka Polski | volume=D | issue=34 | year=1939 |language=pl}}</ref>
During the interwar period of the 20th century (1920-1939) ] were characterised by mutual enmity. Starting with the conflict over the city of ] (Wilno), and the ] shortly after the ], both governments - in the era nationalism was sweeping through Europe - treated their respective minorities harshly.
⚫ Following ] death in 1935, further Polonisation ensued as the government encouraged the ] in disputed regions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/ethnic/Random%20Narratives/LithuaniaRN1.3.pdf |title=Lithuania|accessdate=2007-06-18 |last= Fearon |first=James D. |author2=Laitin, David D. |year= 2006 |publisher= Stanford University |pages=4 |quote= From 1936 till 1939, 266 Lithuanian schools were closed in the whole territory of the former Vilnius Territory. Activities of almost all Lithuanian cultural organizations were banned there. In the areas controlled by Poland, resentments grew as a new settlement of Polish army veterans with economic ties to Poland brought greater Polonization.}}</ref> About 400 Lithuanian reading rooms and libraries were closed in Poland in 1936–1938.<ref name="Makowski244"/>
<ref name="Żołędowski114">Żołędowski, ''Białorusini i Litwini...'', p. 114</ref>
<ref name="Makowski244">Makowski, ''Litwini...'', pp.244-303</ref>
<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/ethnic/Random%20Narratives/LithuaniaRN1.3.pdf |title=Lithuania|accessdate=2007-06-18 |last= Fearon |first=James D. |coauthors=Laitin, David D. |year= 2006 |format=pdf |publisher= Stanford University |pages=4 |language= English |quote= Lithuanian nationalists resented demands by Poles for greater cultural autonomy (similar to that granted to the Jewish minority), holding that most of Lithuania's Poles were really deracinated Lithuanians who merely needed to be re-Lithuanianized. Resentments were exacerbated when Lithuanian Poles expressed a desire to "re-unite" the country with Poland. As a result, the nationalizing Lithuanian state took measures to confiscate Polish owned land. It also restricted Polish religious services, schools, Polish publications, Polish voting rights. Poles were often referred to in the press in this period as the "lice of the nation"}}</ref>. Beginning 1920, after the staged mutiny of ] Lithuanian cultural activities in Polish controlled territories were limited; closure of newspapers and arrest of editors occurred.<ref name="Čepėnas">{{cite book |last=Čepėnas |first=Pranas |authorlink=Pranas Čepėnas | title=Naujųjų laikų Lietuvos istorija |year=1986 |publisher=Dr. Griniaus fondas |location=Chicago |pages= p.655,656}}</ref> One of them - ] was accused of state treason and sentenced to a ], only direct intervention by the ] saved him from this fate.{{Fact}} He was one of 32 Lithuanian and Belarussian cultural activists formally expelled from Vilnius on September 20, 1922 and given to Lithuanian army.<ref name="Čepėnas"/>
Next wave of Polonisation of Lithuanian minority took place in 1927,
when 48 Lithuanian schools were closed and 11 Lithuanian activist were deported. <ref name="Żołędowski114"/>
⚫ In 1931 there were about 80,000 Lithuanians in Poland, majority of them (66,300) in ].<ref name="Spis 1931">{{pl icon}} {{cite journal | title=Drugi Powszechny Spis Ludności z dnia 9 XII 1931 r. | journal=Statystyka Polski | volume=D | issue=34 | year=1939 }}</ref>
⚫ Following ] death in 1935, Lithuanian minority in Poland again became an object of ] policies, more intensive this time.{{Fact}} 266 Lithuanian schools were closed since 1936 and almost all organizations were banned.{{Fact}} Further Polonisation was ensued as the government encouraged ] in disputed regions. <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stanford.edu/group/ethnic/Random%20Narratives/LithuaniaRN1.3.pdf |title=Lithuania|accessdate=2007-06-18 |last= Fearon |first=James D. | coauthors=Laitin, David D. |year= 2006 |format=pdf |publisher= Stanford University |pages=4 |language= English |quote= From 1936 till 1939, 266 Lithuanian schools were closed in the whole territory of the former Vilnius Territory. Activities of almost all Lithuanian cultural organizations were banned there. In the areas controlled by Poland, resentments grew as a new settlement of Polish army veterans with economic ties to Poland brought greater Polonization.}}</ref>
About 400 Lithuanian reading rooms and libraries were closed in Poland in 1936-1938. <ref name="Makowski244"/>


] put an end to independent Polish and Lithuanian states. After the war both former states fell under the ] of ]. Poland ], thus giving up most of the disputed territories previously containing significant Lithuanian minority in the ], those territories were mostly incorporated into ], itself one of the ]. At the same time many Poles from ] were deported west to ],{{Fact}} and ] (or Lithuanian SSR) was also significantly downsized.{{Fact}} Under the eye of the Soviet Union, the various ethnic groups in the ] were to cooperate peacefully, and that policy{{dubious}}{{fact}}, coupled with the population migrations limiting the size of both minorities in respective regions, resulted in lessening of tensions between Poles and Lithuanians. The ] put an end to the independent Polish and Lithuanian states. After the war, both former states fell under the ] of the ]. Poland ], thus giving up most of the disputed territories in the ], those territories were mostly incorporated into the ], itself one of the ]. At the same time, many Poles from the ] area were forcibly{{Dubious|date=June 2019}} ] west to the "]",<ref>{{cite journal|title=Poles In Lithuania From The Second Half Of 1944 Until 1946: Choosing Between Staying Or Emigrating To Poland (English Summary) |journal=] |year=2004 |first=Vitalija |last=Stravinskienė |volume=2 |url=http://www.istorija.lt/lim/stravinskiene2004en2.html |accessdate=2007-09-14 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205013/http://www.istorija.lt/lim/stravinskiene2004en2.html |archive-date=2007-09-27 }}</ref> and the ] (or Lithuanian SSR) was also significantly downsized.{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} Under the eye of the Soviet Union, the various ethnic groups in the ] were to cooperate peacefully in the spirit of ], and that policy,{{Citation needed|date=September 2007}} coupled with the population migrations limiting the size of both minorities in the respective regions, resulted in a lessening of tensions between Poles and Lithuanians. However, in the Sejny and ] districts the prohibition against speaking Lithuanian in public lasted until 1950 (and in phone calls until 1990) and it was not until the 1950s that the teaching of Lithuanian was introduced as a subject in schools.<ref name="Price2000">{{cite book|author=Glanville Price|title=Encyclopedia of the languages of Europe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=29BAeKHwvuoC&pg=PA305|accessdate=1 March 2011|date=28 April 2000|publisher=Wiley-Blackwell|isbn=978-0-631-22039-8|pages=305–}}</ref>


==Modern times== ==Modern times==
] shows how parts of ], ], and ] are in the boundaries of modern Poland.]]
Modern Lithuanian minority in Poland is composed of 5,639 people according to the ] ] of 2002, with most of them (5,097) living in the ] (] region), particularly in the ] (]) where they form a majority (74.4% of population). According to ]n ] there are about 15,000 people of Lithuanian ancestry in Poland. <ref name="lt_embassy">{{pl icon}} (Lithuanian community in Poland) on the official site of Lithuanian embassy in Poland </ref> The modern Lithuanian minority in Poland is composed of 5,639 people according to the ] ] of 2002, with most of them (5,097) living in the ] (]), particularly in ] where they form a majority (74.4% of population). According to the ]n ] there are about 15,000 people of Lithuanian ancestry in Poland.<ref name="lt_embassy">{{in lang|pl}} (Lithuanian community in Poland) on the official site of Lithuanian embassy in Poland</ref> 8,000 people declared Lithuanian identity in the Polish census of 2011 (including 5,000 who declared it as their only nationality, and 3,000 who declared it as the second one, after the Polish nationality).<ref> {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121221235509/http://www.stat.gov.pl/cps/rde/xbcr/gus/LUD_raport_z_wynikow_NSP2011.pdf |date=2012-12-21 }}. ]. 2012. p. 106</ref>


⚫ There are Lithuanian publications (over 80 books have been published, and there are several magazines, of which the largest is "{{lang|lt|Aušra|italics=no}}" (= "Dawn"), co-sponsored by the ]). Lithuanian organizations are involved in organizing cultural life of the minority (with libraries, choirs, theatres, etc.). There are also Lithuanian-language programmes on local {{ill|Radio Białystok|pl|Polskie Radio Białystok}} and ].<ref name="lt_embassy"/>
⚫ There are several Lithuanian cultural organizations in Poland. The oldest one is the ''Stowarzyszenie Litwinów w Polsce'' (Association of Lithuanians in Poland), founded in 1992. Others include ''Wspólnota Litwinów w Polsce'' (Lithuanian Community in Poland, 1993), ''Stowarzyszenie Młodzieży Litewskiej w Polsce'' (Associations of Lithuanian Youth in Poland), ''Towarzystwo Kultury Etnicznej Litwinów'' (Association of Ethnic Culture of Lithuanians, 1997), ''Towarzystwo Nauczycieli Litewskich'' (Associations of Lithuanian Teachers). There are several buildings dedicated to Lithuanian minority, including the ''Lithuanian House'' and an ethnographic museum in ].<ref name="lt_embassy"/>


There are Lithuanian-exclusive schools in Puńsk, both on primary and secondary level, schools with Lithuanian as a teaching language in Sejny, and schools with Lithuanian as a foreign language in the wider region are common.<ref name="lt_embassy"/> There are 17 Lithuanian schools, attended by over 700 students.<ref name="lt_embassy"/><ref name="MSWIA"/> The most important of those schools is the ] (]); there are also three ]s (], ], ]).<ref name="lt_embassy"/>
⚫ There are Lithuanian publications (over 80 books have been published, and there are several magazines, of which the largest is "Aušra", co-sponsored by ]). Lithuanian organizations are involved in organizing cultural life of the minority (with libraries, choirs, theatres, etc.). There are also Lithuanian-language programmes on local ] and ].<ref name="lt_embassy"/>


⚫ There are several Lithuanian cultural organizations in Poland.<ref>{{in lang|pl}} {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070329230953/http://www.punskas.pl/pl/p1/l-lietuviai/organizacje.htm |date=2007-03-29 }}. Aušra</ref> The oldest one is the ''Stowarzyszenie Litwinów w Polsce'' (Association of Lithuanians in Poland), founded in 1992. Others include ''Wspólnota Litwinów w Polsce'' (Lithuanian Community in Poland, 1993), ''Stowarzyszenie Młodzieży Litewskiej w Polsce'' (Associations of Lithuanian Youth in Poland), ''Towarzystwo Kultury Etnicznej Litwinów'' (Association of Ethnic Culture of Lithuanians, 1997), ''Towarzystwo Nauczycieli Litewskich'' (Associations of Lithuanian Teachers). There are several buildings dedicated to Lithuanian minority, including the ''Lithuanian House'' and an ethnographic museum in ].<ref name="lt_embassy"/> Various Lithuanian cultural activities include the Lithuanian Meeting (''Zlot'') in ], and the Lithuanian Musical Festival ''Sąskrydis''.<ref name="MSWIA"/> In 2006 the Lithuanian minority received 1,344,912 ]s (~$450,000) from Polish government in 2006 (22 out of 27 requests were approved).<ref name="mswia">{{in lang|pl}} </ref>
There are Lithuanian-exclusive schools in Pińsk, both on primary and secondary level (Litewskie Liceum 11.Marca in Puńsk), schools with Lithuanian-language as a teaching language in Sejny, and schools with Lithuanian as a foreign language in the wider region are common.<ref name="lt_embassy"/>

However local ] representatives claim there are problems with Lithuanian culture preservation in ] region.<ref name=D2>{{cite news | first=Rūta | last=Lankininkaitė | title=Seinų lietuviai jaučiasi skriaudžiami | date=2007-03-11 | url =http://www.delfi.lt/archive/article.php?id=12465897 |quote = Lenkijos lietuvių bendruomenės vadovai sako, jog Seinų krašte viskas, kas susiję su lietuvių kultūros paveldo išsaugojimu, sunkiai skinasi kelią.| accessdate = 2007-09-09 | language = lt }}</ref> They argue that Lithuanian heritage is ignored, as currently in Sejny there is not even one street name that would signify presence of prominent Lithuanians. They also note that for more than two years there is no accommodation regarding cemetery where Lithuanian soldiers are buried.<ref name=D2/> Another recent issue is the underfunding of the two Lithuanian gymnasiums in Sejny, which receives only 75% of promised funding.<ref>{{cite news | title=Lietuviška mokykla Seinuose nesulaukia lėšų (Lithuanian school in Sejny do not receive funds) | date=2007-02-08 | url =http://www.delfi.lt/archive/article.php?id=12085227 | accessdate = 2007-09-16 | language = lt }}</ref><ref name="MSWIA2">{{in lang|pl}} </ref>
Lithuanian is recognized as a ] in Poland, and is a ] in ] in ], where, by 20 February 2011, 30 Lithuanian place names were introduced alongside names in Polish (]).<ref>Maciej Zych. . United Nations Group of Experts in Geographical Names. Twenty-sixth session. Vienna 2–6 May 2011. Working Paper no. 3. pp. 1–4.</ref><ref> pp. 18–19.</ref> Lithuanian has been used in Gmina Puńsk as a second language since 2006.{{clarify|date=September 2018}}

Ethnic Lithuanians control the administration in Gmina Puńsk, and they also have elected several representatives in ].<ref name="MSWIA">{{in lang|pl}} on the pages of ]. Retrieved on 9 September 2007.</ref>


==See also== ==See also==
*]
*] *]
*] *]
*]

*]
⚫ ==External links==
*]
⚫ *{{pl icon}} Łukasz Kaźmierczak, (Three percent of different) - article describing results of Polish census 2002 and minorities in Poland, citing census data
⚫ *{{lt icon}}
⚫ *{{lt icon}} and {{pl icon}} in Sejny


==Notes== ==Notes==
{{reflist}} {{reflist|2}}


==Bibliography== ==Bibliography==
*{{cite book|last=Ogonowski |first=Jerzy | title = Uprawnienia językowe mniejszości narodowych w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1918-1939 | publisher = Wydawnictwo Sejmowe | language = Polish | location = Warszawa | year = 2000 | isbn = 8370594042 }} *{{cite book|last=Ogonowski |first=Jerzy | title = Uprawnienia językowe mniejszości narodowych w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1918–1939 | publisher = Wydawnictwo Sejmowe | language = pl | location = Warszawa | year = 2000 | isbn = 83-7059-404-2}}
*{{cite book|last= Żołędowski |first= Cezary | title = Białorusini i Litwini w Polsce, Polacy na Białorusi i Litwie | publisher = ASPRA-JR | language = Polish | location = Warszawa | year = 2003 | isbn = 8388766767 }} *{{cite book|last= Żołędowski |first= Cezary | title = Białorusini i Litwini w Polsce, Polacy na Białorusi i Litwie | publisher = ASPRA-JR | language = pl | location = Warszawa | year = 2003 | isbn = 83-88766-76-7 }}
*{{cite book| last=Skarbek| first=Jan| title = Białoruś, Czechosłowacja, Litwa, Polska, Ukraina. Mniejszości w świetle spisów statystycznych XIX-XX w. | publisher = Instytut Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej | language = Polish | location = Lublin | year = 1996 | isbn = 8385854169 }} *{{cite book| last=Skarbek| first=Jan| title = Białoruś, Czechosłowacja, Litwa, Polska, Ukraina. Mniejszości w świetle spisów statystycznych XIX-XX w. | publisher = Instytut Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej | language = pl | location = Lublin | year = 1996 | isbn = 83-85854-16-9 }}
*{{cite book| author = Various authors | coauthors = editors: Sławomir Łodziński and Lucjan Adamczuk | title = Mniejszości narodowe w Polsce w świetle Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego z 2002 roku | publisher = Scholar | language = Polish | location = Warszawa | year = 2006| isbn = 8373831436 }} *{{cite book |editor=Sławomir Łodziński |editor2=Lucjan Adamczuk | title = Mniejszości narodowe w Polsce w świetle Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego z 2002 roku | publisher = Scholar | language = pl | location = Warszawa | year = 2006| isbn = 83-7383-143-6 }}
*{{cite book| last = Makowski | first = Bronisław | title = Litwini w Polsce 1920-1939 | language = Polish | location = Warszawa | year = 1986 | publisher = PWN | isbn = 8301068051 }}. *{{cite book| last = Makowski | first = Bronisław | title = Litwini w Polsce 1920-1939 | language = pl | location = Warszawa | year = 1986 | publisher = PWN | isbn = 83-01-06805-1 }}.


⚫ ==External links==
⚫ ]
*
⚫ ]
*{{in lang|pl}} , Konsulat Republiki Litewskiej w Szczecinie
⚫ ]
⚫ *{{in lang|pl}} Łukasz Kaźmierczak, (Three percent of different) – article describing results of Polish census 2002 and minorities in Poland, citing census data
⚫ ]
*{{in lang|pl}}
⚫ *{{in lang|lt}}
⚫ *{{in lang|lt|pl}} in Sejny


{{Lithuanian diaspora}}
]
⚫ {{Ethnic groups in Poland}}
{{Portal bar|Lithuania|Poland}}
⚫ ]
⚫ ]
⚫ ]

Latest revision as of 05:40, 27 October 2024

National minority in Poland

The Lithuanian minority in Poland (Lithuanian: Lenkijos lietuviai; Polish: Litwini w Polsce) consists of 8,000 people (according to the Polish census of 2011) living chiefly in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (mainly in Gmina Puńsk), in the north-eastern part of Poland. The Lithuanian embassy in Poland notes that there are about 15,000 people in Poland of Lithuanian ancestry.

History

Lithuanians are an indigenous people of the territories of north-eastern Podlaskie Voivodeship in Poland, being the descendants of the various Baltic tribes of the region (Yotvingians), which merged into the Lithuanian ethnicity in the Middle Ages. Poland first acquired its Lithuanian minority after the Union of Lublin in 1569, which transferred the administration of the historical Podlaskie Voivodeship from the Grand Duchy of Lithuania to the Polish Crown (both entities then formed a larger, federated state, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth). During the next two centuries, the Lithuanian minority, faced with the dominant Polish culture in the region, was subject to Polonization. After the partitions of Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 18th century, the Polish cultural pressure in the region was replaced by that of the Russian Empire, until the end of the First World War resulted in the restoration of independent Polish and Lithuanian states.

20th century

Distribution of Lithuanian speakers in the Second Polish Republic

During the Interwar period of the 20th century (1920–1939) Lithuanian-Polish relations were characterised by mutual enmity. Starting with the conflict over the city of Vilnius, and the Polish–Lithuanian War shortly after the First World War, both governments – in an era when nationalism was sweeping through Europe – treated their respective minorities harshly. When Poland annexed the town of Sejny and its surroundings back in 1919, repressions towards the local Lithuanian population started, including Lithuanian being banned in public, Lithuanian organizations (with 1300 members), schools (with approx. 300 pupils) and press being closed, as well as the confiscation of property and even burning of Lithuanian books. Beginning in 1920, after the staged mutiny of Lucjan Żeligowski, Lithuanian cultural activities in Polish controlled territories were limited; newspapers were closed down and editors arrested. One editor – Mykolas Biržiška – was accused of treason in 1922 and received the death penalty; only direct intervention by the League of Nations spared him this fate. He was one of 32 Lithuanian and Belarusian cultural activists formally expelled from Vilnius on September 20, 1922, and given to the Lithuanian army. When 48 Polish schools were closed in Lithuania in 1927, Józef Piłsudski retaliated by closing many Lithuanian educational establishments in Poland. In the same year 48 Lithuanian schools were closed and 11 Lithuanian activist were deported.

In 1931 there were about 80,000 Lithuanians in Poland, the majority of them (66,300) in Wilno Voivodeship. Following Piłsudski's death in 1935, further Polonisation ensued as the government encouraged the settlement of Polish army veterans in disputed regions. About 400 Lithuanian reading rooms and libraries were closed in Poland in 1936–1938.

The Second World War put an end to the independent Polish and Lithuanian states. After the war, both former states fell under the sphere of influence of the Soviet Union. Poland was shifted westwards, thus giving up most of the disputed territories in the Second Polish Republic, those territories were mostly incorporated into the Lithuanian SSR, itself one of the Republics of the Soviet Union. At the same time, many Poles from the Kresy area were forcibly repatriated west to the "Recovered Territories", and the Polish minority in Lithuania (or Lithuanian SSR) was also significantly downsized. Under the eye of the Soviet Union, the various ethnic groups in the Eastern Bloc were to cooperate peacefully in the spirit of Proletarian internationalism, and that policy, coupled with the population migrations limiting the size of both minorities in the respective regions, resulted in a lessening of tensions between Poles and Lithuanians. However, in the Sejny and Suwałki districts the prohibition against speaking Lithuanian in public lasted until 1950 (and in phone calls until 1990) and it was not until the 1950s that the teaching of Lithuanian was introduced as a subject in schools.

Modern times

Map illustrating the five historical ethnographic regions of Lithuania shows how parts of Lithuania Minor, Suvalkija, and Dzūkija are in the boundaries of modern Poland.

The modern Lithuanian minority in Poland is composed of 5,639 people according to the Polish census of 2002, with most of them (5,097) living in the Podlaskie Voivodeship (Suwałki Region), particularly in Gmina Puńsk where they form a majority (74.4% of population). According to the Lithuanian embassy there are about 15,000 people of Lithuanian ancestry in Poland. 8,000 people declared Lithuanian identity in the Polish census of 2011 (including 5,000 who declared it as their only nationality, and 3,000 who declared it as the second one, after the Polish nationality).

There are Lithuanian publications (over 80 books have been published, and there are several magazines, of which the largest is "Aušra" (= "Dawn"), co-sponsored by the Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs). Lithuanian organizations are involved in organizing cultural life of the minority (with libraries, choirs, theatres, etc.). There are also Lithuanian-language programmes on local Radio Białystok [pl] and Telewizja Białystok.

There are Lithuanian-exclusive schools in Puńsk, both on primary and secondary level, schools with Lithuanian as a teaching language in Sejny, and schools with Lithuanian as a foreign language in the wider region are common. There are 17 Lithuanian schools, attended by over 700 students. The most important of those schools is the liceum (Liceum 11 Marca w Puńsku); there are also three gymnasiums (Gimnazjum „Žiburys” w Sejnach, II Gimnazjum w Sejnach, I Gimnazjum w Sejnach).

There are several Lithuanian cultural organizations in Poland. The oldest one is the Stowarzyszenie Litwinów w Polsce (Association of Lithuanians in Poland), founded in 1992. Others include Wspólnota Litwinów w Polsce (Lithuanian Community in Poland, 1993), Stowarzyszenie Młodzieży Litewskiej w Polsce (Associations of Lithuanian Youth in Poland), Towarzystwo Kultury Etnicznej Litwinów (Association of Ethnic Culture of Lithuanians, 1997), Towarzystwo Nauczycieli Litewskich (Associations of Lithuanian Teachers). There are several buildings dedicated to Lithuanian minority, including the Lithuanian House and an ethnographic museum in Sejny. Various Lithuanian cultural activities include the Lithuanian Meeting (Zlot) in Pszczelnik, and the Lithuanian Musical Festival Sąskrydis. In 2006 the Lithuanian minority received 1,344,912 zlotys (~$450,000) from Polish government in 2006 (22 out of 27 requests were approved).

However local Lithuanian World Community representatives claim there are problems with Lithuanian culture preservation in Sejny region. They argue that Lithuanian heritage is ignored, as currently in Sejny there is not even one street name that would signify presence of prominent Lithuanians. They also note that for more than two years there is no accommodation regarding cemetery where Lithuanian soldiers are buried. Another recent issue is the underfunding of the two Lithuanian gymnasiums in Sejny, which receives only 75% of promised funding.

Lithuanian is recognized as a minority language in Poland, and is a supporting language in Gmina Puńsk in Podlaskie Voivodeship, where, by 20 February 2011, 30 Lithuanian place names were introduced alongside names in Polish (bilingual signs). Lithuanian has been used in Gmina Puńsk as a second language since 2006.

Ethnic Lithuanians control the administration in Gmina Puńsk, and they also have elected several representatives in Sejny County.

See also

Notes

  1. "Lietuviai Lenkijoje". Embassy of the Republic of Lithuania (in Lithuanian). Archived from the original on February 27, 2016. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
  2. ^ Żołędowski, Białorusini i Litwini..., p. 114
  3. ^ Makowski, Litwini..., pp.244–303
  4. Lesčius, Vytautas (2004). Lietuvos kariuomenė nepriklausomybės kovose 1918–1920. Vilnius: Vilnius University, Generolo Jono Žemaičio Lietuvos karo akademija. p. 278. ISBN 9955-423-23-4.
  5. ^ Čepėnas, Pranas (1986). Naujųjų laikų Lietuvos istorija. Chicago: Dr. Griniaus fondas. pp. 655, 656.
  6. "Professor Mykolas Biržiška". Lituanus. Retrieved 2007-09-10.
  7. Alan Warwick Palmer. (2006). The Baltic: a new history of the region and its people. Overlook Press. p. 301.
  8. "Drugi Powszechny Spis Ludności z dnia 9 XII 1931 r.". Statystyka Polski (in Polish). D (34). 1939.
  9. Fearon, James D.; Laitin, David D. (2006). "Lithuania" (PDF). Stanford University. p. 4. Retrieved 2007-06-18. From 1936 till 1939, 266 Lithuanian schools were closed in the whole territory of the former Vilnius Territory. Activities of almost all Lithuanian cultural organizations were banned there. In the areas controlled by Poland, resentments grew as a new settlement of Polish army veterans with economic ties to Poland brought greater Polonization.
  10. Stravinskienė, Vitalija (2004). "Poles In Lithuania From The Second Half Of 1944 Until 1946: Choosing Between Staying Or Emigrating To Poland (English Summary)". Lietuvos istorijos metraštis. 2. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  11. Glanville Price (28 April 2000). Encyclopedia of the languages of Europe. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 305–. ISBN 978-0-631-22039-8. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  12. ^ (in Polish) Społeczność litewska w Polsce (Lithuanian community in Poland) on the official site of Lithuanian embassy in Poland
  13. 2011 Census Archived 2012-12-21 at the Wayback Machine. Central Statistical Office (Poland). 2012. p. 106
  14. ^ (in Polish) Mniejszości narodowe i etniczne w Polsce on the pages of Polish Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. Retrieved on 9 September 2007.
  15. (in Polish) Organizacje litewskie. Ich cele i warunki działania Archived 2007-03-29 at the Wayback Machine. Aušra
  16. (in Polish) Protokół z IX posiedzenia Podzespołu ds. Edukacji Mniejszości Narodowych – Puńsk, 13 marca 2006 r.
  17. ^ Lankininkaitė, Rūta (2007-03-11). "Seinų lietuviai jaučiasi skriaudžiami" (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2007-09-09. Lenkijos lietuvių bendruomenės vadovai sako, jog Seinų krašte viskas, kas susiję su lietuvių kultūros paveldo išsaugojimu, sunkiai skinasi kelią.
  18. "Lietuviška mokykla Seinuose nesulaukia lėšų (Lithuanian school in Sejny do not receive funds)" (in Lithuanian). 2007-02-08. Retrieved 2007-09-16.
  19. (in Polish) Zestawienie nieuwzględnionych uwag organizacji mniejszości narodowych i etnicznych oraz społeczności posługującej się językiem regionalnym
  20. Maciej Zych. Minority place names in Poland. United Nations Group of Experts in Geographical Names. Twenty-sixth session. Vienna 2–6 May 2011. Working Paper no. 3. pp. 1–4.
  21. List o minority place names in Poland according to Register of the communes where place-names in minority language are used provided by Ministry of Administration and Digitization as of March 8, 2012. pp. 18–19.

Bibliography

  • Ogonowski, Jerzy (2000). Uprawnienia językowe mniejszości narodowych w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1918–1939 (in Polish). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Sejmowe. ISBN 83-7059-404-2.
  • Żołędowski, Cezary (2003). Białorusini i Litwini w Polsce, Polacy na Białorusi i Litwie (in Polish). Warszawa: ASPRA-JR. ISBN 83-88766-76-7.
  • Skarbek, Jan (1996). Białoruś, Czechosłowacja, Litwa, Polska, Ukraina. Mniejszości w świetle spisów statystycznych XIX-XX w. (in Polish). Lublin: Instytut Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. ISBN 83-85854-16-9.
  • Sławomir Łodziński; Lucjan Adamczuk, eds. (2006). Mniejszości narodowe w Polsce w świetle Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego z 2002 roku (in Polish). Warszawa: Scholar. ISBN 83-7383-143-6.
  • Makowski, Bronisław (1986). Litwini w Polsce 1920-1939 (in Polish). Warszawa: PWN. ISBN 83-01-06805-1..

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