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Lithuanian minority in Poland

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Lithuanian minority in Poland consists of 5,639 people mostly living in the Podlasie Voivodeship in north-east of the country (according to the Polish census of 2002). Lithuanian embassy notes that there are about 15,000 people in Poland of Lithuanian ancestry.

History

Lithuanians are indigenous people of the territories of north-eastern Podlachian Voivodeship in Poland, living there since the area has been colonized after the extinction of Yotvingians around 13th century. Poland first gained a Lithuanian minority after Union of Lublin in 1563 transferred the administration of the historical Podlachian Voivodeship from Grand Duchy of Lithuania to Polish Crown (both entities now forming 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 mostly voluntary Polonization. After the partitions of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the late 18th century, the Polish dominance 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.

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 (Wilno), and the Polish-Lithuanian War shortly after the First World War, both governments - in the era nationalism was sweeping through Europe - treated their respective minorities harshly. . Beginning 1920, after the staged mutiny of Lucjan Żeligowski Lithuanian cultural activities in Polish controlled territories were limited; closure of newspapers and arrest of editors occurred. One of them - Mykolas Biržiška was accused of state treason and sentenced to a death penalty, only direct intervention by the League of Nations saved him from this fate. He was one of 32 Lithuanian and Belarussian cultural activists formally expelled from Vilnius on September 20, 1922 and given to Lithuanian army. Next wave of Polonisation of Lithuanian minority took place in 1927, when 48 Lithuanian schools were closed and 11 Lithuanian activist were deported. In 1931 there were about 80,000 Lithuanians in Poland, majority of them (66,300) in Wilno Voivodship. Following Piłsudski's death in 1935, Lithuanian minority in Poland again became an object of Polonisation policies, more intensive this time. 266 Lithuanian schools were closed since 1936 and almost all organizations were banned. Further Polonisation was ensued as the government encouraged settlement of Polish army veterans in disputed regions. About 400 Lithuanian reading rooms and libraries were closed in Poland in 1936-1938.

Second World War put an end to independent Polish and Lithuanian states. After the war both former states fell under the sphere of influence of Soviet Union. Poland was shifted westwards, thus giving up most of the disputed territories previously containing significant Lithuanian minority in the Second Polish Republic, those territories were mostly incorporated into Lithuanian SSR, itself one of the Soviet republic. At the same time many Poles from Kresy were deported west to Recovered Territories, and 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, and that policy, coupled with the population migrations limiting the size of both minorities in respective regions, resulted in lessening of tensions between Poles and Lithuanians.

Modern times

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 Podlachian Voivodeship (Sudovia region), particularly in the Puńsk Commune (gmina) where they form a majority (74.4% of population). According to Lithuanian embassy there are about 15,000 people of Lithuanian ancestry in Poland.

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.

There are Lithuanian publications (over 80 books have been published, and there are several magazines, of which the largest is "Aušra", co-sponsored by 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 and Telewizja Białystok.

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.

According to Lithuanian National Radio and Television news bulletin, during celebration of Assumption of Mary in 2007 from Lithuania to Sejny (Template:Lang-lt), there Lithuanians make considerable population, was brought that is believed miraculous portrait of Mary, but local bishop refused to accept it. As writer Sigitas Birgelis, who was born in Punsk (Template:Lang-lt), explain that for long decades Lithuanians championed opportunity to pray in native language in Sejny, but at that time bishop slighted them, arguing that Lithuanian language is not suitable for praying in church and God do not understand and do not love Lithuanian language.

See also

External links

Notes

  1. ^ Żołędowski, Białorusini i Litwini..., p. 114
  2. ^ Makowski, Litwini..., pp.244-303
  3. Fearon, James D. (2006). "Lithuania" (pdf). Stanford University. p. 4. Retrieved 2007-06-18. 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" {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  4. ^ Čepėnas, Pranas (1986). Naujųjų laikų Lietuvos istorija. Chicago: Dr. Griniaus fondas. pp. p.655, 656. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  5. Template:Pl icon "Drugi Powszechny Spis Ludności z dnia 9 XII 1931 r.". Statystyka Polski. D (34). 1939.
  6. Fearon, James 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. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ Template:Pl icon Społeczność litewska w Polsce (Lithuanian community in Poland) on the official site of Lithuanian embassy in Poland
  8. Lankininkaitė, Rūta (2007-08-15). "Seinuose nepriimtas stebuklingu laikomas paveikslas" (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2007-09-09. Per 500 metų Šiluvos bažnyčios altorių puošusios Šiluvos Madonos paveikslo kopija atvežta į Lenkiją. Tačiau Lietuvos etninėse žemėse gyvenantys lietuviai Seinuose jos nepamatys – vietos klebonas atsisakė per Žolines ją priimti į šventovę, praneša LTV „Panorama". {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  9. Lankininkaitė, Rūta (2007-08-15). "Seinuose nepriimtas stebuklingu laikomas paveikslas" (in Lithuanian). Retrieved 2007-09-09. Seinijos lietuviai daug dešimtmečių kovojo dėl teisės melstis gimtąja kalba Seinijos bazilikoje, o tuometinis Seinų klebonas niekino juos, tikindamas, kad lietuvių kalba nėra tinkama melstis bažnyčioje, kad Dievas lietuvių kalbos nemyli ir nesupranta – LTV „Panoramai" aiškino „Aušros" leidyklos direktoriaus pavaduotojas Sigitas Birgelis. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)

Bibliography

  • Ogonowski, Jerzy (2000). Uprawnienia językowe mniejszości narodowych w Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej 1918-1939 (in Polish). Warszawa: Wydawnictwo Sejmowe. ISBN 8370594042.
  • Żołędowski, Cezary (2003). Białorusini i Litwini w Polsce, Polacy na Białorusi i Litwie (in Polish). Warszawa: ASPRA-JR. ISBN 8388766767.
  • Skarbek, Jan (1996). Białoruś, Czechosłowacja, Litwa, Polska, Ukraina. Mniejszości w świetle spisów statystycznych XIX-XX w. (in Polish). Lublin: Instytut Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej. ISBN 8385854169.
  • Various authors (2006). Mniejszości narodowe w Polsce w świetle Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego z 2002 roku (in Polish). Warszawa: Scholar. ISBN 8373831436. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  • Makowski, Bronisław (1986). Litwini w Polsce 1920-1939 (in Polish). Warszawa: PWN. ISBN 8301068051..
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