Polish British

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Polish Britons

Notable Polish Britons: Joseph Conrad, Leopold Stokowski, David Miliband, Daniela Denby-Ashe, Mark Lazarowicz, Zygmunt Bauman
Total population
Labour Force Survey 458,000[1] Other estimates Estimated over 1,000,000[2] Over 1.6% of the UK population
Regions with significant populations
Throughout the United Kingdom
Languages
English, Polish, Yiddish (mostly in the past)
Religion
Christianity (Roman Catholic, Orthodox), Judaism

Polish British People or Polish Britons are people of Polish ancestry who were born in United Kingdom or emigrated there over the course of history, or descendants of such people. It is estimated that over 1 million people living in the United Kingdom have Polish blood. Among those born in Poland there are also migrant workers who reside in the United Kingdom.

Contents 1 History 2 Population and distribution 3 Recent economic migration 4 Racial tension 5 Notable individuals 6 See also 7 References 8 Further reading 9 External links

[edit] History

Poland has a long history of religious tolerance, and this is how the first cultural exchanges between Poland and the British Isles took place. In medieval times, Polish King Casimir the Great offered sanctuary to English Jews being persecuted in York and London.

English, and particularly Scottish Protestants, also fled to Poland when they were persecuted at home, bringing surnames such as 'Miller' that are widespread in Poland today.

In the 16th century, when most grain imports to the British Isles were conducted from Poland, Polish travellers came as grain merchants and diplomats, usually on the Eastland Company trade route from Gdansk to London. As early as 1608 there were enough Poles in England for the Virginia Company to hire a group of them to sail to America to salvage the Jamestown Settlement.^[3]

After the Battle of Vienna a central London pub was called the 'King of Poland' and soon after the road it was situated in, was named 'Poland Street' - which exists to this day. In the 18th century some Polish Protestants settled around Poland Street as religious refugees from the counter reformation in Poland.

In the 19th century, due to the collapse of the November Uprising of 1831 against the Russian Empire, many Polish insurgents came to the UK in search of political sanctuary.^[4]

After the First World War Poles settled in large numbers in London – many from the London Polish Prisoner-of-War camps in Alexandra Palace and Feltham. During the Second World War the majority of the Poles came to the United Kingdom as political émigrés during German and Soviet occupation of Poland. In 1940, with the fall of France, the exiled Polish President, Prime Minister and government transferred to London, along with at least 20,000 soldiers and airmen. By the end of the war, particularly after the arrival of the Anders Army, this number rose to around 200,000.^[4]

When the Second World War ended, a Communist government was installed in Poland. Most Poles felt betrayed by their wartime allies and were extremely reluctant to return home. Many Polish soldiers refused to return to Poland, because of the post-war persecution of many Poles, particularly of former members of the AK (Armia Krajowa), and large numbers, after occupying resettlement camps of the Polish Resettlement Corps, later settled in London, many recruited as European Volunteer Workers.^[5] A significant number^[quantify] of Poles were professionals (lawyers, judges, engineers), yet only doctors and pharmacists had their qualifications recognized. As a result the majority of Poles worked in building and construction, coal mining and other forms of manual labour, as well as in the hospitality industry. However, the Poles were very entrepreneurial and set up a number of businesses such as clock, watch and shoe repairs – many of which are still operating today.^{[citation needed]}

The relaxation of travel restrictions to and from Poland saw a steady increase in Polish migration to the United Kingdom in the 1950s. Brixton, Earls Court and Lewisham were a few of the London areas where they settled. As these communities grew, it was felt by the Polish Catholic hierarchy and the English and Scottish hierarchies (the majority of whom were Irish^{[citation needed]}) that Polish priests should settle and minister specifically to the spiritual needs of the Polish people. The first such parish was Brockley-Lewisham in 1951 and today there are 10 Polish parishes in London, in places such as Balham and Ealing. Thriving parishes also exist in many other UK towns and Cities.

The longer established communities that ensued after the church established itself were mainly set up by former members of the Polish Resettlement Corps (PRC) in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Around the hub of a Polish church would be Polish clubs, Cultural Centres as well as a variety of adult and youth organisations such as the Ex-Combatants (SPK), the Polish Youth Group (KSMP) and the Polish Scouting Movement (ZHP pgk). The original aims of these organisations was to ensure a continuation of Polish language, culture and heritage for the children of the ex PRC members. Many of these groups are still active and steps are being taken to attract newer Polish migrants.

The Polish Government in London was not dissolved until 1991, when a freely elected president took office in Warsaw. The Polish people fought hard to combat communism, and for their right to liberty. Previously a base to fight against the communist regime in Poland, London came to be seen as an important centre to foster business and political relations.

In the 1951 Census, the Polish-born population of the UK numbered some 162,339, up from 44,642 in 1931.^[6][7]

[edit] Population and distribution

See also: U.K. locations with large Polish communities

The main hub of the London Polish community is Hammersmith in West London, as well as Ealing, Enfield and Haringey. The activities revolve around the Polish Social and Cultural Centre (POSK) in King Street. Polish newspapers and food shops are increasingly apparent following Poland's entry into the European Union in May 2004. Many towns and cities in the UK have long established and relatively large Polish communities, most notably London, Birmingham, Bradford and Manchester. Other communities exist in locations such as Leicester, Slough, Reading and Melton Mowbray.

Poles have also settled in Leeds, Sheffield, Bolton, Bury, Northampton, Peterborough and Chorley in Lancashire. There is a long established Polish community in Bristol and there are also concentrations in Nottingham, South Yorkshire, South Wales, North Wales mainly in Wrexham, Rugby, Banbury, Luton and Swindon. Scotland has seen a significant influx of Polish immigrants with estimates of Poles currently living in Scotland ranging from 40,000 according to General Register Office for Scotland up to 50,000 as per Polish Council,^[8] with around 5,000 in the Highlands region. This has led to the creation of a bilingual English-Polish newspaper.^[9]

Carlisle in Cumbria, which is twinned with the Polish city of Słupsk, has a Polish population of over 1,600^[10]. Blackpool has about 5,000 immigrants living in and around the resort on the Fylde coast. The local newspaper is one of a handful of British newspapers to have its own online edition in Polish called Witryna Polska .^[11]

According the Labour Force Survey, 458,000 Polish-born people were resident in the UK in quarter 4 of 2007.^[1] This figure is for migrants and doesn't include British-born people who consider themselves members of the Polish British community. Estimates for the total number of immigrant Poles plus British people of Polish descent put the figure at 1,000,000.^[2]

Following the recent migrations, many towns and cities in the UK now have a growing number of Polish inhabitants. Polish workers are employed in agriculture and light industry in the countrysides of low-population density regions such as East Anglia and East Midlands.

[edit] Recent economic migration

Since the expansion of the EU on 1 May 2004, the UK has granted free movement to workers from the new member states.^[12] There are restrictions on the benefits that members of eight of these accession countries can claim, which are covered by the Worker Registration Scheme.^[13] Most of the other European Union member states have exercised their right for temporary immigration control (which must end by 2011^[14]) over entrants from these accession states,^[15] although some are now removing these restrictions.^[16]

The Home Office publishes quarterly statistics on the number of applications to the Worker Registration Scheme. Figures published in August 2007 indicate that 656,395 people were accepted on to the scheme between 1 May 2004 and 30 June 2007, of whom 430,395 were Polish nationals. However, this figure is only indicative as the scheme is an opt-in system without incentive: it costs Poles time and money and isn't enforced. Poles are able to ignore the scheme and work in the UK provided they have a Polish passport and a National Insurance Number Card, which has led to estimates of Polish nationals in the UK being much higher. ^[2][17]

The Polish magazine Polityka has launched a 'Stay With Us' scheme offering young academics a £5,000 bonus to encourage them to stay at home.

Rapid economic growth at home, falling unemployment and the rising strength of the złoty have, by the autumn of 2007, reduced the economic incentive for Poles to migrate to the UK.^[18] Labour shortages in Poland's cities and in sectors such as construction, IT and financial services have also played a part in stemming the flow of Poles to the UK. According to the August 2007 Accession Monitoring Report, fewer Poles migrated in the first half of 2007 than in the same period in 2006. Launched on 20 October 2007, a campaign by the British Polish Chamber of Commerce, 'Wracaj do Polski' ('Come Back to Poland') encourages Poles living and working in the UK to return home.

There was a baby boom during Martial Law in Poland in the early 1980s. Consequently there has been over-supply of new workers on the Polish job market in the 2000s. Unemployment rose and emigration has been a solution for many young Poles. Now that Poland's demographic bulge is ageing, the rate of new entrants to the job market, and therefore emigration, is slowing. Some commentators say the Polish baby-boomers are returning to Poland as they reach child-rearing age themselves. ^[19]

[edit] Racial tension

Polish people living in Britain reported 42 racially motivated violent attacks against them in 2007, compared with 28 in 2004.^[20]

On July 26, 2008, The Times published a comment piece by restaurant reviewer Giles Coren containing general anti-Polish sentiment. In his piece Coren uses the racial slur 'Polack' to describe Polish immigrants in the UK, who can "clear off".^[21] The article has been subject to major criticism from Poland and abroad.

[edit] Notable individuals

See also: Category British people of Polish descent

• Joseph Conrad, novelist
• Zygmunt Bieńkowski, leader of RAF 303 Polish Squadron (highest-scoring RAF unit in Battle of Britain)
• Henryk Zygalski, one of the team of three Polish cryptographers who broke the Enigma code and gave their knowledge to Britain in the fight against Nazism.
• Lieut. Gen. Władysław Anders CB, commander of Anders Army, Polish II Corps, victor of Monte Cassino (exiled to Britain after fighting against Nazi Germany)
• Gen.bryg. Stanisław Sosabowski CBE, commander of Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade (exiled to Britain after fighting against Nazi Germany)
• Krystyna Skarbek GM OBE Croix de guerre, Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) spy and SOE agent (exiled to Britain after fighting against Nazi Germany)
• Helena Wolinska-Brus, Jewish Communist prosecutor, organised show trials of Polish anti-Nazis, exiled to Britain during 1968 Polish political crisis
• Bonnie Prince Charlie, claimant to the British throne (Polish mother)
• Jacek Rostowski, current Finance Minister of Poland (born and raised in London)
• David Miliband, current Foreign Secretary (UK) (all four grandparents Polish Jews, mother born and raised in Poland)
• Denis MacShane, born Denis Matyjaszek, Labour MP for Rotherham
• Mark Lazarowicz, born Marek Jerzy Lazarowicz, Labour and Co-operative MP for Edinburgh North and Leith.
• Daniel Kawczynski, Conservative MP for Shrewsbury and Atcham
• Sir John Gielgud, English theatre and film actor of Lithuanian-Polish origin
• Henryk Gotlib, leading expressionist painter
• Phil Jagielka, football player
• Lukas Jutkiewicz, football player
• Joanna Kanska, actress
• Waldemar Januszczak, art critic
• Kazia Pelka, actress
• Peter Serafinowicz, comedian
• Chris Dreja, musician, photographer
• Daniela Denby-Ashe, actress
• Lysette Anthony, Lysette Chodzko, actress
• Rula Lenska, Roza-Marie Leopoldyna Lubienska, actress
• Nicky Ladanowski, actress
• Janick Gers, musician
• Daniel Finkelstein, Comment Editor of The Times, (Polish-Jewish father)
• Harold Pinter, playwright, Nobel Prize in Literature laureate (three of his Jewish grandparents were from Poland)
• Basia Trzetrzelewska, singer and songwriter
• Mike Wozniak, comedian

[edit] See also

• Federation of Poles in Great Britain

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

• Michael Hope, The Abandoned Legion, Veritas Foundation Publication ISBN 1-904639-09-7.
• Dr Diana M Henderson(Editor), The Lion and The Eagle, Cualann Press ISBN 0-9535036-4-X.
• Peter Stachura(Editor), The Poles in Britain 1940-2000, Frank Cass ISBN 0-7146-8444-9.
• Robert Ostrycharz,Polish War Graves in Scotland A Testament to the Past, ISBN 1-872286-48-8.

[edit] External links

• Federation of Poles in Great Britain
• POSK Polish Social and Cultural Association
• Reassessing what we collect website – Polish London History of Polish London with objects and images
• Return to Poland - employers' website
• Guide to the Polish Community in the UK

v • d • e Migration to the United Kingdom from Europe Eastern Europe Bulgarian · Czech · Hungarian · Polish · Romanian · Russian · Ukrainian Northern Europe Baltic · Irish (Irish Traveller) · Scandinavian Southern Europe Croatian · Gibraltarian1 · Greek · Italian · Macedonian · Maltese · Portuguese · Serbian (Kosovar) · Spanish Western Europe Austrian · Dutch · French (Huguenot) · German · Swiss Notes 1. Gibraltar is a British overseas territory and not an independent state

v • d • e Polonia and Polish minorities Europe Belarus · Czech Republic · Germany · Ireland · Latvia · Lithuania · Romania · Russia · Soviet Union · Ukraine · United Kingdom Americas and Oceania Argentina · Australia · Brazil · Canada · United States