Polish Diaspora

The Black Madonna of Derby - Review

Written by Jagoda Urban-Klaehn Tuesday, 18 May 2010 12:28

"The Black Madonna of Derby" is very readable and enjoyable novel about complexities of the life of a Polish origin family settled in Derby, England.

It encompasses three generations starting with babcia (grandmother) who does not even speak English and finishing on the grandchildren. The book encompasses different time periods since it starts before World War II and it finished in late 70s. It shows also glimpses of life in Poland through the dangerous time of war and the street "lapanka" (catching people on the streets and sending them to labor camps in Germany). Eventually we see the post-war communistic Warsaw with its grey buildings and grey streets, but also the full of life cafeterias of Krakow and the spirit of Polish people which is seemingly unbroken in spite of the suffering they have to endure.The story is so interesting that I felt as like I become a part of the Baran family.

Open letter to Polish immigrants and Poles abroad

Written by Jacek Miler Thursday, 02 August 2007 17:00

I would like to kindly ask you to take part in the project named "Registration of Polish collections abroad" carried out by the Department of Polish Cultural Heritage Abroad at the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage. This enterprise has mainly scientific and documentary goals. Our objective is to gather information on actually existing Polish collections in order to preserve knowledge and memory of them, without any attempts to interfere in their property and organizational status.

Polish Emigration: Historical Review

Written by Jagoda Urban-Klaehn Wednesday, 15 November 2006 17:00

Polish Diaspora abroad counts 15-20 mln people. Poles belong to the nationalities that have relatively high fraction of emigrants compared to the number of Poles that live in Poland (about 40 mln now, read more about it in the article: Poland - Basic Information - Facts - Statistics ). This is due to difficult Polish history, loss of independence, economical problems and due to the communism. The total numbers of Poles abroad are given in the article Polish Diaspora (Polonia) Worldwide .

Jadwiga's Crossing - a Story of the Great Polish Migration: Book Review

Written by Jagoda Urban-Klaehn Wednesday, 08 November 2006 17:00

This novel is based on stories Aloysius A. Lutz heard growing up in Dunkirk, New York, in the early 20th Century - stories he later told to his son, Richard.

The story's factual content reads like a documentary of ocean travel at the end of the 19th Century. The reader will become familiar with the details of traveling by sail in 1869 - the conditions of travel as well as the physical and emotional problems the passengers. The story is told mostly through the eyes of a newlywed couple, Paul Adamik and Jadwiga Wdowiak Adamik. At its beginning, she finds him, an obedient soldier in the Prussian army, intending to re-enlist, carry on his family's farming tradition, or accept an offer to become the caretaker of his German lieutenant's lands in occupied Poland. But she is a strong-willed fisherman's daughter from the Baltic coast, and she has different plans for him.

How to find the Family Nest: the Town or Village where your Family comes from

Written by Jagoda Urban-Klaehn Wednesday, 26 November 2003 17:00

I receive lots of email from people who are trying to find the location of the town or village in Poland where their ancestors came from. Sometimes people know the name of the settlement but it is misspelled, sometimes the name is correct but they do not know how to find the right search engine or website on the internet.

If you are not sure whether the spelling of the settlement is correct please post the message in our Polish Culture Forum so that we can help. It would also be very useful if you know the area of Poland where your ancestors came from, since some of the websites are easier to maneuver if you know the province but it is not necessary.