Poles in Lithuania
The Polish minority in Lithuania (Polish Polacy na Litwie ) is an indigenous, for centuries there resident population and the largest minority in the Baltic state. According to Census identified themselves in 2011 about 213,000 people of Lithuania as Poland, which corresponds to a percentage of about 6.6 % of the Lithuanian population. In some districts provide ethnic Poles still the majority, such as in the municipalities of Vilnius (Polish: Wilno ) and Šalčininkai ( Soleczniki ). The Polish dialect in Lithuania is known as Lithuanian Polish.
From the Polish side an alleged discrimination against the minority is repeatedly criticized and their legal position is often the cause of tension between Poland and Lithuania. Lithuania has up to now the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages neither ratified nor signed.
History
Polish populations have been resident for several centuries in Lithuania. The strong influence of Polish culture in Lithuania began in 1569 with the Union of Lublin, in which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of Poland, previously connected to each other through a personal union, a common state, Poland - Lithuania ( Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth or I. Rzeczpospolita ), merged. In the following years a large part of the Lithuanian nobility took over more and more Polish culture and tradition. Parts of the Lithuanian rural population settled in a gradual process over the centuries Polonize it came up the settlement of Polish settlers on Lithuanian territory. When the Polish-Lithuanian aristocratic republic collapsed definitively in the course of divisions late 18th century, a large part of present-day Lithuania was mainly polnischsprachig, including Vilnius and Kaunas, the second most populous city in Lithuania today.
The Polish remained the dominant language, Vilnius (Polish Wilno ) in the following years in many regions of Lithuania, remained an important, Polish cultural center. At the university studied about the Polish freedom fighter Joachim Lelewel or the Polish national poet Adam Mickiewicz.
German troops occupied in 1916, during the First World War, briefly Lithuania and led there by a census. This resulted, for example, the city of Vilnius, a Polish population share of over 50 %, 43,5 % Jews, many of them also polnischsprachig, and only 2.6 % Lithuanians.
After the First World War, Poland and Lithuania regained their independence as separate states. Vilnius and other predominantly Polish-speaking areas were attributed to beat the Lithuanian State. Shortly after the war, however, there was the Polish -Lithuanian War, in consequence of Poland annexed the so-called Central Lithuania with capital Vilnius.
The remaining on Lithuanian territory Polish minority, however, was partly subjected to severe discrimination. The existing in the interwar period, 1918-1939 Second Polish Republic pursued on their territory in return also a part Polonisierungspolitik restrictive compared to non-Polish minorities.
A Polish census of 1931 showed a Polish population share of almost 66 %, 28% Jews, and only 0.8 % Lithuanians for the city of Vilnius.
After the Second World War, Poland was forced to cede much of its eastern territory to the Soviet Union. Hundreds of thousands of Poles were forcibly resettled there and could be partially reflected in the former eastern territories of Germany. The Polish-speaking parts of Lithuania were added to the Lithuanian Soviet Republic. Although numerically weakened, presented Poland also there in many areas the majority. In 1959, 8.5% of Lithuania's total population identified as Poland. The Government of the Lithuanian Soviet Republic tried several times to use the Polish language to prohibit, but it was prevented by the Soviet central government in Moscow.
With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Lithuania became independent again, the Polish minority, out of fear of a resurgence " Litauisierungspolitik " independence faced skeptical.
Current situation
In independent Lithuania, Poland now make up just under 7 % of the population. Many regions have to date a Polish majority, such as in the municipalities of Vilnius (Polish: Wilno ) and Šalčininkai ( Soleczniki ). The Polish dialect in Lithuania is known as Lithuanian Polish. In the city itself are still almost 20 % of the population of Poland. The University of Białystok maintains there is also a branch point at which many members of the Polish minority to study in Polish. There are several Polish language newspapers in Lithuania, including the courier Wileński. As before, a discrimination against the minority is being criticized by the Polish side, but again and again. With Polonija Wilno, there is also a famous Lithuanian football club, who sees himself as the representative of the Polish minority. With the " Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania ", there is also a separate party of the minority, which is represented by almost 6% of the vote in the 2012 election in Parliament.
Known members of the minority
- Evelina Sašenko, singer
- Valdemaras Tomaševskis, politicians