Polish Immigrants in - A European Case Study of Integration?

Dietmar Osses

Integration seems to be today one of the industrial hot spot in southern Ger- the most important key words and key many, along the rivers Rhine and Main, issues of social change in Western Eu- in the -Area and to big cities like rope and especially in . In fact, Cologne, Hamburg, Frankfurt and Ber- from the middle of the 1940s on, West- lin. ern Germany was a country of immi- #VU BT SFDFOUMZ BT   BGUFS NPSF gration. After the big wave of German than forty years of immigration to Ger- refugees from Eastern Europe at the end many, the German government enacted of the Second World War, bi-national the !rst immigration law, which made contracts between Germany and several clearly de!ned rules for legal immi- states of south and east Europe brought gration for the !rst time. As a conse- millions of foreigners to Germany. From quence, from this time on politicians the peak of the so called ‘economic won- have been required to face the question EFSJOVQUPUIFFDPOPNJDDSJTJT of cultural diversity and social chal- JO  (FSNBOZ SFDSVJUFE BCPVU  MFOHFTPOBOBUJPOBMMFWFM*OUIF million of workers from Italy, Spain, federal government made up a national Greece, Turkey, Portugal, Morocco, Tu- plan for integration to cope with obvi- OJTJB BOE :VHPTMBWJB  NJMMJPO XFOU ous social problems of segregation and back to their home countries or went ethnic self-isolation. "e main concepts further to other destinations and about are now: German language courses for three million decided to stay in Ger- new and for long-term immigrants, im- many.1 proved education from the early child- "GUFS UIF FDPOPNJD DSJTJT JO  hood on, and cultural education. recruitment was stopped. But as a con- Looking back in history, the Polish sequence of family reunion and ad- immigrants are often seen as a positive mittance of about !ve million political example for a successful integration. refugees and German ethnic emigrants Let’s have a closer look at their history GSPN 1PMBOE BOE 3VTTJB JO UIF T in Germany. and 1990s the number of immigrants With the increasing industrialization increased further. "e main portion of PG(FSNBOZGSPNUIFTPO BCPVU the immigrants in Germany went to half a million of Polish immigrants %*&5."3044&4  came to Germany until the beginning on their own. "is was not only to im- of the First World War. We have to prove the accommodation but also to remember that since the third division make the former peasants feel at home. PG1PMBOEJOUIFSFXBTOP1PMJTI Because of the rapid growth in in- state. "e country and populations was dustry there was an urgent need for mainly divided to the Prussian state in thousands of new workers. "e !rst ten the west, the Russian state in the east years of Polish migration to the Ruhr BOE UIF "VTUSP)VOHBSJBO ,JOHEPN CSPVHIUBCPVU1PMFTUPUIFOFX in the South. After the foundation of industrial landscape. Another ten years UIF(FSNBO&NQJSFJOUIF1PMJTI MBUFS  VQ UP UIF ZFBS   UIFJS OVN- people in the Prussian part were given CFS JODSFBTFE UP   *O UIF ZFBS legal status as inhabitants of the Ger- BCPVU QPMJTIJNNJHSBOUT man Empire with Polish origin. Legally, were counted in the Ruhr, followed by they were not treated as foreigners but UIFQFBLPG 1PMFTJOUIF3VIS as members of the Empire, so it was easy in 1910. In the northern parts of the for them to migrate from the eastern Ruhr, where new mines were built in the provinces of the Empire to the new in- TBOET 1PMJTINJOFSTXFSFJO dustrial land in western Germany at the the majority. About the year 1910, 19 river Ruhr, mainly part of the province coal mines were so-called ‘Polish Mines’ of Westphalia and also . XJUI NPSF UIBO  QFSDFOU  PG 1PMJTI %VFUPDSPQGBJMVSFT UIFJOIFSJUBODF miners, and seven of them had more law and a kind of peonage (or serf- UIBOQFSDFOUPG1PMFT4 But did they dom) which prevented many men from feel at home in the Westphalia? Were achieving economic independence, now they welcomed and integrated into their thousands of Polish men, mainly poor local communties? peasants from the rural landscapes, fol- "e colonies of the mining com- lowed the call of money and labour and panies with lots of Polish immigrants migrated to the Ruhr. "e coal mining living together in neighbourhoods like companies sent out special agents to the in small rural villages could make them eastern provinces to recruit men from feel at home. But on the other hand the the rural landscapes to the growing cit- ‘cultural chock’ of the growing cities ies of the Ruhr for to work in the coal nearby and the high number of young mines and iron works.  "ey tried to men brought together without the so- attract the workers with the high loans cial control of a rural society was a chal- and !ne housing in new houses built by lenge for every one – immigrants and the mining companies. In fact all mining the other inhabitants, and consequently companies had to build up settlements, there were many problems. called ‘colonies’’ near their mines, be- "e main problem for the Polish im- cause there was insu#cient housing migrants was the question of religion before, or none at all. "e main part of and spiritual guidance in their native the housing was built as small houses for language. More than 90 percent of the four or !ve families with large gardens Polish immigrants were Catholics – only were the miners could plant vegetables the immigrants from Masuria were Prot-  "&.*+063/"- estants. "e native people of Westphalia were half and half Protestant and Catho- lic. Joining in Catholic church-services was easily possible for the Polish immi- grants, but not enough for their needs. Church services, spiritual guidance and sacraments in the Polish language were extremely important to them. As an initiative of the immigrants, a !rst re- MJHJPVTBTTPDJBUJPOXBTTFUVQJO UIF +FEOPƽƥ BTTPDJBUJPO PG %PSUNVOE (Jedność means Unity), followed by sev- eral brotherhoods of Saint Barbara, the patron of the miners, in the following years.  *O  UIF ëSTU 1PMJTI QSJFTU  +P[FG Szotowski, was sent to Westphalia. He settled in a monastery in the city of . His !rst aim was to increase the number of brotherhoods and reli- gious associations and built them up in FWFSZDJUZJOUIF3VIS6OUJMNPSF cal activities, education, music or lotter- UIBO  OFX BTTPDJBUJPOT XFSF FTUBC- ies founded. Only some of them acted lished. "e brotherhoods were allowed politically like the Sokoł-movement, to bring their banners and wear their which combined physical education colours during the church services and with national Polish attitudes, or like processions – a sign of integration in the the Polish Trade Union ZZP, founded in Catholic Church and society at large. UPëHIUGPSFRVBMSJHIUTBOEMPBOT *O4[PUPXTLJXBTFYDIBOHFEXJUI for the Polish mine workers. Most of Frantizek Liss as the new Polish priest in them simply organized Polish every-day the Ruhr. Liss started to develop more life in Germany. With organisations the and other kinds of associations to organ- city of Bochum developed to the cen- ize the social life and form a self-con!- tre of the Polish cultural life - not only dent Polish community. in Westphalia, but for the whole of the He started the foundation of a Polish .  newspaper, ‘Wiarus Polski’ as an im- *O    1PMJTI BTTPDJBUJPOT portant means of communication and XJUINPSFUIBO NFNCFSTXFSF initiated several meetings and events. counted in the Ruhr. "is as an indi- From this strong impulse the founda- cation of the well-developed self-con!- tion of several Polish organizations fol- dence of the Polish community in the lowed. One the one hand, there were heart of Germany. But for the author- not only religious associations but more ities and a part of the German com- and more associations for singers, physi- %*&5."3044&4  munity it was a signal for segregation With the beginning of the First World and Polish nationalism. In fact, the War, it was o#cial policy to avoid any young and fragile German Empire was social con'ict in the Empire. So step by in a state of permanent social struggle, step the situation for the improved especially in the industrial areas with a bit. But with the end of the war and the controversial ideas of socialism and the re-foundation of the Polish state communism. So the government was the situation changed completely. Until afraid of the Poles in the Ruhr for two UIFNJETUPGUIFTUIFOVNCFSPG reasons: for a potential Polish and an- Polish immigrants in the Ruhr declined ti-German nationalism on the one hand from more than half a million to about and a potential socialistic or communis- 0OFUIJSEPGUIF1PMJTIQPQ- tic radicalism among the mine workers ulation, the nationalists, political activ- on the other hand. However looked at, ists and home-seeking Poles went back ‘Polishness ‘ seemed suspicious. to . Another third went to the As a consequence of the development coal mines of France and Belgium. "e of the Polish associations, after a big mining companies in these countries strike of the coal miners in the Ruhr in sent out agents who recruited the highly XIJDITUBSUFEJOPOFPGUIFA1PM- quali!ed Polish miners. "ey attracted ish-Mines’ in the Ruhr, the German them with the promise of high loans and government set up a centre for obser- lack of oppression in their countries. vation of the Polish immigrants in Bo- Only one third of the Polish immigrants chum in 1900. As German policemen stayed in the Ruhr – mainly those who were not able to understand Polish, the had married a German or who had been use of the Polish language was now for- born there. In short: the well-integrated bidden during meetings of the Polish Poles. associations. Furthermore, the Polish All the Polish organisations and asso- miners were forced to use the German ciations were a(ected by this Polish mass language – o#cially for the reason of emigration from Germany. So after the TBGFUZJOUIFNJOFT"OEJOUIFVTF period of con!rmation of the borders of the Polish language was restricted in and transfer of parts of Silesia to Ger- church services. Songs and sermons had many or Poland with hard !ghts there to be approved by the authorities before and in the Ruhr (the detail of which is the services.7 beyond the scope of this article), there We have little information about was a phase of reunion and consolida- every-day life in these times. On the one tion of the Polish community in West- hand we hear of simple living together phalia. in the neighbourhoods of the colonies. In 1919 the Polish Emigrants in Ger- On the other hand we can see the op- many were given legal status as an ethnic pression of the authorities, we know a minority in Germany with a special pro- lot of words of abuse about the Polish tection. "is status helped to develop immigrants and we can !nd some neg- and improve Polish culture, associations ative poems and postcards with stereo- and political parties in Germany and types. FTQFDJBMMZ JO 8FTUQIBMJB *O  BO  "&.*+063/"-

umbrella organisation of the Polish as- uation changed again completely. With sociations was founded in Bochum: "e UIFJOWBTJPOPG1PMBOEJO UIF1PMFT Association of . With lost all their rights, Polish associations its help three new buildings were set were forbidden, o#cials were sent to up in the city centre of Bochum which concentration camps. In the following provided rooms for the association it- years, hundreds of thousand Poles were self, the polish trade union, the polish displaced by the Germans to Germany national workers party, a polish teacher and sent to forced labour, and most of association, the newspaper and publish- the Jewish Poles were killed in concen- ing company ‘Wiarus Polski’, the Polish tration camps. commercial bank and the Polish work- After the end of the war more than ers bank. UXPNJMMJPO1PMFTSFNBJOFEBT%JTQMBDFE "e Polish immigrants developed Persons in Germany. Faced with the a new and strong self-con!dence and politics of the newly established com- fought against oppressions and disposal munist government in Poland, most – even in the beginning of the Nazi pe- of them could not re-migrate to their SJPE"TBOFYBNQMF JOBOPïDJBM home country and decided to go over- delegation of the Poles in Germany went seas to Australia, Canada and New Zea- to Chancellor and ‘Führer’ MBOE"CPVU 1PMJTI%1SFNBJOFE and complained about several disposals in Westphalia. After a long odyssey against Poles. But one year later, the sit- UISPVHI EJêFSFOU %1 DBNQT UIF TUBUF %*&5."3044&4  culture in the past years.10 As an ethnic German immigrant, one got free German language courses, help to !nd housing and jobs, and the payments to the Polish social assurances were assigned to the German social as- surances. So it was very comfortable to be an ethnic German immigrant and a lot of Poles found it easy to claim to be a German. "e majority of the new immi- grants from Poland came to Westphalia – this was a well known country. "e government of Northern Westphalia immigrants built up small and informal CVJMUIPVTJOHFTUBUFTGPSUIF%1TBOE networks in a short time. But they be- gave them a new home in Germany.9 haved in a very silent and shy way. "ey %VSJOH UIF ZFBST PG UIF DPNNVOJTU brought their children with them who government in Poland, the Iron Curtain grew up with both Polish and German came down and there was only a short aspects to their identity.11 QFSJPEBUUIFFOEPGUIFTXIFSF1P- It is a phenomenon of the last !ve MBOEBMMPXFEBCPVUFNJHSBOUTUP to ten years that the !rst Polish shops, go to Germany. "e breakdown of the companies and legal association appear DPNNVOJTU HPWFSONFOUT JO UIF T again in the Ruhr. A few years ago in and 1990s brought a new wave of im- Bochum an association of Polish art- migrants from Poland to Westphalia. ists in Germany was established, called After the beating down of the Solidar- A,PTNPQPMFO*O'FTUJWBMT DPODFSUTBOE ność movement and the introduction exhibitions they re'ect the questions of PGNBSUJBMMBXJO1PMBOEJO OFBSMZ being Polish in Germany. "e Polish 100.000 Poles came as political refugees immigrants seem to be well on their way to Germany. Faced with the increasing to looking after their history and their problems, political and economic crisis, future in Germany. only a few months later thousands of Poles decided to leave their home coun- try. Up to 1990 more than one million emigrated from Poland to Germany. "e vast majority bene!tted from the possibility of obtaining legal status as an ethnic German immigrant. In those days it was easy to convince the authori- ties that one had German roots: in most cases it was enough to have ancestors who had lived in the former German areas, to have German ancestors, or to claim to have been practicing German  "&.*+063/"- *O UIF XBLF PG UIF th anniversary [FOUSVN EFT 3FWJFST  *O %BHNBS ,JGU%JFUNBS Osses (Ed.) Polen-Ruhr. Zuwanderungen zwi- of the treaty of friendship between Ger- TDIFOVOEIFVUF &TTFO Q many and Poland, a few weeks ago the  7BMFOUJOB.BSJB4UFGBOTLZvVOECJOTFISEBOL- Federal Minister of Culture mandated bar für die Gelegenheit an der Bekämpfung des our museum to undertake a feasibil- Polenthums mitarbeiten zu können ‘. Polnische "SCFJUTNJHSBOUFO VOE EJF QSFV•JTDIF 0CSJHLFJU ity study for documentation center for *O %JUUNBS %BIMNBOO"MCFSU ,PUPXTLJ;CJ- Polish history in culture in Germany. HOJFX ,BSQVT &E  4DIJNBOTLJ  ,V[PSSB VOE We have appointed an historian and andere. Polnische Einwanderer im Ruhrgebiet zwischen der Reichsgründung und dem Zweitem cultural manager with Polish origins to 8FMULSJFH &TTFO Q help us with the study. Our concept is to  %JFUNBS0TTFT;XJTDIFO"OFSLFOOVOHVOE7FS- include the expertise of both, Polish and GPMHVOH%JFEFVUTDIF1PMJUJLHFHFOàCFSEFSQPM- OJTDIFO .JOEFSIFJU JO %FVUTDIMBOE  German experts for the center. Work am Beispiel des Ruhrgebiets. In: Inter Finitimos. has started and I hope to bring the !rst Jahrbuch zur deutsch-polnischen Beziehungsge- results to our next meeting. TDIJDIUF  Q 9 Wolfgang Jacobmeyer: Vom Zwangsarbeiter zum )FJNBUMPTFO"VTMÊOEFS%JFDisplaced Persons in Notes 8FTUEFVUTDIMBOE   (ÚUUJOHFO    ,MBVT + #BEF1JFUFS $ &NNFS-FP -VDBTTFO %JFUNBS0TTFT6OGSFJXJMMJHJOEFS'SFNEF1PM- Jochen Oltmer (Ed.): Enzyklopädie Migration. OJTDIF %JTQMBDFE 1FSTPOT JN 3VISHFCJFU %JF Vom 17. Jahrhundert bis zur Gegenwart, Mün- #FJTQJFMF)BMUFSOVOE%PSUNVOE*O,JGU0TTFT DIFO   4  +PDIFO 0MUNFS .JHSB-  Q UJPOJNVOE+BISIVOEFSU .àODIFO 10 Andrzej Stach: Auswanderer und Rückkehrer, Pa-  $ISJTUPQI,MF•NBOO1PMOJTDIF#FSHBSCFJUFSJN USJPUFOVOE7FSSÊUFS*O*OUFSëOJUJNPT  4 3VISHFCJFU  4P[JBMF *OUFHSBUJPO VOE $ISJTUPQI1BMMBTLF-BOHGSJTUJHF;VXBOEF- nationale Subkultur eine Minderheit in der deut- SVOHFOBVT1PMFOJOEJF#VOEFTSFQVCMJL%FVUTDI- TDIFO*OEVTUSJFHFTFMMTDIBGU (ÚUUJOHFO MBOEJOEFOFS+BISFO*O*OUFS'JOJUJNPT    $ISJTUPQI ,MF•NBOO &JOXBOEFSVOHTQSPCMFNF  4 JN"VTXBOEFSVOHTMBOE%BT#FJTQJFMEFSv3VIS- 4FCBTUJBO/BHFM;XJTDIFO[XFJ8FMUFO,VMUV- QPMFO A *O #BTJM ,FSTLJ ,S[ZTUPG 3VDIOJFXJD[ relle Strukturen der polnischsprachigen Bevölke- (Ed.): Polnische Einwanderung. Zur Geschichte SVOHJO%FVUTDIMBOE"OBMZTFVOE&NQGFIMVOHFO VOE(FHFOXBSUEFS1PMFOJO%FVUTDIMBOE 0TOB- 4UVUUHBSU CSàDL Q,MBVT5FOGFMEF4DINFM[UJF- %JFUNBS0TTFT7PO3VISQPMFO[V,PTNPQPMFO gel Ruhrgebiet? Polnische und türkische Arbeiter &JOXBOEFSFSBVT1PMFOJN3VISHFCJFU*O%JFU- im Bergbau. Integration und Assimilation in der mar Osses (Ed.) Nach Westen. Zuwanderung aus montanindustriellen Erwerbsgesellschaft. In: Mit- 0TUFVSPQBJOT3VISHFCJFU &TTFO Q teilungsblatt des Instituts für soziale Bewegungen +BDFM#BSTLJ.BDICBSLFJUTTUVEJFGàSFJOF%PLV-   Q NFOUBUJPOTTUFMMF [VS (FTDIJDIUF VOE ,VMUVS EFS 4 Susanne Peters-Schildgen: Schmelztiegel Ruhrge- 1PMFOJO%FVUTDIMBOE 1FUFSTIBHFO FECZ CJFU  %JF (FTDIJDIUF EFS ;VXBOEFSVOH BN #FJ- -8-*OEVTUSJFNVTFVN%PSUNVOE TQJFM)FSOFCJT &TTFO  8JUPME.BUXJFKD[ZL;XJTDIFOLJSDIMJDIFS*OUF- gration und gesellschaftlicher Isolation: Polnische ,BUIPMJLFOJN3VISHFCJFUWPOCJT*O %JUUNBS %BIMNBOO"MCFSU ,PUPXTLJ;CJHOJFX ,BSQVT &E  4DIJNBOTLJ  ,V[PSSB VOE BOEFSF Polnische Einwanderer im Ruhrgebiet zwischen der Reichsgründung und dem Zweitem Weltkrieg, &TTFO   Q ,SZTUZOB .VS[ZOPXTLB %JFQPMOJTDIFO&SXFSCTBVTXBOEFSFSJN3VISHF- CJFU XÊISFOE EFS +BISF   %PSUNVOE 1979.  %JFUNBS0TTFT8VMG4DIBEF#PDIVN1PMFO-