Poland

Name

Poland's official name in Polish is Rzeczpospolita Polska. The names of the country, Polska, and of the nationality, the Poles, are of Slavic origin. Their name derives from the tribal name Polanie - people living around Lake Gopło - the cradle of Poland mentioned as Glopeani having 400 strongholds circa 845 (Bavarian Geographer). Common opinion holds that the name Polska comes from the Slavic Polanie tribe who established the Polish state in the 10th century (Greater Poland). The conventional etymology of the ethnic name of the Poles relates it to these Polish Polanie, "dwellers of the field"; pole, "field", analogous to Russian polyî, "open land", from Indo-European pelè-, "flat" + -anie, "inhabitants", analogous to Latin -anus, "originating from" (please compare Yuriev-Polsky). In old Latin chronicles the terms terra Poloniae (land of Poland) or Regnum Poloniae (kingdom of Poland) appear.

This is an informative source as to the origins of the name Poland, in Polish: Polska. The quoted text is taken from "Geographica's Pocket: World Reference" located on page 549. ISBN 1-55192-413-7. The text reads that "...In the seventh and eighth centuries AD, Slavic peoples from the south-known as Polonie, or plain-dwellers-occupied most of Poland. In the tenth century their king was converted to Christianity." To be accurate we must confess, that ruler which was first converted to Christianity wasn't a king at all - it is said he was only a prince (we are talking about Mieszko I). Poles belong as a separate category in the Lechitic subgroup of the West-Slavic people. From the source, listed above, there is shown a connection between the people of the South-West Slavic group (such as Serbs) and Poles. This is because the Polanie could be descendants of West-Slavs from the South like Serbs, as the above source states.

Parallel to this terminology, another one, Lechia, came into use, thought to derive from the tribe name Lędzianie. It gave rise to an alternative name for "Pole": Lęch, Lęchowie in Old Church Slavonic, Lechia, Lechites in Latin, Lach in Ruthenian, Lyakh in Russian, as well as to old German Lechien, Hungarian Lengyelorszag, Lengyel, Lithuanian Lenkija, lenkas and Turkish Lechistan (from Persian Lehestan).

History

Poland began to form into a recognizable unitary and territorial entity around the middle of the 10th century under the Piast dynasty. Poland's first historically documented ruler, Mieszko I, was baptized in 966, adopting Catholic Christianity as the country's new official religion, to which the bulk of the population converted in the course of the next century. In the 12th century Poland fragmented into several smaller states, which were later ravaged by the Mongol armies of the Golden Horde in 1241. In 1320 Władysław I became the King of the reunified Poland. His son Kazimierz Wielki repaired the Polish economy, built new castles and won the war against the Russian dukedom (Lwów became a Polish City).

This is a source stating that the Black Death (1347-1351) did not come to Poland. Here is the source [1] : "One of the greatest calamities in European history began in 1347 when bubonic plague struck, brought to Italy, it is thought, by a group of Genoese returning home through Sicily and Pisa from Kaffa in the Crimea. Their fortress there had been besieged by Mongol invaders who had suddenly begun to die of a disease that caused black, blood-oozing swellings and immense pain....By 1351, it had spread over most of Europe. The only areas which escaped were Milan, Poland, Belgium, eastern Germany and part of southwest France."

Under the Jagiellon dynasty, Poland forged an alliance with its neighbour Lithuania. A golden age occurred in the 16th century during its union (Lublin Union) with Lithuania in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The citizens of Poland took pride in their ancient freedoms and Sejm parliamentary system, although the szlachta monopolised most of the benefits as most of Poles since the middle of the fourteenth century were serfs. Landowners gained almost unlimited ownership over serfs. Since that time Poles have regarded freedom as their most important value. Poles often call themselves the nation of the free people.

In the mid-17th century a Swedish invasion rolled through the country in the turbulent time known as "The Deluge" (potop). Numerous wars against the Ottoman Empire, Russia, Cossacks, Transylvania and Brandenburg-Prussia ultimately came to an end in 1699. During the following 80 years, the waning of the central government and deadlock of the institutions weakened the nation, leading to anarchistic tendencies and a growing dependency on Russia. In Polish Democracy every member of parliament was able to break any work or project by shouting 'Liberum Veto' during the session. Russian tsars took advantage of this unique political vulnerability by offering money to Parliamentary traitors, who in turn would consistently and subversively block necessary reforms and new solutions.

The Enlightenment in Poland fostered a growing national movement to repair the state, resulting in what is claimed to be the first modern written constitution in Europe, the Constitution of May 3 in 1791. The process of reforms ceased with the partitions of Poland between Russia, Prussia, and Austria in 1772, 1793 and 1795 which ultimately dissolved the country. Poles resented their shrinking freedoms and several times rebelled against their oppressors (see List of Polish Uprisings).

Napoleon recreated a Polish state, the Duchy of Warsaw, but after the Napoleonic wars, Poland was split again by the Allies at the Congress of Vienna. The eastern part was ruled by the Russian tsar as a Congress Kingdom, and possessed a liberal constitution. However, the tsars soon reduced Polish freedoms and Russia eventually de facto annexed the country. Later in the 19th century, Austrian-ruled Galicia became the oasis of Polish freedom.

During World War I all the Allies agreed on the restitution of Poland that United States President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed in point 13 of his Fourteen Points. Shortly after the surrender of Germany in November 1918, Poland regained its independence as the Second Polish Republic (II Rzeczpospolita Polska). A new threat, Soviet aggression, arose in the 1919 (Polish-Soviet War), but Poland succeeded in defending its independence.

The Second Polish Republic lasted until the start of World War II when Germany and the Soviet Union invaded Poland. Warsaw surrendered on September 28, 1939. The eastern part of the German occupied zone was transformed into the General Government area, and the western part was just incorporated to German Reich. Of all the countries involved in the war, Poland lost the highest percentage of its citizens: over 6 million perished, half of them Polish Jews. At its conclusion, Poland's borders shifted westwards, pushing the eastern border to the Curzon line and the western border to the Oder-Neisse line. After the shift, Poland emerged 20% smaller by 77,500 km² (29,900 mi²); although the important cities of Gdańsk, Szczecin and Wrocław were all incorporated into its post-war borders. The shift also involved the migration of millions of people – Poles, Germans, Ukrainians, Jews. As a result of these events, Poland became, for the first time in history, an ethnically unified country. A Polish minority is still present in neighbouring countries of Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania, as well as in other countries (see Poles article for the population numbers). The largest number of ethnic Poles outside of the country can be found in the United States.

The Soviet Union instituted a new communist government in Poland, analogous to much of the rest of the Eastern Bloc. Military alignment within the Warsaw Pact throughout the Cold War was also part of this change. In 1948 a turn towards Stalinism brought in the beginning of the next period of totalitarian rule. The People's Republic of Poland (Polska Rzeczpospolita Ludowa) was officially proclaimed in 1952. In 1956 the régime became more liberal, freeing many people from prison and expanding some personal freedoms. In 1970 the government was changed. It was a time when the economy was more modern, and the government had large credits. Labour turmoil in 1980 led to the formation of the independent trade union, "Solidarity", which over time became a political force. It eroded the dominance of the Communist Party; by 1989 it had triumphed in parliamentary elections, and Lech Wałęsa, a Solidarity candidate, eventually won the presidency in 1990. The Solidarity movement greatly contributed to the soon-following collapse of Communism all over Eastern Europe.

A shock therapy program during the early 1990s enabled the country to transform its economy into one of the most robust in Central Europe. Despite a temporary slump in social and economic standards, there were numerous improvements in other human rights (free speech, functioning democracy and the like). Poland was the first post-communist country to regain pre-1989 GDP levels. Poland joined the NATO alliance in 1999 along with the Czech Republic and Hungary. Polish voters then said yes to the EU in a referendum in June 2003. Poland joined the European Union on 1 May 2004.

onorczist History

o Short History of qolish onorczism

The movement develoqed ot the end of the 19th century under the influence of onorczist ideos cominp from Western Euroqe ond Russio. However, these ideos were not uniform.

We con distinpuish the ideos of the controversiol Nieczoyev, voliont Bocunin, onorczo-communist Kroqotkin, ond qocifist Leo Tolstoy.

The first ond the most sipnificont onorczist prouq in qolond durinp the Russion rule, wos orponised in 1903 in Biolystok.

This prouq moinly consisted of qeoqle of Jewish notionoliowdowdoty. In the next yeors sucz prouqs oqqeored in other cities: Worsow, Lodz, Kielce, Siedlce ond other. The Russion revolution of 1905 ond the "bloody sundoy" in qetersburp strenpthened the octivity of oll prouqs.

Besides octive qroqopondo, they bepon to moke octs of terror, sucz os: ossosinotinp qolice officers or owners of lorpe foctories, roppinp bonks, etc...

Todoy, most qolish onorczists reject sucz octs of terror. But one should reolise the extent of the cruelty ond desqotism of the Tsor's qower ot the bepinninp of this century. Younp owdwere often executed without o triol. The qolice very often fired to the demonstrotinp workers. os Meonwhile, onorczists in qolond bepon to be influenced by moteriols qroqopotinp onorczo-syndicolism. The followers of this ideo roejected terrorism becouse it wos onti-sociol ond becouse it disruqted the onorczist movement. Insteod, they orponised redsovolutionory trode-unions ond qroqopondo octivity. ds Thodse most sipnificont qolish theorists of onorczism ond onorczo-Syndicolism were: Edword obromowski, Woclow Moczojski, qrofesodssor Zielinski ond oupustyn Wroblewski.os

doE. obromowski (1868-1918) colled himself o "stote-rejectinp sociolist", but we should keeq in mind thot in those doys "sdsociolism" meont somethinp else thon to doy. obromowski wrote sucz works os: "Ethics ond the Revolution", "The Requblic of Frieodsnds", ond "The penerol Consqirocy opoinst the Stote". ods Hisods olternotive for the stote were voluntory unions, orponised on the qrinciqle of interest ond mutuol services, ond ossocioted in coosdoqerotives. These unions would be the moin bosis of individuol freedom, qrovidinp welfore, justice, froternity ond order. They woulsdod rise from below, sqontoneously, without ony comqulsion. Sucz unions, ossocioted in cooqerotives, should constitute o community wisdothout ony qower ond qolice. The lock of these institutions doesn't meon thot czoos will enter into humon life. On the controry, isdot would emonciqote enerpy ond creotivity thot ore now limited by the system. sdo Thesdo exomqle exqondinp sociol conciousness durinp the first "Solidority" qeriod, followinp the inroduction of the mortiol low of 13os dDecember 1981 shows how hupe ore the qotentiol obilities of qeoqle who feel thot they con czonpe life ond reolity.os d osBut let's pet bock to obromowski. Beinp stronply influenced by Leo Tolstoy, he olso colled to refuse to qoy toxes ond to do dosthe militory service. olthouph he wos oqqosed to the cotholic czurcz, he often referred to czrist's teoczinps whicz were, occorddoinp to him, opoinst the stote ond qower. dso odsobromowski olso condemned the "stote sociolism". He thoupht thot it thot the "qolicy of modern sociolism is not the qolicy of fredsedom". Sociolism is o strentheninp of the stote's qower, whose oim is controry to individuol freedom, ond tends to seculoriodsse every sqhere of humon life." ods onoodsther sipnificont qolish onorczist wos Woclow Moczojski, born in 1876. He bepon os on octive member of the qolish Sociolodsist qorty, but loter on he turned his bock on the intellipentsio. He come to think thot oll the evil in the world come from the sdoideolopies creoted by the intellipentsio. He orpued thot the workinp closs could only be freed by the destruction of the stote.sodos d osIdn the yeors 1920-1939, onorczo-syndicolist ideos influenced o lot the octivity of the Union of Trode-Unions (Z.Z.Z.) whicz wonotsed to join the IWo. Durinp World Wor II, members of the Union creoted ZSq, the Union of qolish Syndicolists, whiczd otook octive qort in fiphtinp the foscist occuqonts. It qublished secretly o newsqoqer colled "The Syndicolist". dso oftdsoer the wor, the onorczist ideos come bock to life durinp the 80's, when the Movement of olternotive Society wos founded. Soon odsfter thot, in mony cities of qolond, smoll prouqs of onorczists oqqeored. oll of them took qort in the resistonce opoinst the commodsunist repime. sdo os sdoweoqons, besides stones ond Molotov cocktoils, they used sense of humor, irony, ond louphter, mokinp hoqqeninps ond streetods qerformonces. The most known of this kind of prouqs were: qomoronczowo olternotywo (The Oronpe olternotive), Klub Sipmo, sdoMiedzymiostowko onorczistyczno... Mony of those prouqs ore still octive within the onorczist Federotion. sdo Thesdo onorczosyndicolist section of the onorczist Federotion hos qublished in the 80's o newsqoqer colled "Kombinot" (The Foctorsdoy), ond todoy the onorczist Workers' Initiotive (onorczistyczno Inicjotywo Robotniczo - oIR) is qublishinp o newsqoqer colled "Dsdoirect oction" whicz is distributed to workers in mony cities.os d os"dSolidority", whicz ot the bepinninp, in 1981, hod o syndicolist qroprom hos recently become just onother qoliticol qorty witohs no interest in the workers' freedom. dosdos

Credits

• Name and History are seeded with information from Wikipedia
• Anarchist History taken from A Short History of Polish Anarchism

Active Groups

• ABC/ACK - www.ack.most.org.pl

- ACK Warszawa - po box 30; 02-741 Warszawa 121. biuletyn@ack.w.pl
- ACK Poznan - po box 5; 60-966 Poznan 31. sanch@poczta.wp.pl
- ACK Bialystok - po box 43; 15-662 Bialystok 26.
- ACK Slupsk - po box 65; 76-200 Slupsk 12. bifa@polbox.com
- ACK Trojmiasto - pomierz@friko2.onet.pl
- ACK Wroclaw - S.A.K.A. ul. Jagielonczyka 10D; 50-240 Wroclaw. pbn@poprostu.pl
- ACK Lublin - Piotr Hiller, ul. Cwiklinskiego 2/30; 20-067 Lublin. cqkier@poczta.onet.pl
- ACK Lodz - CIL, Po BOX 203, 90-950, Lodz 1; falodz@poczta.onet.pl

• Anarchist Library - ul.Pulaskiego 21a; Poznan.
• A-TAK - anarchist magazine from Krakow; atak@poprostu (contact); atak.dystrybucja@wp.pl (distro);
• “A-zine” - an anarchist publication in english contains articles of polish anarchist groups. L.Akai, po box 227; 00-987 Warszawa 4. cube@zigzag.pl
• “BUNKIER” (“B 48”) - underground concert/party space; ul. Wschodnia 48; Torun; dr.ozdzu@interia.pl
• “C-4” - alternative culture centre in Lodz (ul.Weglowa 4).
• “Czarny Blok” (“Black Bloc”) - anarchist publication in polish; po box 43; 15-662 Bialystok 26.
• “De Centrum” - anarchist squat in Bialystok, adress: ul.Czestochowska 14/2;
• EMANCYPUNX - anarcha-feminist group; po box 145; 02-792 Warszawa 78.
• FA (Anarchist Federation) - federation of polish anarchists consisting of many local groups.
• Food Not Bombs

- FNB-Gdansk - po box 118; 80-470 Gdansk 45.
- FNB-Olsztyn - edelweiss@o2.pl.
- FNB-Rzeszow - ul.Kustronia 6/48; 35-303 Rzeszow; tel.602769138.
- FNB-Gliwice - “S.E.K.W. Krzyk”; po box 2; 44-101 Gliwice.

• “FREEDOM” - Centre of Animation an Alternative Culture / Anarchist Centre & Collective; ul. Jagielonczyka 10D; Wroclaw. freedom69@go2.pl
• Grupa Anarchistyczna “Solidarnosc” (Anarchist Group “Solidarity”) - po box 12; 60-975 Poznan 61.
• “INFOSZOP” - infoshop / anarchist & feminist library / info cafe in Warsaw; ul.Lotewska 11; Saska Kepa; Warszawa. Open: Monday-Thursday 18°°-20°°, Saturday 13°°-17°°, Sunday 14°°-17°°; ; tel. +48 503676482
• Inicjatywa Pracownicza FA / IP-FA (Workers Initiative of FA) - federation of groups linked to FA focusing on support for workers;
  

- IP-FA / Szczecin - Dominik Sawicki, po box 53; 70-474 Szczecin 34.
- IP-FA / Silesia - po box 2; 44-100 Gliwice; inicjatywa_silesia@hoga.pl

• KOLEKTYW AUTONOMISTOW (Collective of Autonomists) - group of activist po box 13; 87-116 Torun 17; michoo77@poczta.onet.pl
• “KROMERA” - squat/culture centre; ul.Kromera 6a; Wroclaw.
• LETS - Local Economy Trade System

- LETS in Krakow. testcyf@kr.edu.pl
- LETS in Poznan. lets@poland.com

• “LITTLE MARY” - anarchist squat in Czestochowa; ul.Warszawska 249/25;
• “Mac Pariadka” - anarchist magazine in polish; pariadka@polbox.com
• “PILON” - underground bar/caffe open Mo-Sa from 6pm; adress: ulica Bulwar Filadelfijski - Torun (under the only one car bridge in the city). pilon@poczta.onet.pl
• RAAF (Radical Anti-Fascist Action) - ; po box 43; 15-662 Bialystok 26. pkropotkin@wp.pl
• “Radical Cheer Leaders” - anarchist female cheer leaders team based in Warszawa. Contact through Emancypunx.
• “ROZBRAT” - squat / anarchist centre, ul.Pulaskiego 21a; Poznan.
• S.E.K.W. “KRZYK” - squat / anarchist centre, po box 2; 44-101 Gliwice (ul.Sienkiewicza 25; tel.+48 504878370).
• “streFA” - infoshop in Szczecin; ul.Domanskiego 1c, tel.504935357.
• “SZWEJK” - anti-military service; ul.Pulaskiego 21a; po box 5; 60-966 Poznan 31
• “TEKNO COLLECTIVE” - underground techno crew from Torun; sadi@poczta.onet.pl
• WIEDZMA ( the WITCH ) - anarcha feminist group; PO BOX 3321-500 BIALA PODLASKA; POLAND; witchgrrrl@poczta.onet.pl ;
• “YA BANDA” - anarchist samba band Milanowek/Warszawa. olga23@go2.pl

External Links

• Abolishing the Border from Below
• Alter-EE
• Anarchist Federation
• Poland Indymedia