From the 18th century Poles have sought refuge in London from political and religious persecution. Included in their number were Jews fleeing pogroms. During World War II the Polish Government in exile was based in London.
Many Poles preferred to remain in London after the war, rather than returning to a newly communist Poland. Some helped to rebuild Britain in the postwar period and married English women.
These Polish expatriates created institutions such as the Polish Church and Polish Social and Cultural Centre. There is still a large Polish community in west London, which has increased through recent migration.
It was in exile in England, especially London, where the community infrastructure was developed. Polish priests ministered to Catholic Poles and after summer 1940, the Polish government in exile relocated to London.'John Bull's Island' Colin Holmes
|
Polish travellers have been visiting London since the Middle Ages. Jan Laski, a Protestant scholar, came to England to study in the late 16th century.
The 18th century brought small numbers of Polish Protestants seeking refuge and, later on, Poles fleeing political repression.
19th century Poles in London worked as tailors, shoemakers, tobacconists and printers. Many were political exiles.
The Polish Socialist Party published the first edition of 'Robotnik' (The Worker) in Mile End Road in 1893. The author Joseph Conrad, real name Korzeniowski, worked in London as a merchant seaman from 1878.
Increasing numbers of economic migrants arrived at this time. Many of them were Jews also escaping persecution. A Roman Catholic Polish Mission was created in 1894 and later moved to its present location in Devonia Road, Islington.
The Polish Government in exile, headed by General Sikorski, was based in London during World War II. About 20,000 Poles settled in the Kensington area, where Ognisko Polish club, Daquise restaurant and the Polish Institute still exist today.
At the end of the war, most of Poland was absorbed by the Communist Soviet Union. 150,000 Poles made the difficult decision not to return home.
The Polish Resettlement Corps was formed to use the skills of Polish troops to rebuild postwar Britain. It employed men for a two year period in construction, agriculture, mining or industry. Poles were then allowed to become British citizens and to find permanent jobs.
Many were well educated and had to accept jobs for which they were overqualified. Those with money purchased land to set up farms or opened their own businesses, with clock repairs a popular choice.
In the 1950s, about 33,000 Poles lived in London. Three-quarters of them were men and this led to many marriages with English women. Ealing became a major centre of Polish settlement.
Small numbers of refugees from Communist Poland came to London in the 1980s, following the suppression of the Solidarity trade union.
Relatively few of those who settled in London in the postwar period survived to return to Poland after the fall of communism in 1989. They and their descendants had made lives for themselves in London.
Institutions such as Polish churches, the Polish Clinic and the Polish Ex-Combatants Association helped Poles to maintain their cultural identity in London.
The community’s outstanding achievement is the building of POSK, a large Polish Social and Cultural Centre in Hammersmith, which includes a library and bookshop. Nearby Acton and Balham in South London are other areas with large Polish populations.
In 2004 Poland joined the EU and an estimated one million Poles have since emigrated to Britain. They were motivated by the high unemployment and low wages in Poland.
The majority of new migrants are young and many intend to return to Poland in the long run. Some are highly qualified, but take unskilled jobs to build up their savings. This has caused a 'brain drain' in Poland.
However, as the Polish economic situation improves, while Britain's financial climate is deteriorating, many of these migrants are already returning home.
Bibliography
Links