InfoOrganizations
in wich Poland participates or participated
Polonia Organisations
CanadaCanada has about 35 million inhabitants, and about one million of them are from Polish origin. In Toronto and its surrounding, known as GTA (Great Toronto Area) live about 200.000 Poles. The Canadian Polish Congress is an umbrella organization founded in 1944 by Polish-Canadians. The only official Polish Canadian club of philatelists, Troyak, has it's members mainly in the GTA. The Troyak Bulletin
French Polynesia
At the end of the 19th century one of the maimstreets of Papeete on Tahiti was given the name ‘Rue de la Petite-Pologne’ (Little Poland street).
Adam Joachim Kulczycki (born 1809 in Pulawy, died 1882 in Tahiti) gave the street this name.
He founded there an astronomical and meteorological observatory for the French government.
Maybe he gave the name because he himself originated from the Polish region Małopolska (Little Poland).
More obviously, the name points to some families of Polish descent living there.
These types of toponyms are used all over the world.
For example Little Turkey in Cologne (Germany) or Little America in Gouda (Netherlands) and Little Switzerland in Belgium.
In 1953 the name of the street was changed to ‘Rue Gauguin’.
France - MIGRATION 1920-1923In the interwar period a big wave of migration from Poland to France took place. It had economic causes and was associated with a poor economic situation in Poland and large losses in population of France in World War I, when 1.5 million Frenchmen died and 4 million were crippled.
In 1919, the two countries signed an agreement about Polish workers coming to France and they established the French Mission Workers in Poland. Between 1920 and 1923 500.000 Poles emigrated to France, nearly all to the northern part of France. Polish workers, who came to France with their families, were mainly employed as workers in mining, metallurgy, industry and agriculture. Approx. 36 % of French miners was the origin of the Poles.
French Polonia was organized in numerous church associations, educational, social, cultural, sporting, charitable and social events. The central institution for the whole of France was the 'Rada Naczelna' (Supreme Council). Social Care was realized by the 'Opieki' (Nursing). Polish education was organized as branches of the French schools. The Polonia press was represented by several magazines. The most important was 'Narodowiec' (The Nationalist). More information
KazakhstanAccording to the 2009 census in Kazakhstan live about 3400 persons from Polish origin. There are 4 Polish cultural centers (Dom Kulturej Polski): in Czkałowo, Jasna Polana, Pierwomajce and in Taraz.
More information
Madagascar - POLka Intercultural Association Madagascar-Poland
Madagascar has an active Polonia organization, as one can see on Facebook, but the organization has no own Internet site.
In history many Poles worked in Madagascar for the French government or for the RC church.
Szwitzerland - POLISH MUSEUM IN RAPPERSWILSince 1870, the Rapperswil Castle houses a Polish museum. It was founded originally as the Polish National Museum in Exile, at the time when Poland had lost its independency. Now, as then the major concern of the museum is to show the very friendly relations between the freedom-loving Poles and Swiss. The Polish Museum and its library function thanks to the efforts of Swiss volunteers. The Museum is supervised by the Association of the Friends of the Polish Museum in Rapperswil, and since 1978, is supported financially by the Polish Cultural Foundation "Libertas" Rapperswil.
The museum has an attractive Internet site www.muzeum-polskie.org
Uruguay - USOPAŁ
The Polish Museum Castle
above the old city of Rapperswil
above the old city of Rapperswil
USOPAŁ means Unia Stowarzyszeń i Organizacji Polskich w Ameryce Łacińskiej
In English: Federation of Associations and Organisations in Latin America
In Spanish: USOPAL - Unión de Sociedades y Organizaciones Polacas en America Latina
In Portugese: USOPAL - União das Sociedades e Organizações Polônicas em América Latina
This organisation has its head-quarters in Montevideo, Uruguay. President is Jan Kobylański.
The Polonia organisation of Uruguay carries the name Sociedad Polonesa Mariscal Józef Pilsudski
The internet site of USOPAŁ www.usopal.pl has a Polish and a Spanish version.
