Poland Recognises Greeks as the Country’s 10th National Minority

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Greeks have officially become Poland’s 10th recognised national minority after President Karol Nawrocki signed an amendment to the country’s law on national and ethnic minorities and regional languages.

The Polish Parliament passed the amendment on April 30, adding Greeks to the list of legally protected national minorities alongside Belarusians, Czechs, Lithuanians, Germans, Armenians, Russians, Slovaks, Ukrainians and Jews.

The change follows years of campaigning by the Greek community in Poland.

“We have been campaigning for this for a long time, with parliamentarians and the governor,” Ekaterini Ewangelu, president of the Ellas Parea Association of Greeks of Western Pomerania, told the Polish Press Agency (PAP).

The association has around 280 members and has worked for years to secure formal recognition for the Greek community.

A Greek community of thousands

Estimates put the number of people of Greek origin living in Poland today at between 5,000 and 6,000. Large communities live in Lower Silesia, Western Pomerania and the Tri-City area.

The Greek diaspora submitted applications to parliamentary committees and worked with local politicians, including Polish Peasant Party MP Jarosław Rzepa, as it pursued official recognition.

The amendment entered the Sejm, Poland’s lower house of parliament, at the end of February. Wanda Nowicka, chairwoman of the Parliamentary Committee on National and Ethnic Minorities, noted that lawmakers had not amended the relevant legislation since 2005.

Parliament approved the change by an overwhelming majority, with 419 MPs voting in favour and 20 against, most of them from the Confederation party.

Greeks have a long history in Poland

Greek presence in the Polish lands dates back to the 14th century, although the largest wave of Greek migration came after the Greek Civil War in 1949–1950.

Around 14,000 Greeks and Macedonians arrived in Poland during that period, including large numbers of women, children and wounded partisans.

Many settled in what Poland calls the “Recovered Territories”, including Jelenia Góra, Wrocław, Świdnica, Zgorzelec and Police.

Police, north of Szczecin, became an important centre for Greek refugees. A state educational centre and 12 schools operated there, providing shelter and education to almost 2,500 Greek children.

Although the Greek population in the region has declined considerably, the community remains active.

New support for Greek culture and education

The amendment will take effect six months after its publication.

The Polish government estimates that expanding the list of recognised national minorities to include Greeks will cost around 800,000 złoty (€187,000) a year.

Greek community representatives say they primarily expect the new status to strengthen institutional support for Greek culture and education.

“We want to show wider society our traditions, music, dances and cuisine,” Ewangelu said.

Ellas Parea organises meetings, exhibitions and concerts to promote Greek culture in Poland.

The new legislation formally recognises a community that has maintained its Greek identity, traditions and cultural life in Poland for generations.

(Source: RMF24/PAP)

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