Relations Between Polish Immigrant Organisations in Germany and Institutions of the Polish and German States

Abstract

This paper assesses relations between Polish immigrant organisations and institutions of the Polish and German states as well as the impact of these relations on how such organisations function. According to empirical research, Polish immigrant organisations have limited contact or co-operation with the institutions of the German state and have far greater relations with Polish diplomatic missions. The reasons for that may lie within specific attitudes held by all three parties. Polish immigrant organisations seem to be passive in relation to the rather reactive institutions of the German state while, at the same time, the institutions of the Polish state actively support the Polish diaspora organisations. Such a state of affairs can exert a negative impact on the organisations, especially with regard to their financial situation.

Notes

1 When analysing the Microzensus data, it should be acknowledged that German researchers indicate that the number of people of the Polish migration background is in all likelihood underestimated (Halm et al., 2012, p. 38).

2 As of 2016, out of 1,868,000 people of Polish migration background in Germany as many as 500,000 were Aussiedler or Spätaussiedler (Destatis, 2017, pp. 82–100). Such migrants left Poland for Germany on the basis of having or claiming German nationality. Since being granted the status of a resettler was connected with being a German citizen (or an ancestor of a citizen) or having lived in the territories which belonged to the German Reich prior to 31 December 1937, this broad category grouped people with different identities: German, so-called ‘autochthonic’ people such as: Silesians, Kashubes, Mazurs, as well as people of Polish identity for whom Aussiedler status offered one of the very few possibilities to migrate from communist Poland (Stola, 2010). In consequence, many of the resettlers, especially late resettlers, maintained with the Polish culture and language (Schmidt, 2009). They are also important in terms of establishing and constituting the beneficiaries of the Polish immigrant organisations (Nowosielski, 2016). For more on the migration of Aussiedler (see Bade and Oltmer, 1999; Dietz, 2006).

3 For more detailed information on the language behaviour and cultural participation of Polish migrants (see: Jeran et al., 2019).

4 Since most of the Polish or Polonia organisations in Germany, even those with longer tradition and referring to the heritage of the pre-war Polish minority, are currently run by first generation immigrants from Poland, we use the term Polish immigrant organisations.

5 Perhaps the most important change was the shift from ‘old’ to ‘new’ diaspora policy observed in years 2011–2015 (Nowosielski & Nowak, 2017b; Nowak & Nowosielski, 2019).

6 Institutional survey is a technique used in the research on institutions and organisations. The main issues that the institutional survey is intended to shed light on are: the structure of the organisation (e.g. age, geographical territory, or management structure), the organisation’s areas and methods of activity, the number and characteristics of members, and, if applicable, employees; revenues and expenses; the social environment of the organisations; and/or the arising problems (Klandermans & Smith, 2002, p. 4).

7 Author’s interview, 6 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

8 Author’s interview, interview 1, 21 February 2017, Berlin, Germany.

9 Author’s interview, 7 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

10 Author’s interview, 18 November 2017, Bavaria, Germany.

11 Author’s interview, interview 1, 5 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

12 Author’s interview, interview 1, 6 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

13 Author’s interview, interview 2, 6 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

14 Caritas is the catholic social service organisation, while Diakonie is charitable organisation of Protestant churches in Germany.

15 Author’s interview, interview 1, 21 February 2017, Berlin, Germany.

16 Author’s interview, interview 2, 5 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

17 Author’s interview, 7 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

18 Author’s interview, interview 1, 5 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

19 Author’s interview, 22 February 2017, Berlin, Germany.

20 Author’s interview, interview 1, 5 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

21 Author’s interview, 15 March 2017, Bavaria, Germany.

22 Author’s interview, 23 February 2017, Berlin, Germany.

23 Author’s interview, 18 February 2018, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany.

24 Local discussion clubs created by readers of ‘Gazeta Polska’, a right-wing conservative Polish newspaper, also popular abroad.

25 Author’s interview, 3 March 2018, Berlin, Germany.

26 Author’s interview, interview 1, 6 July 2016, Nordrhein-Westphalen, Germany.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Science Centre under Grant ‘Polish immigrant organisations in Europe’ [grant number 2014/14/E/HS6/00731]; and Deutsch-Polnische Wissenschaftsstiftung under Grant ‘Migrants from Poland—cultural aspects’ [grant number 2016-17].