There are roughly 20,000,000 people of Polish ancestry living outside Poland, making the Polish diaspora one of the largest in the world and one of the most widely dispersed. Kresy-Siberia Fundation website uses cookies to work better. Your email address will not be published. Moreover, Polish public opinion on Ukrainian refugees has been stable since October 2015, further suggesting that the reluctance to accept refugees from the Middle East and Africa … In 1941, the tables were turned when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, forcing Russia to join the Allies. It was by this circuitous route that the Polish deportees arrived in Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe and other parts of British Africa to see out the rest of WW2. (16.06.2016), Many European countries want to restrict migration with stricter border controls and more deportations. The Polish refugees also have a positive memory of the locals, says Durand. Within a few weeks, the Soviets invaded Poland from the east. During his travels to the former Polish refugee camps in South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, Durand said that local people "had good memories of the Poles," who farmed and sent their children to school. I myself have travelled to Nyabyeya in 2004, 2009 and 2019 trying to get more information on the Camp. Turmeric for Back Pain: Does Curcumin Help Sciatica & Herniated Disks? Privacy Policy | During his travels to the former Polish refugee camps in South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, Durand said that local people “had good memories of the Poles,” who farmed and sent their children to school. On the left, smiling and with her arms crossed — that was my grandmother,” says Durand. They deported hundreds of thousands of Poles, including many Jews, in four waves to forced labor camps in remote Russian regions such as Siberia and Kazakhstan. The story originally appeared on Deutsche Welle. Read more: Poland and Putin in war over World War Two. "I recognized the hospital and a group of young girls walking toward the camera. By far the largest number were those who, having escaped from Siberia with the Polish Army in 1942, had spent the war in Displaced Persons camps set up by the British in India and West Africa. But Iran proved unable to care for such large numbers of refugees, causing the British government to move Polish civilians to other British colonies. At the Polish Institute in London, he found the only existing film footage from the Tanzanian refugee camp where his grandmother had lived. Far from the terror and misery of the Soviet occupation and captivity, Polish refugees have settled down happily in African villages established for them. It is a photographic record of … Thousands of Europeans sought sanctuary in Africa during World War II — among them were many Polish people. There she met her husband, a Pole and a survivor of the Majdanek concentration camp. Of all the research Durand undertook, one discovery made a great impression. An interesting account of Polish Refugees in Uganda. Eventually, they migrated mostly to Australia, Canada, and Great Britain. That was when Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin signed a non-aggression pact that divided several eastern European countries, including Poland, into German and Soviet spheres of interest. At the Polish Institute in London, he found the only existing film footage from the Tanzanian refugee camp where his grandmother had lived. When Canadian Jonathan Durand traveled to Africa for the first time as a 20-year-old, he experienced a strange sense of being at home, an odd feeling for a young white man. Kazia Gerech (standing in the doorway) in front of the hut where her family lived in Tanzania in 1946. Eventually, they migrated mostly to Australia, Canada, and Great Britain. It took a while for Durand to understand why Africa seemed so familiar to him. On the left, smiling and with her arms crossed – that was my grandmother,” says Durand. In 1941, the tables were turned when Germany invaded the Soviet Union, forcing Russia to join the Allies. "When your Polish grandmother says that she has gone on safari on Africa's highest mountain, that inspires a child's imagination," he told DW. Required fields are marked *. Of all the research Durand undertook, one discovery made a great impression. During his travels to the former Polish refugee camps in South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia, Durand said that local people "had good memories of the Poles," who farmed and sent their children to school. The Polish refugees also have a positive memory of the locals, says Durand. from Africa, India and Europe. "They were young, and these intercultural encounters have shaped their humanity.". "It was often their first contact with whites," he told DW. From 1942 to 1949, Gerech lived with her siblings and parents in a simple thatched hut in Tengeru in what was then the British-administered territory of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). “They were young, and these intercultural encounters have shaped their humanity.”. That was when Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin signed a non-aggression pact that divided several eastern European countries, including Poland, into German and Soviet spheres of interest. Travelling on British ships to ports in Kenya, Tanganyika and Mozambique, the refugees were dispersed to settlements in the British colonies of Uganda, Kenya and Tanganyika, also to South Africa, North and South Rhodesia. Like the Nazis in the west of the country, the Soviet Union began to carry out ethnic cleansing. But Iran proved unable to care for such large numbers of refugees, causing the British government to move Polish civilians to other British colonies. His grandmother’s testimonies about her life in the small town of Tengeru in northern Tanzania motivated the filmmaker to embark on an emotionally charged nine-year journey that took him to Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Former prisoner of war buildings or specially built settlements now house the refugees throughout Africa. Do you have 5 minutes to help us improve our website? East Africa was one of the places to which many of them went. Within a few weeks, the Soviets invaded Poland from the east. Send us a text at +49-160-9575 9510. International SMS charges apply. Scouting was an important part of life. But Poles were reluctant to return to their homeland, which was under staunch Soviet control. We use cookies to improve our service for you. “When your Polish grandmother says that she has gone on safari on Africa’s highest mountain, that inspires a child’s imagination,” he told DW. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window). | Mobile version. It took a while for Durand to understand why Africa seemed so familiar to him. From 1942 to 1949, Gerech lived with her siblings and parents in a simple thatched hut in Tengeru in what was then the British-administered territory of Tanganyika (now Tanzania). The Polish migration to Africa has its roots in an event from August 1939. From Poland, over Russia and Iran, to Africa. "That's when I started my research," recalls Durand. Within a few weeks, the Soviets invaded Poland from the east. After the end of WWII in September 1945, the African host countries pushed to get rid of the Polish refugees.
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