Polacy i Polonia w Wenezueli – dawniej i dzisiaj
Poles and Polonia in Venezuela – Past and Present

Summary/Abstract: The article describes the history of Poles and the Polish community in Venezuela, focusing on their migration and influence on Venezuelan society. The first Poles arrived in Venezuela in the 19th century, often as political emigrants, but until World War II, only a few people decided to settle in Venezuela, such as Wojciech Lutowski, a key figure in the development of 19th-century engineering in Venezuela. It was not until the second half of the 1940s that more Poles arrived in Venezuela, mainly soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces in the West and former prisoners of German labour camps. It was then that the first Polish community organisations were established to support Poles and promote Polish culture. Spiritual support was provided by Polish chaplains, and from 1970 to the beginning of the 21st century, the Polish Catholic Mission was active. Currently, organisations such as the Association of Poles in Venezuela and the Friends of Poland Club are still active in Caracas. The Club's activities are particularly important, as it is primarily involved in intensive educational activities, organising Polish language and culture lessons for children, young people, students and adults. However, the number of Poles in Venezuela is gradually decreasing and today there are probably no more than 800-900 of them.

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