Związek Polaków „Zgoda” w RFN wobec Polaków na Wschodzie
The Union of Poles "Zgoda" in the FRG toward Poles in the East

Summary/Abstract: The aim of this article is to present the position of the Union of Poles “Zgoda” in the FRG regarding the Polish diaspora in Lithuania, Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia, as well as the challenges they faced. As the largest Polish diaspora organisation in the FRG, which maintained close ties with the authorities of the Polish People’s Republic (PRL) and benefited from this cooperation, the Union of Poles “Zgoda” refrained from establishing contact with Poles in the Soviet Union prior to 1989, a stance that can be understood in light of the political context. The situation shifted during the period of systemic transformation in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. The Union of Poles “Zgoda” supported compatriots in the East and their efforts to maintain Polish tradition and culture. Based on the union’s archival materials and publications in its journal “Głos Polski”, this article employs historical methods to to provide evidence in support of the above thesis while outlining the difficult circumstances of Poles living in the East.

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