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Population exchange between Poland and Soviet Belarus

December 15, 2023

See also: Polish population transfers (1944–1946)

The population exchange between Poland and Soviet Belarus at the end of World War II (1944–1947) was based on an agreement signed on 9 September 1944 by the Byelorussian SSR with the newly-formed Polish Committee of National Liberation (PKWN). It stipulated the resettlement of ethnic Belarusians from Poland to Belarus and of ethnic Poles and Jews who had Polish citizenship before September 17, 1939 (date of the Soviet Invasion of Poland) from Belarus to Poland, in accordance with the resolutions of the Yalta and Tehran conferences and the plans about the new Belarus–Poland border.[1] Similar agreements were signed with the Ukrainian SSR (see Population exchange between Poland and Soviet Ukraine) and the Lithuanian SSR (see Population exchange between Poland and Soviet Lithuania); the three documents are commonly known as the Republican Agreements [pl].[2]

Transfers edit

In contrast to actions in the Ukrainian SSR, the communist officials in the Byelorussian SSR did not actively support deportation of Poles. Belarusian officials made it difficult for Polish activists to communicate with tuteishians – people who were undecided as to whether they considered themselves Polish or Belarusian.[3] Much of the rural population, who usually had no official identity documents, were denied the "right" of repatriation on the basis that they did not have documents stating they were Polish citizens.[3] In what was described as a "fight for the people", Polish officials attempted to get as many people repatriated as possible, whereas the Belarusian officials tried to retain them, particularly the peasants, while deporting most of the Polish intelligentsia. It is estimated that about 150,000 to 250,000 people were deported from Belarus. Similar numbers were registered as Poles but forced by the Belarusian officials to remain in Belarus, or were outright denied registration as Poles.

In response, Poland followed a similar process in regards to the Belarusian population of the territory of the Białystok Voivodeship, which was partially retained by Poland after World War II. It sought to retain some of the Belarusian people.[3]

Belarusians to Belarus edit

Part of the lands with a significant Belarusian population (Bialystok and its surroundings) were initially assigned to the Byelorussian SSR as "Belastok Voblast", but in September 1944, it was returned to Poland. The eastern parts of this area continue to have a significant Belarusian population. According to the Polish census of 2002, there were 46,041 Belarusians (3.9%) in Podlaskie Voivodeship. [4]

The transfer was completed by July 1946, and of 160,000 ethnic Belarusians, about 80,000 (according to Jasiak) or 38,000 (according to Mironowicz) were deported to the Byelorussian SSR and resettled there.[5][6]

Poles and Jews to Poland edit

Initially, the residents of the westernmost parts of Western Belarus were hesitant to register for resettlement, because they hoped that these parts, such as Grodno, would remain in Poland, and this view was propagated by the Polish underground. However, as the situation clarified, the public opinion, including the underground, adopted the opposite stance.[2]

For example, these are the numbers for the resettled people from Grodno:[2]

  • Polish families/family members: registered: 7,384/18,861; denied (for various reasons, e.g., missed the assigned train: 2142/5685; decided to stay: 159/4441; moved: 6033/14256
  • Jewish families/family members: registered: 108/178; moved: 101/170

Property loss edit

According to two Polish decrees of September 5, 1947 and July 27, 1949, the people resettled to the Byelorussian SSR lost all their property left in Poland without compensation, in contradiction with the "Republican Agreements" which stipulated a fair compensation for all property, with the exception of land. [7]

Name of the document edit

  • Polish title:Układ pomiędzy Polskim Komitetem Wyzwolenia Narodowego a Rządem Białoruskiej Socjalistycznej Republiki Rad dotyczący ewakuacji obywateli polskich z terytorium B.S.S.R. i ludności Białoruskiej z terytorium Polski, podpisany w Lublinie 9 września 1944 r., art. 3 ust. 6 i ust. 7, In: Biuletyn nr 4/2002. Wybór orzecznictwa Europejskiego Trybunału Praw Człowieka w sprawach polskich, Vol. III, pp. I-VII , as cited by Andrzej Kiedrzyn [7]
  • Belarusian title: Пагадненне паміж Польскім камітэтам нацыянальнага вызвалення і ўрадам БССР аб эвакуацыі польскіх грамадзян з тэрыторыі БССР і беларускага насельніцтва з тэрыторыі Польшчы
  • Translation: "Agreement between the Polish Committee of National Liberation and the Government of the Byelorussian Soviet Sovialist Republic Regarding the Evacuation of Polish Citizens from the Territory of the B.S.S.R. and the Belarusian Population from the Territory of Poland, Signed in Lublin on September 9, 1944"[8])

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Переселение белорусов из Польши и Полесская область (1944-1947 гг.)"
  2. ^ a b c А. Вялікі A. “Зыход” або перасяленне польскага насельніцтва з Гродна ў Польшчу ў 1944-1946 гг. In: Гісторыя і памяць. XV-XX стст. Матэрыялы міжнароднай навуковай канферэнцыі (Гародня, 9-10 лістапада 2013 г.), / Пад. Рэд. А.К. Краўцэвіча і А.Ф. Смалянчука, Гародня 2014. pp. 304-312.
  3. ^ a b c Philipp Ther, Ana Siljak, Redrawing Nations: Ethnic Cleansing in East-Central Europe, 1944–1948, Rowman & Littlefield, 2001, ISBN 0-7425-1094-8, Google Print, p.141
  4. ^ Barwiński 2005, p. 1.
  5. ^ Marek Jasiak, "Overcoming Ukrainian resistance: The Deportation of Ukrainians within Poland in 1947", In: Redrawing Nations: Ethnic Cleansing in East-Central Europe, 1944-1948, p. 181, citing Gregorz Sosna, "Sprawy narodowosciowe i wyznaniowe na Bialostocczyznie (1944-1948) w ocenie władz Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej : wybór dokumentów", a review of Sosna by Jan Jerzy Milewski in Studia Podlaskie, 1996, Vol. VI
  6. ^ E. Mironowicz, Polityka narodowościowa PRL, Białystok 2000, p. 40, as cited here
  7. ^ a b "Expropriation of real estate as a consequence of the loss or lack of Polish citizenship", March 16, 2021
  8. ^ Andrzej Jakubowski, State Succession in Cultural Property, 2015, ISBN 0198738064,
  • Barwiński, Marek (2005). "Struktura narodowościowa i językowa mieszkańców południowo-wschodniej części województwa podlaskiego – porównanie wyników badań terenowych i Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego". Pogranicze (in Polish). Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Białymstoku: 67–84. hdl:11089/3855. ISSN 1230-2392.

Further reading edit

  • Вялікі А. На раздарожжы. Беларусы і палякі ў час перасялення. 1944—1946. — Мн.: НАРБ, 2004, 230 pp. ISBN 985-435-915-8
  • E. Mironowicz, Białorusini w Polsce w 1944-1949, Warszawa, 1993.

December 15, 2023
population, exchange, between, poland, soviet, belarus, also, polish, population, transfers, 1944, 1946, population, exchange, between, poland, soviet, belarus, world, 1944, 1947, based, agreement, signed, september, 1944, byelorussian, with, newly, formed, po. See also Polish population transfers 1944 1946 The population exchange between Poland and Soviet Belarus at the end of World War II 1944 1947 was based on an agreement signed on 9 September 1944 by the Byelorussian SSR with the newly formed Polish Committee of National Liberation PKWN It stipulated the resettlement of ethnic Belarusians from Poland to Belarus and of ethnic Poles and Jews who had Polish citizenship before September 17 1939 date of the Soviet Invasion of Poland from Belarus to Poland in accordance with the resolutions of the Yalta and Tehran conferences and the plans about the new Belarus Poland border 1 Similar agreements were signed with the Ukrainian SSR see Population exchange between Poland and Soviet Ukraine and the Lithuanian SSR see Population exchange between Poland and Soviet Lithuania the three documents are commonly known as the Republican Agreements pl 2 Contents 1 Transfers 1 1 Belarusians to Belarus 1 2 Poles and Jews to Poland 2 Property loss 3 Name of the document 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingTransfers editIn contrast to actions in the Ukrainian SSR the communist officials in the Byelorussian SSR did not actively support deportation of Poles Belarusian officials made it difficult for Polish activists to communicate with tuteishians people who were undecided as to whether they considered themselves Polish or Belarusian 3 Much of the rural population who usually had no official identity documents were denied the right of repatriation on the basis that they did not have documents stating they were Polish citizens 3 In what was described as a fight for the people Polish officials attempted to get as many people repatriated as possible whereas the Belarusian officials tried to retain them particularly the peasants while deporting most of the Polish intelligentsia It is estimated that about 150 000 to 250 000 people were deported from Belarus Similar numbers were registered as Poles but forced by the Belarusian officials to remain in Belarus or were outright denied registration as Poles In response Poland followed a similar process in regards to the Belarusian population of the territory of the Bialystok Voivodeship which was partially retained by Poland after World War II It sought to retain some of the Belarusian people 3 Belarusians to Belarus edit Part of the lands with a significant Belarusian population Bialystok and its surroundings were initially assigned to the Byelorussian SSR as Belastok Voblast but in September 1944 it was returned to Poland The eastern parts of this area continue to have a significant Belarusian population According to the Polish census of 2002 there were 46 041 Belarusians 3 9 in Podlaskie Voivodeship 4 The transfer was completed by July 1946 and of 160 000 ethnic Belarusians about 80 000 according to Jasiak or 38 000 according to Mironowicz were deported to the Byelorussian SSR and resettled there 5 6 Poles and Jews to Poland edit Initially the residents of the westernmost parts of Western Belarus were hesitant to register for resettlement because they hoped that these parts such as Grodno would remain in Poland and this view was propagated by the Polish underground However as the situation clarified the public opinion including the underground adopted the opposite stance 2 For example these are the numbers for the resettled people from Grodno 2 Polish families family members registered 7 384 18 861 denied for various reasons e g missed the assigned train 2142 5685 decided to stay 159 4441 moved 6033 14256 Jewish families family members registered 108 178 moved 101 170Property loss editAccording to two Polish decrees of September 5 1947 and July 27 1949 the people resettled to the Byelorussian SSR lost all their property left in Poland without compensation in contradiction with the Republican Agreements which stipulated a fair compensation for all property with the exception of land 7 Name of the document editPolish title Uklad pomiedzy Polskim Komitetem Wyzwolenia Narodowego a Rzadem Bialoruskiej Socjalistycznej Republiki Rad dotyczacy ewakuacji obywateli polskich z terytorium B S S R i ludnosci Bialoruskiej z terytorium Polski podpisany w Lublinie 9 wrzesnia 1944 r art 3 ust 6 i ust 7 In Biuletyn nr 4 2002 Wybor orzecznictwa Europejskiego Trybunalu Praw Czlowieka w sprawach polskich Vol III pp I VII as cited by Andrzej Kiedrzyn 7 Belarusian title Pagadnenne pamizh Polskim kamitetam nacyyanalnaga vyzvalennya i yradam BSSR ab evakuacyi polskih gramadzyan z terytoryi BSSR i belaruskaga naselnictva z terytoryi Polshchy Translation Agreement between the Polish Committee of National Liberation and the Government of the Byelorussian Soviet Sovialist Republic Regarding the Evacuation of Polish Citizens from the Territory of the B S S R and the Belarusian Population from the Territory of Poland Signed in Lublin on September 9 1944 8 See also editBelarusian minority in Poland Polish minority in BelarusReferences edit Pereselenie belorusov iz Polshi i Polesskaya oblast 1944 1947 gg a b c A Vyaliki A Zyhod abo perasyalenne polskaga naselnictva z Grodna y Polshchu y 1944 1946 gg In Gistoryya i pamyac XV XX stst Materyyaly mizhnarodnaj navukovaj kanferencyi Garodnya 9 10 listapada 2013 g Pad Red A K Kraycevicha i A F Smalyanchuka Garodnya 2014 pp 304 312 a b c Philipp Ther Ana Siljak Redrawing Nations Ethnic Cleansing in East Central Europe 1944 1948 Rowman amp Littlefield 2001 ISBN 0 7425 1094 8 Google Print p 141 Barwinski 2005 p 1 Marek Jasiak Overcoming Ukrainian resistance The Deportation of Ukrainians within Poland in 1947 In Redrawing Nations Ethnic Cleansing in East Central Europe 1944 1948 p 181 citing Gregorz Sosna Sprawy narodowosciowe i wyznaniowe na Bialostocczyznie 1944 1948 w ocenie wladz Rzeczpospolitej Polskiej wybor dokumentow a review of Sosna by Jan Jerzy Milewski in Studia Podlaskie 1996 Vol VI E Mironowicz Polityka narodowosciowa PRL Bialystok 2000 p 40 as cited here a b Expropriation of real estate as a consequence of the loss or lack of Polish citizenship March 16 2021 Andrzej Jakubowski State Succession in Cultural Property 2015 ISBN 0198738064 Barwinski Marek 2005 Struktura narodowosciowa i jezykowa mieszkancow poludniowo wschodniej czesci wojewodztwa podlaskiego porownanie wynikow badan terenowych i Narodowego Spisu Powszechnego Pogranicze in Polish Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu w Bialymstoku 67 84 hdl 11089 3855 ISSN 1230 2392 Further reading editVyaliki A Na razdarozhzhy Belarusy i palyaki y chas perasyalennya 1944 1946 Mn NARB 2004 230 pp ISBN 985 435 915 8 E Mironowicz Bialorusini w Polsce w 1944 1949 Warszawa 1993 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Population exchange between Poland and Soviet Belarus amp oldid 1170782667, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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