The researchers have an interest in migrations from Poland to Germany as a long-standing historic phenomenon and in migrations in general. Various aspects of migration and the presence of migrants from Poland in Germany – defined broadly and inclusively as Polish citizens living in Germany, German citizens of Polish descent and people of German descent identifying with Polish culture and language – have been investigated by Polish and German researchers. The interest stems from the fact that migrations from Poland to Germany are of great importance to both public in both the country of origin and the country of residence. Although a wealth of research and literature is available on the subject, it seems justifiable to claim that, as a research interest pursued by migration scholars, Polish migrations to Germany require further investigation. One of the areas in need of further research is culture and the cultural participation of migrants.
The participation and cultural activity of migrants undoubtedly makes a unique subject of investigation. It involves interactions between the native culture, the dominant culture of the host society and “migrant culture” – covering both the culture produced by representatives of a given migration community and the broadly defined “ethnospace” produced by all immigrants living in a given host country.
Although participation in culture, both in terms of the consumption of culture and its active co-creation, should be central to migration research, it is largely neglected in the literature. While the very concept of culture is covered extensively in migration-related research in the humanities and social studies, it is nevertheless limited to a narrow range of contexts [1], such as: migration culture, cultural policy (integration), the cultural adaptation of migrants [2], the presence of migration in culture [3], and the impact of culture on the identity of migrants inthe societies of both the country of origin and the country of residence – [4]. Neither the participation in culture nor the production of culture by emigrants is analyzed broadly.
It it also in the specific case of migrants from Poland in Germany that no cross-sectional research on the state and transformations of Polish culture in Germany, and especially on the participation of migrants from Poland in German, and Polish and migrant culture, is available [5]. While research does exist on the identity of Poles living in West Germany [6], the cultural profile of Polish organizations operating in Germany [7], Polish media and publishing houses [8], the language used by migrants from Poland [9] and migrant integration [10], no research or literature focuses on the cultural participation of migrants from Poland living in Germany. This is fairly surprising considering that migrants from Poland make not only one of the largest migrant communities in Germany, but also one of the most interesting ones due to their long history of migration and its complexity (resulting from the multiple migration waves observed over the last 200 years, including the so-called Aussiedler who, despite their declared German nationality, commonly maintain ties to the Polish culture, language, and in some cases, also identity).
[1] E.g. R. Cohen, G. Jonsson (eds.), Migration and Culture, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham, 2011; or J.E. Zamojski (ed.), Migracje i kultura. Migracje i społeczeństwo 11, IH PAN, Warszawa 2006.
[2] W. Schiffauer, Migration und kulturelle Differenz. Berlin, Ausländerbeauftragte des Senats, 2003; T. Gross, Kulturelle Herausforderungen in der Einwanderungsgesellschaft, in: Jahrbuch für Kulturpolitik 2002/2003, Essen: Klartext 2003.
[3] C. Chiellino (ed.): Interkulturelle Literatur in Deutschland. Stuttgart 2000
[4] A. Fortier, Migrant Belongings: Memory, Space, Identity, Berg, Oxford 2000; A. Grzymała-Kazłowska Od tożsamości i integracji do społecznego zakotwiczenia – propozycja nowej koncepcji teoretycznej, CMR Working Paper, Nr 64(122), Warszawa 2013..
[5] E.g. M. Nowosielski, Polacy w Niemczech Stan i perspektywy badań, „Przegląd Zachodni”, nr 3/2012.
[6] E.g. K. Wóycicki, Poczucie tożsamości i więź grupowa osób polskojęzycznych, w: A. Wolff-Powęska, E. Schulz (ed.), Być Polakiem w Niemczech, Poznań 2000; E. Morawska, E., National identities of Polish (im)migrants in Berlin, Germany: four varieties, their correlates and implications, in: W. Spohn, A. Triandafyllidou (eds.) Europeanisation, National Identities and Migration: Changes in Boundary Constructions Between Western and Eastern Europe, London 2003.
[7] M. Nowosielski, Profil działalności polskich organizacji w Niemczech, „Studia Migracyjne – Przegląd Polonijny” nr 3/2011; S. Nagel, Zwischen zwei Welten. Kulturelle Strukturen der polnischsprachigen Bevölkerung in Deutschland, ifa//Dokumente/1/2009, Stuttgart 2009.
[8] M. Kalczyńska, L.Paszek, Niemieckie polonica prasowe: (ostatnie dwudziestolecie XX wieku), Opole 2004; A. Łakomy, Polska książka na obczyźnie. Niemcy Zachodnie (1945-1950), Warszawa 2011; E. Morawska, The Recognition Politics of Polish Radio MultiKulti in Berlin, „Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies” nr 8/2008.
[9] M. Warchoł-Schlottmann, Język polski w Niemczech – perspektywy zachowania języka etnicznego u najnowszej emigracji, „Przegląd Polonijny” nr 3/1996; M.T. Michalewska, Polszczyzna osób bilingwalnych w Zagłębiu Ruhry w sytuacji oficjalnej, Kraków 1991.
[10] K. Blumberg-Stankiewicz, Migranten aus Polen. Die Folgen der Aussiedlerkate-gorisierung im Schatten der deutschen Einwanderungs- und Integrationspolitik, Saarbrücken, 2007.