Cultural Slideshow of Poland
Additional Resources to Learn More About Poland's Culture...
Polish Culture -- This website gives SO much information about Poland's culture! Topics such as Poland's economy, food, politics and religion can be found within this site.
Tasting Poland -- This website provides many traditional Polish recipes. Good food is a part of any culture. In this site you will find recipes for many delicious dishes such as pierogis and cabbage stew.
Tasting Poland -- This website provides many traditional Polish recipes. Good food is a part of any culture. In this site you will find recipes for many delicious dishes such as pierogis and cabbage stew.
Religions of Eastern Europe
This map of Eastern Europe displays the primary religion of each of the countries. Countries in purple (which includes Poland) has a primary religion of Catholic. Countries in green represent a majority of Orthodox and countries in yellow represent a primary religion of Muslim.
Source for map:
(n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from
http://maltmanspoland.weebly.com/uploads/2/3
/8/5/23851424/4342459_orig.gif
Source for map:
(n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2015, from
http://maltmanspoland.weebly.com/uploads/2/3
/8/5/23851424/4342459_orig.gif
Religion in Poland
We are surrounded by culture and a countless number of religions all over the world. Poland is not any different and can see a wide variety of religions from their primary religion of Catholicism to Pentecostal to Jehovah’s Witness. “The range of non-Catholic religions is fairly wide even though the number of members is relatively small” (StayPoland.com, 2015). As I recently pointed out, Catholicism is the primary religion of the country and you probably already know this, especially if you have viewed the map of religions in Eastern Europe located on this webpage. The decision to introduce Catholicism early in Poland’s history is the main reason why it maintained its status of a country in Europe. Introducing Roman Catholicism and by law, making it be the primary religion of Poland allowed the country to keep its independence. So, where did Catholicism come from? It was not created in Poland so it had to originate from some place. Catholicism is said to have its history traced, “To Jesus of Nazareth, an itinerant preacher in the area around Jerusalem during the period of Roman occupation, in the early 30s of the Common Era” (Patheos.Com, 2015). This is a very old religion and it has maintained its popularity in Poland with about ninety-five percent of Polish citizens still following this religion today.
A person’s religion influences their social development and culture and this is most definitely seen in Poland. The Poles cherish every bit of food that they are to consume and most meals are not without some type of meat and bread. In fact, bread is quite important and is treated with much respect. If a piece of bread was to fall onto the floor, a person would immediately pick it up, kiss it, and hold the piece of bread while making a sign of the holy cross. Many Poles even trace their knives on the upper portion of a loaf of bread while making a sign of the cross before slicing into it. These acts show a true respect of the religion of Catholicism in the country.
Since Catholicism has been a part of Poland since very early in the country’s existence, there are sacred places that exist within the country. Many of the sacred places I have come across during my research have been Catholic Churches inside of Poland such as Saint Andrew’s Church, Saint Mary’s Church, and the Church of Peter and Paul which are all located in Krakow, Poland. Krakow was the capital of Poland until 1596 so it is no wonder that so many sacred religious places exist in this ancient city. One of the most sacred and holiest places for all Catholics would be the Vatican which is located in Rome, Italy. The distance from Rome to Warsaw, Poland is a little over eight hundred miles so many devout Catholics living in Poland could easily make the trip to see the Vatican at some point in their lives.
Religion and government tend to intertwine and I believe the same could be said about this relationship in Poland although not as strong of a relationship as it once was. The Roman Catholic Church had a huge influence on laws prior to the 1990s within the country and the preamble to the Polish Constitution was even revised in 1997 to now recite, “We, the Polish nation – all citizens of the Republic – both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, as well as those not sharing such faith but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources” (Eurotopics.net, 2015). Although a huge majority of the country still practices Catholicism, the change of wording in the preamble satisfies believers and the nonbelievers of the Catholic faith.
The country of Poland has modernized and has been accepting of all faiths and religions that are practiced within its borders. With still about ninety-five percent of Poles still practicing the Catholic religion, it is evident that old values are still very much important to the people of Poland. From the Catholic rituals that are performed over some of their food to the sacred churches that are still present in Krakow, I believe that this religion will always have a huge presence in Polish history and in their future.
References
Countries and Their Cultures. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Poland.html
Library. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Roman-Catholicism.html
Navigation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/magazin/gesellschaft-verteilerseite/religion/religion_polen/
Religion. (2007, June 24). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.explore-poland.pl/Religion-in-Poland.html
Religion in Poland. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.staypoland.com/poland-religion.htm
What is the origin of the Catholic Church? (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.gotquestions.org/origin-Catholic-church.html
A person’s religion influences their social development and culture and this is most definitely seen in Poland. The Poles cherish every bit of food that they are to consume and most meals are not without some type of meat and bread. In fact, bread is quite important and is treated with much respect. If a piece of bread was to fall onto the floor, a person would immediately pick it up, kiss it, and hold the piece of bread while making a sign of the holy cross. Many Poles even trace their knives on the upper portion of a loaf of bread while making a sign of the cross before slicing into it. These acts show a true respect of the religion of Catholicism in the country.
Since Catholicism has been a part of Poland since very early in the country’s existence, there are sacred places that exist within the country. Many of the sacred places I have come across during my research have been Catholic Churches inside of Poland such as Saint Andrew’s Church, Saint Mary’s Church, and the Church of Peter and Paul which are all located in Krakow, Poland. Krakow was the capital of Poland until 1596 so it is no wonder that so many sacred religious places exist in this ancient city. One of the most sacred and holiest places for all Catholics would be the Vatican which is located in Rome, Italy. The distance from Rome to Warsaw, Poland is a little over eight hundred miles so many devout Catholics living in Poland could easily make the trip to see the Vatican at some point in their lives.
Religion and government tend to intertwine and I believe the same could be said about this relationship in Poland although not as strong of a relationship as it once was. The Roman Catholic Church had a huge influence on laws prior to the 1990s within the country and the preamble to the Polish Constitution was even revised in 1997 to now recite, “We, the Polish nation – all citizens of the Republic – both those who believe in God as the source of truth, justice, good and beauty, as well as those not sharing such faith but respecting those universal values as arising from other sources” (Eurotopics.net, 2015). Although a huge majority of the country still practices Catholicism, the change of wording in the preamble satisfies believers and the nonbelievers of the Catholic faith.
The country of Poland has modernized and has been accepting of all faiths and religions that are practiced within its borders. With still about ninety-five percent of Poles still practicing the Catholic religion, it is evident that old values are still very much important to the people of Poland. From the Catholic rituals that are performed over some of their food to the sacred churches that are still present in Krakow, I believe that this religion will always have a huge presence in Polish history and in their future.
References
Countries and Their Cultures. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.everyculture.com/No-Sa/Poland.html
Library. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.patheos.com/Library/Roman-Catholicism.html
Navigation. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/magazin/gesellschaft-verteilerseite/religion/religion_polen/
Religion. (2007, June 24). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.explore-poland.pl/Religion-in-Poland.html
Religion in Poland. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.staypoland.com/poland-religion.htm
What is the origin of the Catholic Church? (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2015, from http://www.gotquestions.org/origin-Catholic-church.html
This map of Poland displays some of the different A sacred religious site in Krakow, Poland is Saint Mary's
religions that are practiced in the country. Church.
Catholicism is the primary religion of Poland. Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
Source: http://spuscizna.org/imagess/map-religions /a/a7/St_Mary_Church_Krakow_2360.JPG
-1772.JPG
religions that are practiced in the country. Church.
Catholicism is the primary religion of Poland. Source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons
Source: http://spuscizna.org/imagess/map-religions /a/a7/St_Mary_Church_Krakow_2360.JPG
-1772.JPG
The Holy Cross is an important symbol within Another beautiful sacred place in Krakow, Poland is the Church of
the Catholic religion. Many rituals over food Peter and Paul.
are performed utilizing the cross. Source: http://www.pommietravels.com/wp-content/uploads
Source: http://sacredhearterie.org/wp-content/ /2012/05/St.Peter-and-Paul-Church-Krakow.jpg
uploads/2009/11/Cross.gif
the Catholic religion. Many rituals over food Peter and Paul.
are performed utilizing the cross. Source: http://www.pommietravels.com/wp-content/uploads
Source: http://sacredhearterie.org/wp-content/ /2012/05/St.Peter-and-Paul-Church-Krakow.jpg
uploads/2009/11/Cross.gif
Poland Demographic Data
Gapminder World - Poland
Gapminder is an amazing tool to utilize and since I am going into the field of teaching, I am glad it was introduced to me. There is so much you can explore on this website. The below images are all courtesy of Gapminder World. I decided to explore a little bit into the economy and infrastructure of Poland. If you ever get the opportunity to explore Gapminder (which I hope you all do), you are able to change the criteria of your searches and can even compare a specific country to others in the world. Figures 1 and 2 are comparisons of the poverty level in Poland (people living on two dollars OR less a day) compared to the entire world which falls into the category of economy. Figure 1 is a snapshot from 1985 and figure 2 is a snapshot from 2005; a twenty year difference. In 1985, Poland was one of the only countries in its region with severe poverty. Take a look at 2005; there are a lot more orange circles in that map which represents more poverty. Images 3 and 4 narrow in on the total number of traffic deaths that occurred in Poland which is included in the area of infrastructure. Figure 3 shows Poland's traffic death rate in 1999 and figure 4 shows Poland's rate in 2007. Look at the amount of circles from 1999 to 2007. This is only showing an eight year difference but I found it to be quite interesting how many more circles (which represents countries of the world) that appeared on figure 4.
Gapminder World can be found by going to: http://www.gapminder.org/world
Gapminder World can be found by going to: http://www.gapminder.org/world
A Loss of Culture in Poland
The early 1930’s through the mid 1940’s were a tough time for the entire world, full of war, heartache, and uncertainty. World War Two took place from 1939 through 1945 but what some may not remember or realize was the Holocaust started before this war ever did. From January 30, 1933 through May 8, 1945, there were eleven million people murdered under Adolph Hitler’s rule with his German Army.
In Poland alone, six million citizens were brutally murdered. This number includes men, woman, and children. Of the six million in Poland, three million were Jews and the other three million were Christians. Other victims that were murdered were citizens throughout Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Holland, France and even in Hitler’s home of Germany. The dynamic of Jewish culture in Poland was immediately changed following this horrific time in our world’s history. There were 3.3 million Jews living in Poland prior to the start of the Holocaust. After three million Jews were slayed in the country, only 300 thousand remained. Before the Holocaust, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe; 1 out of every 10 Poles was Jewish. Many of the Jewish survivors feared returning to their homes because of anti-Semitism which is the hatred towards Jews. An example of this occurred in 1946 in Kielce, Poland where forty-two Jews were killed in a riot and many others were beat severely. Jewish culture and pride dwindled in Poland.
Although Poland is now nearly seventy years since the end of the Holocaust, Jewish culture is still dramatically low in comparison to what it used to be in the country. Remember how the Pre-Holocaust Jewish population was around 3.3 million in Poland? Today, this number dropped to approximately 25,000 people. This is less than one percent of Poland’s entire population.
So, what is being done to help preserve Jewish culture within Poland today? Many of the old synagogues are being restored that were abandoned during the Holocaust. Poland now even has two Jewish schools and rabbis throughout some of the major cities in in the country. With a relatively low Jewish population, culture is being embraced by citizens of Poland that have no Jewish decent.
Every June, Poland holds an annual festival of Jewish culture. Traditional Jewish music and dances are performed so even with a large population of Jews no longer existing in the country any longer, the Jewish culture and traditions are still being practiced and enjoyed by many Polish citizens. The founder and director of this annual festival said, “It’s a way to pay homage to the people who lived here, who contributed so much to polish culture” (Janusz Makuch, 2007).
This may seem like something so small in terms of preserving culture within Poland but I believe it says so much about the country and the people living in it. It was refreshing to read the article based on this annual Jewish festival and everything uplifting that Janusz Makuch had to say as a present-day Catholic himself. He and so many others realize that so much of their everyday culture stems back to the days where the Jewish population in Poland was quite concentrated. Poland is definitely on the right track in terms of integrating Jewish culture back into their lives.
In Poland alone, six million citizens were brutally murdered. This number includes men, woman, and children. Of the six million in Poland, three million were Jews and the other three million were Christians. Other victims that were murdered were citizens throughout Hungary, Czechoslovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Holland, France and even in Hitler’s home of Germany. The dynamic of Jewish culture in Poland was immediately changed following this horrific time in our world’s history. There were 3.3 million Jews living in Poland prior to the start of the Holocaust. After three million Jews were slayed in the country, only 300 thousand remained. Before the Holocaust, Poland had the largest Jewish population in Europe; 1 out of every 10 Poles was Jewish. Many of the Jewish survivors feared returning to their homes because of anti-Semitism which is the hatred towards Jews. An example of this occurred in 1946 in Kielce, Poland where forty-two Jews were killed in a riot and many others were beat severely. Jewish culture and pride dwindled in Poland.
Although Poland is now nearly seventy years since the end of the Holocaust, Jewish culture is still dramatically low in comparison to what it used to be in the country. Remember how the Pre-Holocaust Jewish population was around 3.3 million in Poland? Today, this number dropped to approximately 25,000 people. This is less than one percent of Poland’s entire population.
So, what is being done to help preserve Jewish culture within Poland today? Many of the old synagogues are being restored that were abandoned during the Holocaust. Poland now even has two Jewish schools and rabbis throughout some of the major cities in in the country. With a relatively low Jewish population, culture is being embraced by citizens of Poland that have no Jewish decent.
Every June, Poland holds an annual festival of Jewish culture. Traditional Jewish music and dances are performed so even with a large population of Jews no longer existing in the country any longer, the Jewish culture and traditions are still being practiced and enjoyed by many Polish citizens. The founder and director of this annual festival said, “It’s a way to pay homage to the people who lived here, who contributed so much to polish culture” (Janusz Makuch, 2007).
This may seem like something so small in terms of preserving culture within Poland but I believe it says so much about the country and the people living in it. It was refreshing to read the article based on this annual Jewish festival and everything uplifting that Janusz Makuch had to say as a present-day Catholic himself. He and so many others realize that so much of their everyday culture stems back to the days where the Jewish population in Poland was quite concentrated. Poland is definitely on the right track in terms of integrating Jewish culture back into their lives.
Sabbath dinner in a synagogue in Krakow, Poland. Today, Hasidic dancing at the Jewish Festival in Krakow. Many non-
there are only 300 Jews remaining in this town (70,000 lived Jewish Poles take part in this festival every June.
here prior to the Holocaust).
*Both images were utilized from the New York Times article, "In Poland, a Jewish Revival Thrives — Minus Jews."
The citation for this is located under references.
References:
Rosenberg, J. (n.d.). The Number of Jews Killed During the Holocaust by Country. Retrieved April 3, 2015,
from http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/bldied.htm
Schwartz, T. (n.d.). The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/NonJewishVictims.html
Smith, C. (2007, July 11). In Poland, a Jewish Revival Thrives — Minus Jews. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/world/europe/12krakow.html?=&_r=0
The Aftermath of the Holocaust. (2014, June 20). Retrieved April 3, 2015, from
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005129
there are only 300 Jews remaining in this town (70,000 lived Jewish Poles take part in this festival every June.
here prior to the Holocaust).
*Both images were utilized from the New York Times article, "In Poland, a Jewish Revival Thrives — Minus Jews."
The citation for this is located under references.
References:
Rosenberg, J. (n.d.). The Number of Jews Killed During the Holocaust by Country. Retrieved April 3, 2015,
from http://history1900s.about.com/library/holocaust/bldied.htm
Schwartz, T. (n.d.). The Holocaust: Non-Jewish Victims. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/NonJewishVictims.html
Smith, C. (2007, July 11). In Poland, a Jewish Revival Thrives — Minus Jews. Retrieved April 3, 2015, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/12/world/europe/12krakow.html?=&_r=0
The Aftermath of the Holocaust. (2014, June 20). Retrieved April 3, 2015, from
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005129
Food in Poland
Poland is located in the heart of Eastern Europe and food remains to be an important part of Polish culture. Wheat and grains are a strong crop throughout Poland and make its way into different breads, noodles, and other every day foods that are consumed by Poles. Poland also produces a lot of its own produce such as potatoes and cabbage. A traditional meal in the country consists of some type of meat with a side dish.
A majority of the country is Catholic so there are many occasions throughout the year where citizens feast and other occasions where the people fast. During the fasts, meat is not consumed at all so there are many meatless entrees that have become popular in Poland. Since Poland is surrounded by many strong European countries, there have been foods throughout history that have had an influence on the country’s food culture. Stew was introduced by Hungary, pastry from France, and borscht from Ukraine are only naming a few of the foods that have influenced Poland’s culinary traditions.
Stuffed cabbage rolls (Golabki as they are referred to in Poland) are a favorite throughout Poland and utilize the country’s fresh cabbage crops along with wholesome meat. Bigos (Hunter’s Stew) is also a traditional Polish dish which also incorporates meat and vegetables. The Poles do not like to be wasteful so this stew is a wonderful way to utilize leftovers that can be found at home and in the garden. Here are the recipes to make these delicious meals in your own kitchen.
Golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls)
Ingredients
Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)
Ingredients
References
Food in Every Country. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Poland.html
(n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.zagleft.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Golabki-Recipe-Cabbage-Rolls-from-ZagLeft1-580x386.jpg
Regional Polish food — specialties and the diversity of Polish food traditions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.tastingpoland.com/food/regional_polish_food.html
A majority of the country is Catholic so there are many occasions throughout the year where citizens feast and other occasions where the people fast. During the fasts, meat is not consumed at all so there are many meatless entrees that have become popular in Poland. Since Poland is surrounded by many strong European countries, there have been foods throughout history that have had an influence on the country’s food culture. Stew was introduced by Hungary, pastry from France, and borscht from Ukraine are only naming a few of the foods that have influenced Poland’s culinary traditions.
Stuffed cabbage rolls (Golabki as they are referred to in Poland) are a favorite throughout Poland and utilize the country’s fresh cabbage crops along with wholesome meat. Bigos (Hunter’s Stew) is also a traditional Polish dish which also incorporates meat and vegetables. The Poles do not like to be wasteful so this stew is a wonderful way to utilize leftovers that can be found at home and in the garden. Here are the recipes to make these delicious meals in your own kitchen.
Golabki (stuffed cabbage rolls)
Ingredients
- 1 head cabbage
- 1 cup uncooked rice
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 2 teaspoons butter
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 4 slices bacon
- 2 cans concentrated tomato soup
- Pour boiling water over the cabbage to loosen the leaves.
- Remove a few leaves at a time as they soften.
- Place the rice in 1 cup of water and boil 10 minutes.
- Sauté the onions in butter until partly browned.
- Combine with the rice, meat, egg, salt, pepper, and garlic powder; mix well.
- Place some of the meat mixture on the stem of a cabbage leaf and roll over once. (Part of the thick stem section can be cut off first for easier rolling.) Tuck in the sides of the leaf and finish rolling.
- If needed, fasten rolled leaf with a toothpick.
- To cook, place the slices of bacon with a few cabbage leaves and any leftover small leaves at the bottom of the baking dish.
- Place the rolls on top, cover with the tomato soup, and place any leftover cabbage leaves on top.
- Cover with a lid or foil and bake about 2 to 2½ hours at 300°F.
Bigos (Polish Hunter's Stew)
Ingredients
- 8 slices of bacon, finely chopped
- 1 pound boneless, lean pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped, or 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3 onions, quartered
- ½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup canned beef broth
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cups canned sauerkraut, rinsed under water and drained well
- 2 medium apples, cored and sliced
- 2 cups Italian-style whole tomatoes with juice
- 1 cup cooked ham, diced
- 1½ cups cooked Polish sausage, coarsely sliced
- Fry bacon pieces in Dutch oven or large saucepan over high heat for about 3 minutes.
- Carefully drain off some of the fat, leaving just enough to coat the bottom of the pot.
- Add pork, garlic, onions, and mushrooms, and, stirring constantly, fry until meat is browned on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add beef broth, sugar, bay leaves, drained sauerkraut, apples, and tomatoes with juice. Bring the mixutre to a boil, increasing heat if necessary.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer stew for about 1½ hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Add cooked ham and sausage, and stir.
- Cover and continue to simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes more to blend flavors.
- Remove bay leaves and discard before serving.
References
Food in Every Country. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.foodbycountry.com/Kazakhstan-to-South-Africa/Poland.html
(n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.zagleft.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Golabki-Recipe-Cabbage-Rolls-from-ZagLeft1-580x386.jpg
Regional Polish food — specialties and the diversity of Polish food traditions. (n.d.). Retrieved April 18, 2015, from http://www.tastingpoland.com/food/regional_polish_food.html