Skład narodowościowy, wyznaniowy i językowy ludności Łodzi w Drugiej Rzeczypospolitej

Abstract

A number of citizens rapidly increased in Łódź after 1820. It was a result of its economical growth. Łódź became a conglomeration of different nations, religions and languages. World War I brought economical and demographical regress. After its end another growth in number of people took place. The population was still a cultural mixture. In all statistic researches concerning national structure it is claimed that differences between particular nationalities and ethnic groups are very clear. A nation is a huge community with its cultural character. Whereas an ethnic group it's a community of higher level. We divide nations according to homogeneous origin, e.g. the Jewish people (descendants of ancient Hebrews), and the ones which draw their origin from various ethnic elements, e.g. the French people. Those of Celtic, Romance and Germanic origin took part in the ethnogenesis of a nation. Therefore Poles, Germans, Jews, Russians, Hungarians and Roumanians are nations. As for an ethnic group, this is a group of people being a community of inherited, specific culture. The group highlights its separateness based on this rule, e.g. the Gipsy people. Presentation of national structure of Łódź is possible when we think of 1921. Then the first Census was run in the Second Polish Republic. So in this period of time, like before the World War I, Polish nation was the majority. It was more than 60% of entire population of this city. The Jewish people were on the second position, which was about 30%. The number of the German people decreased considerably comparing to the period of annexation, both when considering absolute numbers and directed numbers. They were estimated at about a few per cent in the national structure of Łódź. However we should underline that Łódź remained an important concentration of the German people in the area of the Second Polish Republic. While the Census in 1931 only its language structure was established apart from the national structure of the country. A language declaration, which was declared by inhabitants of Poland, may not be recognized as a national declaration. It is confirmed by experiences of other countries. While the Census in Romania in 1930 both nationality and mother tongue were taken into account. As to national minorities such as Hungarians, Jews, Germans there is an important difference between the number of people declaring a certain nationality and the number of those declaring a language of the nationality. Next, in 1930, while the Census in Hungary, 97.1% of Jews pointed Hungarian as their mother tongue. In the Census in 1931 not all the ones who declared Polish language were Poles. Leaders of national minorities thought that the number of Poles was overestimated in the Census at about one million people. The reconstruction of national structure of Łódź at the end of thirties is possible thanks to the data from 1937. It is situated in NewRecord Officewhich belongs to Ministry of Social Care and it is also included in the records of the statistics department - it was overtaken by German administration while Polish occupation. This data can be only considered on the basis of its estimated character. The national structure in Łódź in 1937 appears in the following way: Poles - 58.5%, Jews - 31.1%, Germans - 8.0%, Russians - 1.0%, Ukrainians and Ruthenians - 0.4%, Belorussians - 0.06%, others - 0.6%. The proportions among particular nations did not change much within the interwar period of twenty years. The percentage of Poles and Jews decreased a little, while the percentage of Germans increased slightly at that time, In 1921 there were more than 50% Catholics in Łódź which is undoubtedly connected with demographic development of the city after the end of World War II. It caused a growth in the number of Catholics there. 1/3 of Łódź citizens were people of Jewish faith, Protestants - 10%. This proportion was established at this level throughout the interwar period of twenty years. Presenting a language structure of Łódź is possible only when we think of 1931. Most of the citizens pointed Polish as their mother tongue - 50%, Yiddish was chosen by 29.3%, the next one was German. A certain group of representatives of the Jewish society indicated Hebrew while the Census, though a real knowledge of this language must have been poor.