Original sender: Bartlomiej Swiderek <[email protected]>
Dear Friends
Yesterday the results of the Polish national census were declared by the
Polish Central Statistical Office (GUS).
Although during the census we recorded a lot of cases when the
collecotrs refused to accept declarations of Silesian nationality or
when local branches of GUS were changing the answers where Silesian
nationality had been declared, into Polish, according to the results
declared yesterday Silesians appear to be the biggest national minority
in Poland (173 200 people)!
Please note, that the Polish government for years has been denying the
existence of our nation, saying that the people who declare such a
nationality (which according to them "does not exist") are individuals
without an explicit national awareness.
Taking into account all those obstacles I could say that the real number
of people who regard themselves Silesians could even have tripled!
However, we consider the results declared yesterday to be a great
success for our movement and the Silesian nation - the biggest,
officially non-existing, national minority in Poland.
Below please find detailed information about nationalities (minorities)
living in Poland, according to the results of the national census:
- Silesians 173 200
- Germans 152 900
- Belarusians 48 700
- Ukrainians 31 000
- Roma 12 900
- Russians 6 100
- Lemko 5 900
- Lithuanians 5 800
- Kashubs 5 100
- Slovaks 2 000
- Jews 1 100
- Armenians 1 100
- Czechs 800
Regards,
Bartlomiej Swiderek
EFA in the European Parliament
PHS 2 C 25
Rue Wiertzstraat
B-1047 Bruxelles
tel: 0032 (02) 284 36 14
fax: 0032 (02) 284 17 71