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- The Polish Colony in Harbin, Manchuria
- Introduction
- Chinese Eastern Railway
- Why the Polish Colony in Harbin was founded
- Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway link
- Polish engineers constructed major railway infrastructure for the Chinese Eastern Railway
- The first railway bridge spans the Songhua River in Harbin
- Creation of Harbin City
- Harbin Railway Station was designed by a Polish civil engineer
- The first brewery in Harbin opened
- Polish Newspapers in Harbin
- Cultural life of the Polish colony in Harbin
- Activities at Gospoda Polska
- The Restaurant at Gospoda Polska
- Relations between Poles and Chinese in Harbin
- Museum of Oriental Studies in Harbin
- Closure of the museum and loss of the exhibits
- School education in Harbin
- School certificates recognised in Poland
- Schoolchildren from the boarding school in Harbin
- Religious life in Harbin
- Industrious life of Poles in Harbin falls upon hard times – The colony declines in size
- The Polish Colony in Harbin and the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
- Recognition of Manchukuo by Poland
- Poles lost their right to work in the railway industry
- Rationing of food and other products was introduced
- The Red Army takes control of Manchuria
- Civil War in China – Decision to repatriate all Poles in Manchuria
- Repatriation train for Poland leaves Harbin
- Expulsion of the Polish colony in Harbin and repatriation
- Destruction of the Polish Catholic Cemetery in Harbin
- The last Pole leaves – The Polish Colony in Harbin ceases to exist
- CIA report about the Polish colony in Harbin
- The Harbin Poles in Poland
- Meeting with the chairman of the Harbinites Club in Szczecin, Poland
- Forced Migrations of the Polish Colony in Harbin and China
- Achievements of the Polish Colony in Harbin
- Additional References
- Appeal for information
- Unpacking the History of the Polish Colony in Harbin: Key Questions Answered
- South Coast View is on Substack
Updated 5 November 2024
South Coast View’s YouTube Video About The Polish Colony in Harbin
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The Polish Colony in Harbin, Manchuria
This post examines the former Polish colony in Harbin, highlighting how Poles, alongside Russians and other Eastern Europeans, transformed a small Chinese fishing village into a city of major commercial importance. We begin by tracing the origins of the Polish presence in Harbin.
Map attribution: Dagvidur via Wikimedia Commons.
It is estimated that, at the peak of the Polish colony in Harbin between 1917 and 1920, up to 10,000 Poles lived there. Source: Naukowcy poszukują śladów po polskich współzałożycielach chińskiego miasta. (Historians are looking for traces of the Polish colonisers of the Chinese city). Source: Nauka w Polsce. In Polish.
Introduction
Towards the end of the 19th century, Russia planned a railway line to connect the Russian cities of Chita and Vladivostok, linking them to the Trans-Siberian Railway. The shortest route was through Manchuria in China. The project also included a branch line to Port Arthur, now known as Lushunkou District in Dalian, located on the Yellow Sea.
Chinese Eastern Railway
In 1896, the Chinese government approved the project, allowing Russia to construct the Chinese Eastern Railway through Manchuria. This railway is sometimes referred to in English as the Trans-Manchurian Railway. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Pages 44 & 48.
Image: Chinese Eastern Railway: Voland77 derivative work: Vmenkov, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Construction of the railway commenced in 1897 and was completed in 1903. Source. Burkova Valentian Fedorovna. Far Eastern Line History Museum in Khabarovsk. In English.
Why the Polish Colony in Harbin was founded
The January Uprising in Russian-occupied Poland occurred between 1863 and 1864. After this failed uprising, Tsarist Russia removed the last vestiges of rights left to Poles and began to intensively Russify the population. Poles graduating from technical educational institutions in occupied Poland and Russia had little chance of a prosperous career in their homeland unless they accepted Russification. These heavy restrictions, however, were not enforced as strictly in the far corners of the Russian empire.
Construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway link
The construction of the Chinese Eastern Railway brought new opportunities, allowing engineers, entrepreneurs, and support workers from Russian-occupied Poland to pursue their careers in Manchuria—opportunities unavailable in their homeland. This development sparked a long-term migration to Harbin, where a vibrant Polish community flourished for nearly 50 years.
Polish engineers constructed major railway infrastructure for the Chinese Eastern Railway
Stanisław Kierbedź (1844–1910), a leading Polish railway engineer, served as one of the project managers for the Chinese Eastern Railway. Favoured by the Tsarist Prime Minister, Kierbedź played a pivotal role in securing prominent positions for Poles on the project, resulting in approximately 20% of managerial and supporting roles being assigned to Polish personnel.
Tsar Nicholas II was alarmed by the high number of Polish personnel on the project. He personally asked his foreign minister to address this situation. The minister told the Tsar nothing could be done, as there were too few suitably qualified Russian personnel. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Pages 47-48. Avalon Publishing Poland. In Polish.
Kierbedź’s portrait is in the National Museum in Warsaw. At Wikimedia Commons.
The first railway bridge spans the Songhua River in Harbin
Stanisław Kierbedź designed the first railway bridge over the Songhua River in Harbin. Opened in 1901, this structure—known as the Binzhou Railway Bridge—remains a protected monument today.
It is a major tourist attraction of the city and is accessible to pedestrians.
On an aside, Kierbeź was the nephew of another Stanisław Kierbedź, the designer of the Aleksandryjski Bridge that spanned the Vistula River in Warsaw. That bridge was destroyed during World War II.
Image credit: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University.
Since 2014, the Binzhou Railway Bridge in Harbin has not carried railway traffic. A newer railway bridge now stands alongside Kierbedź’s bridge.
Source: Chinese Eastern Railway: Century-old witness to Harbin’s history. With video. China Global Television Network. In English.
Note: In Polish and Russian orthography, the Songhua River is usually referred to as the Sungari River, as used in Mandarin Chinese Pinyin romanisation.
Creation of Harbin City
At the crossroads of the route to Dalian, Kierbedź instructed the Polish civil engineer Adam Szydłowski to map out and create the city of Harbin. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 48. In Polish.
Map source: Modern Heritage, the Other, and the Anthropocene.
Harbin Railway Station was designed by a Polish civil engineer
Harbin Railway Station
Ignacy Cytowicz designed Harbin’s railway station, which was built in the Art Nouveau style and modelled on the 19th-century railway station in Siedlce, Poland.
Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 56. In Polish.
Image credit: DeGolyer Library, Southern Methodist University.
The first brewery in Harbin opened
Jan Wróblewski, a Polish entrepreneur in Harbin, established the city’s first brewery in 1900. This brewery, the first ever in China, continues to operate today. Source: Fundacja Edukacji Polonijnej.
The image shown is a contemporary example of Harbin beer, which is available for purchase in China today.
Image: Fredrik Rubensson from Stockholm, Sweden, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Polish Newspapers in Harbin
Many Polish newspapers were published in Harbin, offering a diverse range of content: local and international news, ladies’ interests, Christian news, sports, and more. Even during the Japanese occupation, some newspapers continued to appear.
From left to right, or stacked if you are viewing on a mobile phone:
Polish Weekly published in 1939 during the Japanese occupation. Note the Japanese permissions at the top-right. Source: Pomeranian Library in Szczecin. P. 1.
One-day scout troop in Harbin dated 1923. Source: University of Warsaw Digital Library. P. 1.
Advertisements from the Daleki Wschód newspaper dated 1934. Source: Pomeranian Library in Szczecin. P. 36.
Cultural life of the Polish colony in Harbin
The singing group Lutnia and the cultural centre Gospoda Polska
Lutnia (lute) was the name of a Polish singing group in Harbin, founded in the early 20th century.
In 1907, the “Gospoda Polska” (Polish Inn) Association was founded. With Lutnia’s agreement, it took over Lutnia’s cultural and educational work. All Lutnia’s property—including books, furniture, and financial assets—was transferred to the new Gospoda Polska.
The associated image shows a group of unidentified people outside the Gospoda Polska.
Image source: National Digital Archives of Poland (NAC).
The work of Gospoda Polska
The Gospoda Polska was a Polish cultural centre. After several rebuilds at Głucha Street, the centre was enlarged and made more functional. By 1919, it could better meet the diverse cultural needs of the Polish diaspora in Harbin.
The centre was, by then, also able to absorb several cultural venues that had previously been scattered across Harbin.
Photograph: National Digital Archives of Poland NAC.
Activities at Gospoda Polska
Gospoda Polska provided amenities such as a theatre, library, and reading room. It also served as an information point for Poles seeking employment or community assistance, making it a hub for the Polish diaspora in Harbin.
Free Polish language courses were available. Literature study was possible for a small fee. A primary school was also established.
Text source of activities at Gospoda Polska. Adapted from: Pamiętnik Charbiński 1923 (Diary from Harbin 1923). Archived at the Podlasie Digital Library. In Polish.
The first photograph below shows a 1930 performance at the Polish Theatre in Harbin that included Chinese participants. Poles and Chinese often engaged socially; some Poles formed relationships with Chinese people, some Chinese attended Polish cultural events, and there were Polish-Chinese mixed marriages. Sources: Culture.pl. In Polish. Lower Silesian Harbinites Club. In Polish.
Learn more about the relationships between Poles and Chinese in Harbin later in this post.
The second image is of the flag raising at the Gospoda Polska. From the Harbin publication Daleki Wschód (The Far East). Edition 1934 No. 7. In Polish. Archived at Książnica Pomorska, (Pomeranian Library) in Poland. Page 15 in the archive. In Polish.
The Restaurant at Gospoda Polska
An advertisement (with transcript in English) for the Gospoda Polska restaurant. From the Harbin publication Daleki Wschód. (The Far East). Edition 1934 No. 7. In Polish. Source: Książnica Pomorska, Poland.
Buffet for members of the Polish Inn Association
Transcript: We recommend home-cooked dinners of various kinds, snacks and miniatures, ice cream, our own barley soup, herring and marinated fish.
Lunch times from 1 to 4. Two-course dinner – 0.40; three courses – 0.50; 1 dish – 0.25.
Our motto: Cheap, Healthy and Tasty.
Relations between Poles and Chinese in Harbin
Natalia Rodziewicz (more about the Harbin Rodziewicz family later in this post) was a schoolteacher in Harbin. Natalia and her husband, Antoni Rodziewicz, who had been deported to Siberia by the Russians, employed Chinese domestic workers in their household. The following describes some Chinese-Polish relations, as written by Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm.
The Rodziewicz family was extremely well-liked by the hard-working locals. When Natalia Rodziewicz died, the Chinese workers willingly took time off work to attend Natalia’s funeral. Among them were many friends of Antoni Rodziewicz. He knew nine different dialects of Chinese, allowing him to communicate effectively. He also understood how to treat his employees. Following his work as an engineer on the Transbaikal Railway, he was appointed Chief Engineer of the locomotive maintenance shed.
At one time, Antoni was giving a tour to some visiting inspectors. A teenage employee was using a hammer improperly. Angrily, one of the inspectors ran up and hit him across the face. Then he took off his glove and threw it mockingly at his feet. Simply removing his own glove, Antoni Rodziewicz then demonstrated the proper hammer technique to the young worker using just his bare hand. He did this with measured calmness. The incident caused him lots of problems, including the possibility of losing his job. The Chinese workers witnessed the event. From that point on, they would obey him, stand by him, and express their thanks and enthusiasm.
Source: Roman: In The Shadow Of The Hubal Legend, by Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm. JSTOR. Subscription required.
Note: The author of this post shares the same family name as the Rodziewicz family from Harbin, but they are not related.
Museum of Oriental Studies in Harbin
The Kuryer Literacko-Naukowy, dated June 29, 1931 (Literary and Scientific Courier), a newspaper in Poland, published an article about the Museum of Oriental Studies in Harbin.
We are told that of the 3 Chinese Studies museums in Manchuria, only one was in European hands. That was the Museum of Oriental Studies, recently established at the Gospoda Polska by Polish academics.
The museum was divided into three sections. These were Economics, Natural Science and Ethnography. Orientalist groups from China, Japan, and Russia began visiting the museum, reporting that it, with approximately 500 exhibits, had a bright future. The priceless exhibits had recently been collected from the province of Heilongjiang by Kazimierz Grochowski.
The tone of the article is one of great sadness, as in Poland, no people or institutions had expressed interest in offering financial help to the museum to ensure its continued success.
Source: Kuryer Literacko-Naukowy. (Literary and Scientific Courier). Digital Library of Małopolska. Page V. In Polish.
Closure of the museum and loss of the exhibits
The Museum of Oriental Studies in Harbin was established in 1930 by the geologist Kazimierz Grochowski. Grochowski permanently left Harbin for Poland in 1934.
The museum ceased to exist just two months after Grochowski’s departure, due to a lack of suitable personnel to administer it. As previously mentioned, Gospoda Polska’s management had hosted the museum on its premises. They concluded that there was no benefit in keeping the museum. They decided to reclaim the two rooms allocated to it. Grochowski’s young successors remaining in Harbin lacked sufficient influence to oppose this decision.
The exhibits were packed into storage chests, and most of them disappeared under unknown circumstances.
Image: National Archives of Poland NAC.
Sources. Dolnośląski Klub Harbińczyka. (Lower Silesian Harbiners Club). “Historie Harbińczyków,” (History of The Harbinites). 31 May 2021. In Polish.
Niedzwiedzki Robert. Kazimierz Grochowski (1873–1937) – zapomniany badacz złota Syberii. Przegląd Geologiczny, vol. 56, nr 6, 2008. (Forgotten explorer of Siberian gold. Geological Review) In Polish.
School education in Harbin
Henryk Sienkiewicz Secondary School in Harbin
By far the most well-known educational institute in Harbin was the Gimnazjum im. Henryka Sienkiewicza w Harbinie. (Henryk Sienkiewicz Secondary School in Harbin), established in 1915 and closed in 1949.
Source: European Educational Research Association (EERA). In English.
Image: National Archives of Poland NAC.
School certificates recognised in Poland
In 1924, the Polish Government recognised examination and leaving certificates issued by the Henryk Sienkiewicz Secondary School in Harbin as valid in Poland.
Source: Tygodnik Polski in Harbin (Polish Weekly) dated 25 January 1925. PDF file.
Image: A 1926 Secondary school leaving certificate issued by the Henryk Sienkiewicz Secondary School in Harbin. Source: National Archives of Poland NAC.
Click or touch the image to see a full-sized version.
Schoolchildren from the boarding school in Harbin
The associated photograph shows Polish schoolchildren from the Polish boarding school in Harbin exhibiting their works. The children are accompanied by Fr Władysław Ostrowski and unnamed school teachers.
From the weekly publication Na Szerokim Świecie: kurjer tygodniowy w obrazach i słowie dla miast i wsi. (The Wide World: a weekly courier in pictures and words for towns and villages). Published in Warsaw, Kraków and Lwów. Edition No. 35. Dated 26 August 1934.
Sources: Newspaper editorial: Na Szerokim Świecie: kurjer tygodniowy w obrazach i słowie dla miast i wsi. In Polish.
Photograph dated 1934 from the National Archives of Poland, NAC.
Religious life in Harbin
Church of St. Stanisław in Harbin
The associated photograph shows the Roman Catholic Parish Church of St. Stanisław in Harbin, built by the Polish civil engineer Mikolaj Kizi-Girej. Construction of the church commenced in 1906, and it was consecrated in 1909.
Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Pages 72-73. In Polish.
Image: Polacy na Dalekim Wschodzie. Kazimierz Grochowski. Published 1928. Archived at Polona archive.
Industrious life of Poles in Harbin falls upon hard times – The colony declines in size
The Polish Colony in Harbin and the Japanese Invasion of Manchuria
On 18 September 1931, Japan invaded Manchuria and established the puppet state of Manchukuo.
In comparison with the Chinese population, who experienced great brutality at the hands of the Japanese, the Polish community fared comparatively well.
We learn from the article Roman: In The Shadow Of The Hubal Legend, by Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm, that:
As soon as the Japanese seized Manchuria, they extended preferential treatment to the large Polish population residing there. Initially, they offered them numerous privileges and enticed Poles to work for them. At the same time, they declared that the children of Poles would be extended various forms of support should they choose to return home. Two ships were allocated for the journey from Vladivostok to Japan. They set sail from Japan for London, from which children, including Romuald Rodziewicz and his sister Sofia, would be returned to their recently liberated and restored country.
Antoni and Natalia Rodziewicz were the parents of Romuald Rodziewicz (1913 – 2014), who later became a distinguished and decorated soldier in the Polish Armed Forces. Source: Romuald Rodziewicz – the last Hubal’s soldier died. Media EFHR.
Sources: Roman: In The Shadow Of The Hubal Legend, by Aleksandra Ziółkowska-Boehm. JSTOR. Subscription required.
Sofia Rodziewicz. Obituary at Thestar.com.
Recognition of Manchukuo by Poland
A relatively small number of countries recognised the Japanese puppet state of Manchukuo. The inter-war government of Poland, mindful of the large Polish population in Manchuria, did recognise the state, and this undoubtedly led to the continuation of good relations between Warsaw and Tokyo, thereby facilitating better treatment of some Poles in Manchuria. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 125.
While ordinary Poles were, as previously mentioned, relatively well treated, this treatment did not always extend to Polish entrepreneurs. The Japanese increased their influence and control of some Polish companies, especially those companies producing materials essential to the Japanese war effort.
In particular, Władysław Kowalski’s timber business was nationalised by the new regime, and Kowalski was bankrupted and evicted from his residence. He died in Harbin of a heart attack in 1940. Source: Polacy-katolicy w Harbinie. W trosce o zachowanie tożsamości narodowej. Polish Catholics in Harbin. In an effort to preserve national identity. University of Łódź Repository. In Polish.
Poles lost their right to work in the railway industry
In 1935, Japan purchased the Chinese Eastern Railway from the Soviet Union. However, because of an agreement that only Russian personnel could work for the railway and its supporting services, many Poles became unemployed. The regime gave Russians an exclusive right to work for other Japanese companies. The situation for Poles became dire, and living standards declined sharply, leading to mass repatriations to Poland. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 125.
Rationing of food and other products was introduced
In 1942, basic food products were rationed, and in 1943, rationing was extended to include coal, firewood, and wool products. Initially, ration vouchers were issued by the Polish Welfare Committee and later by the Polish Consulate. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 126.
The Red Army takes control of Manchuria
In August 1945, the Red Army took control of Manchuria. This was the beginning of mass deportations to the Soviet Union of Poles, Russians and other Eastern Europeans living throughout Manchuria. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 127.
Civil War in China – Decision to repatriate all Poles in Manchuria
During the period 1945-1949, China was engulfed by a civil war between communists and nationalists. By 1946, it was estimated that the number of poles living in Manchuria was down to 1,516. During the second half of the 1940s, the post-war Polish Government decided to repatriate the remaining Poles from Manchuria. One of the few Polish institutions still functioning in Manchuria was the Gospoda Polska in Harbin. The Polish Government sent a delegate to Gospoda Polska, whose function was to convey an urgent appeal to the remaining Poles to return to Poland from Manchuria. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 138.
Repatriation train for Poland leaves Harbin
The first post-World War II repatriation of 800 Poles was organised by the Polish Government. The departure was from Harbin’s central railway station. The train was surrounded by a large crowd of Chinese who had gathered to bid farewell to the Poles with whom they had lived and worked side by side for decades. They surrounded the train carriages with flowers and banners to pay homage to their Polish friends. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 139.
Expulsion of the Polish colony in Harbin and repatriation
Following the victory of the communists and the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the new regime began a campaign of massive repression against Poles in China. Restrictions were placed on Poles regarding dress codes and hairstyles. The policy of the communist regime was also to expel Poles and all foreigners living in China. The idea was to create a homogeneous nation in China. To this end, the slogan of the Chinese communists was “Asia for the Asians”. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 141.
Poland continued with its policy of repatriation by both rail and sea routes. Most Poles settled in Poland, while some chose to emigrate to Australia, Canada, the U.S.A., Israel, and various countries in South America. By 1963, only 18 Poles remained in Harbin. At this time, the Polish Government, in liaison with the Chinese Communist Party, brought about the closure of the last remaining Polish organisation in Harbin, namely the Association of Polish Citizens in China. Source: Giza, Andrzej. Polacy z Mandżurii: Dzieje kolonii polskiej w Harbinie. Page 141-142.
Destruction of the Polish Catholic Cemetery in Harbin
During the Cultural Revolution, the student-led Red Guards destroyed the Polish Catholic cemetery in Harbin, which had been located within the Russian Orthodox cemetery.
The cemetery’s area is now an amusement park and is one of Harbin’s attractions. Sources: Zaginiony cmentarz. (The Lost Cemetery). In Polish. Roman Catholic cemetery in Harbin (1903-1958). Boym Institute. In English.
The last Pole leaves – The Polish Colony in Harbin ceases to exist
On 10 February 1993, Edward Stokalski was the last Pole to leave Harbin. He left Harbin to spend the rest of his life in Poland, where he had never been. This was the final chapter of the Polish colony in Harbin. Sources: Roman Catholic cemetery in Harbin (1903-1958). Boym Institute. In English. Bez Polonii w Chinach. Archive of The Republic of Poland. In Polish.
CIA report about the Polish colony in Harbin
In December 1947, the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency) reported on the Polish colony in Harbin. This document, marked confidential, was declassified in 2006 and is available on the CIA’s website with redactions.
The report’s text sheds light on the challenging circumstances faced by Poles in Harbin in 1947.
According to the report, approximately 2,000 Polish people lived in Harbin in 1947. The Polish Consulate in Harbin may have been replaced, albeit unofficially, by the Polski Komitet Obywatelski of Manchuria. Livicky (first name unknown) is the head of the Polish Association Committee, while V. Yablonski is the vice-chairman. Jalandowski is another high-profile member (first name unknown).
Most of the Polish population does not support the Soviet Union, including its members and leaders. Approximately 200 Poles in Harbin identify as “progressive” and are openly pro-Soviet. At the same time, the remaining Poles tend to adopt a moderate stance on political matters.
The Polish Club*, supported by the committee, is the centre of the Polish community. Two churches, a middle school, a grammar school, and the Polish Welfare Organisation, whose primary duty is to oversee an elderly care facility and a home for the poor, are among the other organisations that receive comparable sponsorship.
*The CIA report would have been referring to the Gospoda Polska, previously mentioned.
90% of the population lacks access to sufficient food. For the past two years, they have been forced to sell their personal belongings to afford food and clothing.
The Chinese Communist government has taken control of the former Polish Church Mission site. Father Hotnievich, the former head of the mission, still oversees the work of the four priests or missionaries. One of the two churches was about to fall into the hands of the Chinese Communists.
Only the TASS interpretation of global news is presented in the Soviet-dominated Polish newspaper published in Harbin.
The Chinese Changchun Railway employs a small number of highly skilled Poles. Still, Soviet Russians are given preference in job opportunities. Some non-Soviet Poles have successfully run their private businesses.
Source: CIA website. 1947. PDF file.
The Harbin Poles in Poland
Upon leaving Harbin, most Poles born in Manchuria were to see their ancestral homeland for the first time.
The main settlement areas of the Harbin Poles are in the West Pomeranian (particularly in Szczecin) and the Lower Silesian Voivodeships in Poland.
Meeting with the chairman of the Harbinites Club in Szczecin, Poland
There is an excellent recent YouTube video titled Polsko-Rosyjskie miasto w Chinach. (Polish-Russian City in China). In Polish. Regrettably, no captions or subtitles are available. This video tells some of the stories of the Poles and Russians in Harbin. The meeting with the club chairman, Romuald Oziewicz, starts at 17 minutes and 5 seconds into the video. I highly recommend the complete video if you can follow along in Polish. Oziewicz provides valuable insight into the history of Poles in Harbin and their lives in Poland.
From the YouTube channel Planeta Abstrakcja. Dated March 2024.
Forced Migrations of the Polish Colony in Harbin and China
While some Poles and other Eastern Europeans came to Harbin and Manchuria voluntarily, this was a forced migration of people who wished to escape Russification and improve their economic future. The numerous repatriations to Poland that occurred after the 1930s, and particularly those during China’s Cultural Revolution, were unavoidable and, most certainly, forced migrations.
Achievements of the Polish Colony in Harbin
The collage of advertisements shown below is from the Polish Weekly in Harbin, dated 7 May 1939. As previously explained, this was a challenging time for the Poles in Harbin. Manchuria was under Japanese occupation, and World War II, which would bring more hardships, was about to begin.
The Polish émigrés who came to Harbin were in it for the long term. Essentially, they planned for Harbin to be their forever home, free of Russian colonisation. Their diligent work ethic, combined with a high standard of education, was intended to equip future generations to be knowledgeable about Polish culture and traditions, and to continue building on the success of their forefathers.
The collage of advertisements shown below is from the Polish Weekly in Harbin, dated 7 May 1939. As previously explained, this was a challenging time for the Poles in Harbin. Manchuria was under Japanese occupation, and World War II, which would bring more hardships, was about to begin.
Associated advertisements arranged by South Coast View. This newspaper edition is archived at Książnica Pomorska (Pomeranian Library) in Poland. In Polish.
A selection of advertisements placed by businesses of the Polish colony in Harbin.
Additional References
My YouTube video about the Polish Colony in Harbin.
Harbiners Club in Szczecin represented at the Pomeranian Library.
Lower Silesia Harbiners Club website.
Appeal for information
If you notice any errors in this article or have new information and/or images that I can include, I would be grateful if you let me know. My contact page is here.
Unpacking the History of the Polish Colony in Harbin: Key Questions Answered
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