Hi Everyone! Here’s some behind-the-scenes content that adds more context to Kasia’s story from Poland.
War, Occupation, and Communism
Poland is a country which has experienced more than its share of conflict. On 1st September 1939, Nazi Germany launched an unprovoked invasion of Poland. This invasion, also known as the Polish Campaign, led to the commencement of World War II. Overwhelmed by bombing and shelling, Warsaw surrendered to the Germans on 28th September 1939. This defeat was followed by more than five years of German occupation.
In her story, Kasia discusses the hardships faced by her family during the term of German occupation:
“My grandmother was the youngest of six or seven siblings, but old enough to remember the Germans coming into her village and taking wealth from each household. Families were left with nothing.”
However, following Poland’s eventual defeat of Germany in early 1945 – aided by Russia’s Soviet Red Army – Poland faced further struggles. With Russia’s heightened presence in Poland, the fierce dictator Stalin thrust the country into four decades of communism. The country quickly began to suffer under this harsh regime:
“Even if you had a million zlotys [Polish currency], you were still poor. Under communism, everyone had a job but nobody could buy anything. My mum might wake up early in the morning to queue at the shop with tokens and still not manage to buy anything.”
Women at Work
Due to the financial pressures many Polish families faced under communism, it became necessary for both men and women to enter the workforce. This is a trend that Kasia reveals is evident in Poland, even today:
“In Poland, having a mum, wife, or sister who doesn’t work seems unimaginable. There wouldn’t be enough money if both parents didn’t work. My mum had a job and all my friends’ mums did too.”
LGBTQ+ Issues
In recent years, Poland has faced further political uncertainty due to the rise in power of the right-wing populist party Prawo i Sprawiedliwość. Translated as Law and Justice, this party governed Poland with a majority rule from 2015-2023.
During their term, Law and Justice received global criticism for their move to restrict Polish media and curtail freedom of speech. Other heavily condemned policies included a near-total ban on abortion in Poland and a move towards anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. According to Kasia, identifying as LGBTQ+ in Poland has been a continuing challenge that has yet to be fully resolved in 2024:
“Some of my close friends were lesbians or gay, but they had to stay hidden because Poland wasn’t accepting at the time. Back then it was hard, but it got better for a while.”
Kasia’s Story
To find out more about Poland and Kasia’s story, please follow this link for free access:
Take care,
Rachel : )
