THE POLISH EMIGRATION 2.09Relatively speaking, the Poles of Canada include a larger proportion of polit-
icals than is the case in the United States. In the post-war era, the presence of
prominent figures such as General Sosnkowski, Ambassador Romer, or Consul
Brzezinski made Montreal a natural centre for emigre politics. In Quebec, the
Poles have to face the problem of multiculturalism—that is, the choice of assim-
ilating into Francophone or Anglophone society. Important communities thrive
in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia.^11
The Poles of Brazil are concentrated in the provinces of Parana, Santa
Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul. In both World Wars, they sent volunteer
detachments to fight with the Polish army in Europe.^12
In Europe, the 'old Poles' are concentrated in France, Belgium, and Germany,
especially in the mining districts of Pas-de-Calais, Le Nord, Liege, and the
Ruhr.^13 In many ways they resemble their counterparts in America, maintaining
their identity in Catholic parishes and through cultural societies. Political cir-
cles, in contrast, traditionally gravitated to Paris, to Rome, or to Switzerland.
The Bibliotheque Polonaise opposite Notre Dame, the Institute Istorico Polacco
by the Piazza Venezia, and the National Polish Muzeum at Rapperswill on Lake
Zurich attest to important Polish activities in the past. In recent times, however,
the centre of Polish emigre politics has shifted permanently to London.
The Poles of Great Britain differ from their transatlantic compatriots in sev-
eral important respects. Although the origins of the community can be traced to
the early nineteenth century, their numbers were never very great until the
Second World War. Although they knew their share of economic hardship, they
must nearly all be classed as politicals. The vast majority came with the Polish
Armed Forces, the Government-in-Exile or as wartime refugees and post-war
DPs, who had fully expected to return home as soon as the War ended. They
were invariably anti-communist; frequently with military connections, and usu-
ally from the eastern provinces. They stayed on because they refused to recog-
nize the Soviet takeover in Poland, or because their homes had been
incorporated into the USSR. Embittered by the failure of their aspirations for an
independent Poland, and reluctant to put down roots in their involuntary exile,
they lived in a spiritual ghetto of their own, and made few contacts with British
society at large. Fifty years after their arrival, and in spite of considerable re-
emigration to Canada and Australia, their numbers stood at about 150,000.
They were the true successors of the Great Emigration of the previous century.
Politicians of influence from pre-war and wartime days—General Anders,
President August Zaleski, Edward Raczynnski, Marian Kukiel, Adam Ciolkosz,
Jedrzej Giertych—all took up residence in London, which remained the centre
of publishing and politicking in the old style. The Polish Government-in-Exile,
the legal continuator of the Second Republic, though unrecognized, continued
to operate. The President convoked the Rada Ministrow (Council of Ministers)
every fortnight in the Zamek. (The Castle) at 43 Eaton Place. The most active
body, however, was the amalgamated Association of Polish Combatants (SPK)
which broke away from the 'legalists' in 1954. The Polish-University-Abroad,