GIMNAZJUM NR 25 W ZABRZU, POLAND

Ethnic and national minorities of my country and their traditional and modern music.

ZABRZE- MULTICULTULAR CITYPoland is today populated mainly by people who consider themself Polish. In the most recent census 96.7% of the total population of almost 39 million labelled themselves as Polish. This is in stark contrast to the situation before the Second World War, where more than one third of the population of Poland belonged to a non-Polish ethnic group. This change was due to successful campaigns by Polish governments (both before and after the Second World War) to assimilate ethnic minorities and Polonize the population; the shifting borders of Poland; and migration. Poland, has over the years, assimilated people of various ethnic groups and from very different geographical origins. Historically these ethnic groups have included: Jews, Germans, Ukrainians, Belorussians, Russians, Lithuanians, Slovaks, Armenians, Czechs, Roma (gypsies), Tartars, Lemkos, Kashubs (Kashubians), and Karaites.

JEWS IN ZABRZEThe Jews inZabrze

THE JEWISH GRAVEYARD

The Jewish necropolis is one of the most fascinating places in Zabrze. It is situated in the district called Zandka. According to the references of Moses religion it is founded in the suburb of the city in order to make that „holy place” separated from the inhabited area. For Jewish believers, the graveyard was always surrounded with worship and associated with „gate to haven” but without cultivating homage of dead. After the Second World War Jews haven’t lived in Zabrze anymore and from this time on graveyard there are no new gravestones but cementary exist nowadays.

The Jewish graveyard

ROMS IN ZABRZETHE ROMS IN ZABRZE

Our city is a very good place for ethnics minorities. We live to each other and go to schools together. The youngest generation of the Romas’ develop their skills, show us the way they perceive the world and share their tradition, culture and customs with us.

CIERCHEŃ ROMA BAND

There are two schools’ bands in Zabrze representing Romas’ culture and folklore. These are the CIERCHEŃ ROMA BAND and the TERNA ROMA which are famous among local and regional community and are often invited in order to honour a lot of celebrations.

TERNE ROMA

IN SCHOOL

An integrating class introducing the Roma assistantIn the latest few years many programmes for the Roma Community in Poland were created. The main aims of these programmes are to reduce disproportions between the minority ethnic group and the majority group in the Polish society. The major objective is to arrive at a full participation of Romas in the life of the civil society and level the differences separating the group from the rest of the society. Within these programmes the following areas are supported:1. education2. labour market3. health4. welfare5. safety of the Romas and counteracting ethnic crimes6. civil education7. grants for the Roma adolescents8. culture and preservation of the Roma ethnic identity9. knowledge of the Roma community in the Polish community

Some schools in Zabrze take an active part in the programme for the Roma community and help them to improve current life quality with respect to education.

Project “Pindźiar man”- grants for

the Roma adolescents- the labour market,

educational and integrating

activation of the Roma community

in Zabrze.

PINDŹIAR MAN

ALL SAINTS’ DAY IN POLAND

All Saints’ Day – Roman-Catholic festival which is celebrated 1st November in order to honour all people who passed away. That day we visit the graves of our family and pray to assure them better eternal life. In Poland this is a day of meditation an contemplation.

ALL SAINTS’ DAY IN ROMAS’ TRADITION

In Romas’ tradition the Day of All Saints is full of joy in order to mark the happiness of Romas that their relatives are in paradise. They spend long hours on the cemetery celebrating and sharing the food with their deceased. Their huge, stately grave-stones wallowing in flowers single out among the others.