Woman, Mother, Polish Woman. The Evolution of Attitudes of Polish Women in Sweden 1945–1989 from the Emigrant Perspective

Abstract

Polish emigrant communities scattered around the world have been usually dominated by men. The Polish diaspora in Sweden was exceptional, for in the years 1945–1989 the majority was made up of women. In 1945, they constituted 90% of the community. The next four waves of emigration resulted in an influx of women who tried to define their role in a new reality of emigration. The high number of women in the Polish immigrant community continued and in 1980 they constituted 62% of this community. The clash with new economic conditions, sometimes social declassing, resulted in the redefinition of female‑ness, a reconstruction of the way of evaluating one’s role in the family and the émigré community, expressed in specific attitudes towards the challenges that each day brought. The aim of the article is to attempt to answer the question as to how the representatives of the various Polish waves of emigration to Sweden related to the characteristics that were supposed to be exhibited by Polish women in emigration and the tasks that resulted from the values adopted and cultivated. Drawing on an analysis of memoirs, journalistic materials published in the émigré Polish press in Sweden, and archival documents, I note that Polish women living in exile in Sweden continued their education and quickly took up work, thanks to which they did not create closed environments. Even the women who came from concentration camps in 1945 and decided to live permanently in Sweden, had to cope quickly with war trauma. They got married, started families and, to a lesser extent, participated in the national life of the Polish diaspora. Those women who were wives of émigré activists or were strongly connected with the Polish government‑in‑exile undertook various actions related to preserving Polish culture, established schools for children, organized celebrations of various holidays, etc. Each representative of successive waves of emigration acted in a similar way. Often the need to build a material existence in a new country was more important than participation in the life of the Polish community, which in any case was not attractive to them. Family ties were most important, because they strengthened all family members during the difficult period of acclimatization in the new environment. They were involved in crisis situations, for example, by organizing charity aid in periods when strikes broke out in Poland. Polish women in exile were strongly influenced by their Swedish environment and, if possible, took up professional careers. They were often more independent than women living in Poland. Polish women in exile in Sweden represented very different values. This was due to the reasons for emigration and the period in which they left for Sweden and started a new life there, but they often tried to cultivate patriotic values, which involved raising children in an atmosphere of Polish culture and tradition, and, through charity events, helping those who stayed in Poland and needed aid.