Poland is known to be one of Europe's most homogeneous cultures, although it is not to suggest that no racial or ethnic minority communities can be identified here. Four legally recognised ethnic minorities are currently present in Poland: the Roma, the Lemkos, the Lipka Tatars and the Karaims. Are you interested in learning more about them? Just read on!

Roma

Poland's largest ethnic group. According to the last national census in 2011, about 17,000 Roma are living in Poland. Roma originated in northern India, arrived in Central Europe between the 14th and 15th centuries. During the Communist era, members of this travelling community were often forced to settle because of new state policies (such as compulsory registration of residence). After the political transformation of 1989, many Roma decided to move from Eastern Europe to Western Europe or Northern Europe. There are several Roma associations and support groups in Poland today. Every year, international festivals of Roma music and culture are held in Gorzów Wielkopolski and Ciechocinek.

Lemkos

Traditionally, this East Slavic community lived in the area of the Carpathian Mountains known as Lemkivshchyna or the Lemko Region, which now stretches along the Polish-Slovak border and extends to the western edge of Ukraine. Historians estimate that there were around 100,000-150,000 Lemkos in the Carpathian region before the Second World War. In the 1940s, the bulk of the Lemko population was forcefully landed by the Communist government as a result of new anti-minority policies. Several Lemkos have moved to Soviet Ukraine, others have moved to the other side of the country and have been forced to completely assimilate into Polish society. In the 1950s, only a limited number of Lemkos returned to their native land. The ethnic minority currently has a population of about 11,000 people in Poland, most of whom live in smaller communities dispersed throughout the region. In the village of Zyndranowa, in the south-east of Poland, there is an open-air museum of Lemko culture, where you can learn more about Lemko traditions, folklore works of art or visits the traditional Lemko cottage.

Lipka Tatars

They are the only ethnic Muslim minority in Poland. Lipka Tatars have been living in the Polish region of Podlasia since the 17th century when the Polish King Jan III Sobieski gave them land in return for their military service in the Polish-Lithuanian army. Many Lipka Tatars have also been given noble status by the Polish King and enjoy the same privileges and freedoms as the Polish aristocracy. While the Tatar community soon embraced the local language and became part of Polish society over time, to this day they have maintained their religion, identity and traditions. Roughly 2,000 people in Poland are classified as belonging to this ethnic group, according to the 2011 census. The villages of Bohoniki and Kruszynia, in the north-eastern part of the country, are considered the cultural and religious centres of the Lipka Tatar community in Poland.

Karaims

With a population of just about 350 million, the Karaims are Poland's smallest ethnic minority group. It is believed that it was Vytautas the Great, the ruler of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 15th century, who invited them to migrate to what is now Lithuania and Poland from Crimea. Like the Lipka Tatars, the Karaims have already been given a variety of rights by the Polish and Lithuanian kings, such as their own administration or immunity from customs duties. In the past, Karaim group members traditionally obtained their livelihood from commerce, agriculture, gardening, horse breeding or handcrafting. Today, their descendants reside in separate parts of Poland, but they have managed to conserve their rich cultural heritage - the Turkic language of Karaim (now spoken by only around 100 people) and the Karaite religion.