From Poland to France: work arrangement of emigrant assembly pointsduring interwar years ; З Польщі до Франції: організація роботи збірних станцій дляемігрантів у міжвоєнне двадцятиліття

Abstract

As a result of the range of emigrational movements from Polish Republic throughout 1919–1939 years, local government established the range of emigration institutions. The mixed stations where laborers arrived (sometimes with their families) to approve their physical and professional abilities and skills, receive a passport, sign work contract, get quarantined and vaccinated, took special place in the system of institutions. Therefore, the main purpose of the research lies in considering the works of mixed stations in Poland in mid-war period and the description of emigrants' daily routine.People who originated from Lodz, Kielce, Vilenske, Poznan, Kraków, Lviv, Ternopil and Volyn' voivodeships of Poland made the main group of emigrants. Concerning the direction of emigration, French recruiting missions attracted emigrants' attention considering them unpretending to work conditions and culturally close laborers since French Republic was in great need of labor of foreigners to renew their economy after the First World War. It is a well- known fact that emigrants were to stay at crowded mixed stations, where they often became the victims of criminals or for the reason of bureaucracy they failed to arrive in France so much dreamed about.The first mixed station performed in Warsaw (1919–1920) in the course of time it was shifted to Częstochowa, and later – to Poznan. Since 1924, people willing to immigrate to France by land (it was the overwhelming majority) arrived at the station in Mysłowice when those who preferred a voyage by sea (rather expensive) – to Wejherowo. By the beginning of the World War II, Mysłowice remained a nodal emigration center, including French direction. During 1924–1936, 326 947 people immigrated to French Republic through Mysłowice. This number depended on economic conjuncture of France. Thus, the largest quantity of laborers emigrated in 1926, 1929–1930 years (48, 66 and 61 thousand people respectively). In general, during a mid-war period 600 thousand people originated from Polish Republic immigrated to France according to official statistics. The living conditions at mixed stations in Mysłowice did not meet the demands of hygiene, even women and children who arrived at night slept on the benches without mattresses. Concerning male sleeping places, they left much to be desired. Generally, the rooms in the building were dirty and unheated in winter. Lavatory condition made a threat of illness spread not only among immigrants, but also among the city dwellers.What concerned the voyage to France by sea, one must admit that immigrants stay in the mixed station in Wejherowo and transportation to Havre were much better arranged. A sea voyage was more expensive, but it lasted longer (4–6 days). That is why, only a separate contingent was able to emigrate by ship. Obviously, this fact explains a well-organized work of emigration committee in Wejherowo.Thereby, emigrants' daily routine at mixed stations was an integral part of their trip to France. Judging by the range of the phenomenon under consideration, the arrangement of transportation at Polish mixed stations and transportation conditions as such were unsatisfactory. Since, French recruiting missions on Polish territory first of all cared about the interests of France immigration policy (quantitative and selective choice of laborers). Instead, socio-economic conjuncture of Polish Republic did not assist in the solution of those issues. ; У статті, на основі архівних та опублікованих джерел (зокрема, мемуарного характеру), охарактеризовано специфіку діяльності збірних станцій для заробітчан на теренах міжвоєнної Польщі. Їх створювали з метою регулювання еміграційних потоків, зростання обсягів яких зумовлювалося економічними негараздами відновленої після Першої світової війни держави. На прикладі збірних станцій у містах Мисловіце та Вейгерово, проаналізовано особливості організації їхньої роботи (зокрема, визначено чинники, які впливали на її загалом незадовільний стан), а також побуту осіб, які бажали емігрувати до Франції сухопутним (з Мисловіце) чи морським (з Вейгерового) шляхом. Водночас простежено типовий шлях емігранта з Польщі до Франції та повсякденні труднощі, з якими довелося стикатися переселенцям.