History of the Polish Community in Leamington Spa

The formation of the Polish community in UK was the result of population movements, brought about by World War II. The war itself started in Poland, with a co-ordinated attack by Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. In eastern Poland, the Soviets embarked on a policy of genocide and ethnic cleansing. Prisoners of War were massacred at Katyn Forest, and nearly 2 million civilians were deported. Within 18 months half the deportees were dead. The German invasion of the Soviet Union in July 1941 resulted in the release of all survivors. 114,000 joined the Polish Armed Forces in the West, commanded by General Wladyslaw Anders. They then fought alongside the British in Italy. In the spring of 1946, the British Foreign Secretary wrote to every member of the Polish Armed Forces, inviting them to settle in Britain.

When Monsignor Jozef Golab arrived in Leamington Spa in September 1960, the Polish community numbered 250. To enable the purchase of the Polish Centre in July 1968, the Monsignor loaned his own money, received as compensation for the years spent in Nazi concentration camps.

The Polish community saw itself as an exiled political elite, an attitude which for some, manifested itself at a personal level in a refusal to accept any form of citizenship or ID. Political activity in support of the Government in Exile, and the democratic opposition in Poland, became an important part of their identity. Chief among them, was Prof Zbigniew Antoni Scholtz, chair of the Polish Centre for 20 years, who was also a minister in the Government in Exile.