Until the Second World War Poland was characteristically multi-cultural, with about one-third of its population belonging to minority communities. Today it stands out as a relatively culturally homogenous country. Rather than providing a simple narrative account of Polish history and the nation-building process, this book highlights those historical moments that have had a lasting impact on Polish identity debates and on the self-definition of the nation in various historical-political narratives. It also offers a juxtaposition of the nation-building ideas espoused and symbolized by two key modern leaders, Jozef Pilsudski and Roman Dmowski, as well as a comparison of the national identity construction processes in Poland and other countries. Poland is essential reading for students of Polish history and Eastern European history seeking to understand Poland today.
Author Biography
Rafal Pankowski is Lecturer and Research Programme Coordinator at the Collegium Civitas, Warsaw, Poland.
