Poland

Eastern Europe

Chapter 5 section 1

Pgs. 174-180

Objectives

Find out about Polish traditions. Learn about economic changes that have

taken place in Poland since the collapse of communism.

Understand the future challenges that Poland faces.

Key Terms

Shrine – A holy place

Capitalism– An economic system in which businesses are

privately owned and operated Entrepreneur

– A person who develops original ideas in order to start new businesses

Poland’s Traditions

Catholicism has been a Polish tradition for hundreds of years.– Communist govt. tried to stop/discourage religious beliefs

and traditions Underestimated the strong faith and belief in the Roman

Catholic Church

90% of Poles are Catholic 1978 a Polish priest was selected as Pope Pope John Paul II served until he died in 2005

Pope John Paul II

Polish Orthodox

Not everyone is Catholic Polish Orthodox makes up the minority They have their own religious traditions

– Planting wooden crosses of various sizes each year on the hillsides of northeastern Poland

Judaism in Poland

More than 3 million Jews used to live in Poland– Where did they go? Why?

During the Holocaust, about 85% of the Jews were killed by Hitler’s army

A small percent still live in Poland today– Their numbers are only in the thousands

Polish Language

Many past rulers tried to ban the use of Polish over the years– Communists did not ban it but did force Polish

school children to learn Russian Polish language survived

– Spoken by the majority of the population It links Poland with the other Slavic nations of

Eastern Europe

Economic Challenges

Communism ended in 1989 Capitalism adopted

– Economic system where businesses are privately owned

Poland went from communism, where everything is owned by the govt., to capitalism almost overnight.

Capitalism

January 1, 1990– Ended govt. control of prices– Froze taxes and wages

1991– Set up a Polish stock market

These steps helped to transition Poland from communism to capitalism

Economy

Foreign Investment– Many foreign countries began to invest in Poland

businesses Privatization

– Private businesses increased and helped the economy

– Started out selling in booths on the streets– Began to by/rent storefronts– More than 2 million private businesses in Poland

Economy

Consumer Goods– Poles have access to more goods than when they

lived under communism– 1989 only ½ people had TV– Now almost every Polish home has a TV– Many Poles have cell phones and wear Western

fashions

Economy

Farm Life– Under communism, most farms remained

privately owned– Govt. always bought the produce and meat

Provided them with a reliable income– After communism, this income varied.– Hard on farmers to change from communism to

capitalism

Future Challenges

Pollution– Coal-mining and steel production

Destroyed most of the forests in southern Poland– Increased cancer rates– By 2003, reduced many forms of pollution by 50%

Future Challenges

Unemployment– High unemployment rate

Under communism, people were guaranteed jobs No such guarantee with capitalism

Many Poles move to other European countries– About 1/3 Poles emigrate

Poles hope that joining the EU will help to create a more stable employment rate