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Polish diaspora in Bulgaria From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Poles in Bulgaria form a population of several thousand, part of the Polish diaspora in the Balkans, and Polish presence in Bulgaria dates back to the 19th century.
| |
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| 5,500[1] (2023) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Sofia City Province, Burgas Province, Varna Province[2] | |
| Languages | |
| Polish, Bulgarian | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Polish diaspora |
According to 2023 estimates of the Polish Embassy in Sofia, some 5,500 Poles and people of Polish descent live in Bulgaria.[1]
First Polish migrants to Bulgarian territory were insurgents fleeing repressions in partitioned Poland after the unsuccessful November Uprising of 1830–1831.[1]
After Bulgaria regained independence in 1878, Poles have made contributions to the development of the reborn country,[1] including in the field of medicine. Polish gynecologist Mikołaj Unterberg was the pioneer of Bulgarian gynecology and obstetrics, first director of the Sofia midwifery school and co-founder of the Bulgarian Red Cross (1885), remaining active in the life of the Polish diaspora in Bulgaria.[3] Ignacy Muszler was a pioneer of preventive dental care in Bulgaria, and worked for the Bulgarian Red Cross.[4] Zygfryd Zdzisław Hof was the first certified dentist in Bulgaria, and he treated poor people free of charge.[5] Ignacy Barbar is considered the founder of Bulgarian military medicine and war hygiene, and was also a member of the Polish-Bulgarian Society.[6] Emanuel Messer was on the first surgeons in Bulgaria.[7]
Some 100 Poles lived in the country in the 1920s.[8]
One of the escape routes of Poles who fled to Hungary after the German-Soviet invasion of Poland, which started World War II, to Polish-allied France, where the Polish Army was reconstituted to continue the fight against Germany, led through Bulgaria.[9] Bulgaria confidentially authorized the evacuation of Poles through its territory, after difficulties began to arise in escaping through Yugoslavia and Greece, due to those countries' fear of Germany.[10]
In the post-war period, some Polish women moved to the country after marrying Bulgarians.[2] A new wave of Polish immigration to Bulgaria occurred after Bulgaria's accession to the European Union, with Polish enterprises expanding their businesses in Bulgaria.[2]
Władysław of Varna Polish Cultural and Educational Association in Bulgaria was established in 1984.[2] Polish-language Catholic church services are held in Sofia.[2]
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