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Poles will not forget British hospitality in days of exile

Jakub Krupa is a Polish journalist based in London: ES Local Feed
Jakub Krupa is a Polish journalist based in London: ES Local Feed

As we celebrated Armistice Day last weekend, Poles marked the centenary of regaining independence in 1918, with 200,000 Polish Londoners celebrating the nation’s unique link with the city. London even served as the de facto capital of Poland at one point.

Not many people know that between 1940 and 1990 two elegant yet unassuming houses in Belgravia and Marylebone hosted the government of Poland.

Following the invasion of Poland which started the Second World War, the Polish authorities were forced to flee. They relocated to Paris but after the fall of France in June 1940 they moved to London. The Polish president, Władysław Raczkiewicz, was welcomed at Paddington station by King George VI.

During the Battle of Britain, when Polish and British pilots fought together, the Polish government was housed at the Polish Embassy at 47 Portland Place in Marylebone. Later, Belgravia’s 43 Eaton Place — known as “The Castle”, after the presidential residence in Warsaw — also housed the Republic in Exile, the Rzeczpospolita Londyńska.

Even after 1945, when communists took power in Poland and the Allies, including Britain, withdrew their recognition of the Polish government in London, they kept operating, leading a resistance movement against the Moscow-imposed authorities in Warsaw.

Running “Poland outside of Poland”, they established a full bureaucratic apparatus, including an education system and tax regime, with exiles voluntarily contributing to the state budget.

It also fostered the creation of a vibrant cultural scene attracting Polish artists in exile. They focused around the Polish Hearth Club in South Kensington and, later, the Polish Social and Cultural Association in Hammersmith, which was financed by donations from Poles.

It was only in 1990 that the Polish government finally returned home. Following the democratic transition — started by the Solidarity movement in the Eighties and concluded by the round table talks of 1989 — Lech Wałęsa was elected President of Poland.

In December 1990 the mission of generations of exiles was accomplished as the last president-in-exile, Ryszard Kaczorowski, brought the state insignia to a free and democratic Poland.

Poland and the UK have since become close allies, and the continuous presence of more than one million Poles who have made Britain their home is a reminder of the countries’ strong bonds.

Polish Londoners contribute to the capital every day — from bakers, plumbers, nurses and teachers to engineers, bankers and entrepreneurs. Just as past generations did, they have built their lives here: this time voluntarily. So as we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Poland regaining independence, I speak for many when I say: for your hospitality, London, thank you. Dziękujemy!

  • Jakub Krupa is a Polish journalist based in London. A documentary series on the Polish Government in London #RepublicInExile is on YouTube for free.