The Forgotten Minority: Latvia's Poles

[Peterski]

Doubt that Poles are being russificated. I don't know any, everyone I know are latvian speakers. I'm myself 1/8 polish.

Dawid Hallmann in this video claims they are being Russified:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kethEknAK2Q

[Peterski]

What were they like genetically?

Latvian Poles are probably genetically similar to Estonian Poles:

https://www.theapricity.com/forum/sh...es-on-GEDmatch

[Peterski]

Latvian Poles are probably genetically similar to Estonian Poles

^^^ Actually, they are probably more Germanic-admixed:

Many Latvian Poles are descended from Polonized Baltic German nobility: Anders, Plater, Romer, Manteuffel, Rejtan, Tyzenhaus, Hylzen, Denhoff, Felkerzamb, Borch, etc. - all of these Baltic German families were Polonized in the 1500s-1700s.

People such as Władysław Anders, Eugeniusz Romer, Tadeusz Rejtan, Tadeusz Manteuffel-Szoege , Stanisław Broel-Plater, etc. - these Poles with entries on Wikipedia were descended from Polonized Baltic Germans (Livonian Knights):

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadeusz_Manteuffel

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugeniusz_Romer

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Władysław_Anders

https://pl.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanisław_Plater

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadeusz_Rejtan

Another Polonized Romer:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Isidore_Romer

[Peterski]

LEGEND:

Red - Poles
Yellow - Belarusians
Blue - Lithuanians
Black - Jews
Green - Russians

[Peterski]

Some more data:

Ethnic structure of Estonia and Latvia and - bonus - Finland, in 1835-1861:



Ethnic structure of Estonia and Latvia (Estland/Livland/Kurland) in year 1859:



Ethnic structure of Estonia and Latvia (Estland/Livland/Kurland) in 1834-1858:



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Ethnic structure of Pribaltika - Courland, Livonian & Estonian Governorates - in 1795:
(according to Kabuzan's "Nations of Russia..." published in Moscow in year 1990)

Numbers in thousands:



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And some data from Stanisław Plater's "Geography of Eastern Europe", published in 1825:

Ethnic structure of the Duchy of Courland with the District of Pilten (today Southern Latvia), which was Poland's fiefdom, in 1795 (estimates based on Kabuzan's 1990 "Nations of Russia..." and Stanisław Plater's 1825 "Geography of Eastern Europe..."):

- ca. 360,000 Latvians
- ca. 50,000 Germans (this is high estimate, I've seen lower ones too)
- up to 20,000 Poles (also high estimate, could be closer to 10,000)
- ca. 10,000 Jews (later during the 1800s percent of Jews increased)
- ca. 10,000 Lithuanians

Poles in Courland were mainly concentrated in its eastern part around Ilukste and Daugavpils.

Vitebsk Governorate (today divided between Belarus and Latvia) according to Stanisław Plater:

Poles, Nobles & Townsmen - 30,000
Belarusians, Peasants - 500,000
Latvians, Peasants - 120,000
Russians, Peasants - 30,000
Jews - 120,000

By religion:

Roman Catholics - 150,000 (Poles & Latvians)
Greek Uniates - 400,000 (Belarusians)
Greek Orientalists - 100,000 (Belarusians)
Old Believers - 30,000 (Russians)
Israelites - 120,000 (Jews)



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Poles in Latvia in 2011 census, Polish minority has traditionally inhabited two regions of Latvia, Selonia and Latgale:



Regions of Latvia:

http://www.inne-jezyki.amu.edu.pl/Fr...uage/Details/1

[Dandelion]

No surprise they're concentrated in Latgale.

[Peterski]

No surprise they're concentrated in Latgale.

Why is this so obvious to you?

Actually, in eastern Selonia too.

[Dandelion]

Why is this so obvious to you?

Actually, in eastern Selonia too.

Because it used to belong to Lithuania.

[Satem]

Because it used to belong to Lithuania.

As well, Poland shared border with Latvia in Interwar period

[Peterski]

As well, Poland shared border with Latvia in Interwar period

Daugavpils should be renamed Daugavpoles.