Polish National Day

　　Long History as a State Recalled

By DR. TADEUSZ ZEBROWSKI
Ambassador of the Polish Republic

I am glad that, thanks to the courtesy of The Japan Times I have another opportunity to speak here on the occasion of the Polish National Day. On this occasion I would like to convey most cordial greetings from my compatriots and myself to the Japanese people and to all friends of Poland in this country.
This time I have special pleasure in recalling those in Japan who showed so much love for Polish music on the occasion of the Chopin Year celebrations. Also, while writing these words, I see before me Japanese young men and women applauding the Polish Ensemble “Mazowsze” representing Polish youth. This interest in and understanding of our folk art make me believe that Polish culture is not alien to the Japanese People.
1,000 Anniversary
Within the next few years, in a series of events, Poland will celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of her existence as a state. The year 963 is of course, merely a conventional date. It is in that year that the name of Poland is first mentioned in a written document. But the formative process of the early Polish State must have been going on already a long time before the Slavonic tribes settled between the Odra and the Vistula rivers and between the Baltic Sea and the Carpathian mountains, were able to unite under the Piast dynasty, the original rulers of the tribe of Polanie. The process of unification was facilitated by their close kinship in language and in cultural heritage and precipitated by common external dangers looming in the West, beyond the Odra River.
In 966 the young Polish State adopted Christianity in its Roman Catholic form, and with it the Latin alphabet and language were introduced into the country. Latin soon became the language of state and church chanceries, and of education and learning. With its help Poland was able to entertain lively cultural relations with Western Europe.
Own Language
But expression in Latin could not satisfy all the needs of the Polish people, if only because enjoyment of it was limited to the educated. From the end of the 13th century national culture began to manifest itself more and more in the Polish language. During the Renaissance, in the animated activities of which Poland vigorously participated, the Polish language reached such a height of maturity and refinement that the 16th century –Poland’s golden century-bestowed upon the nation one of her greatest poets, Jan Kochanowski. It is also during the golden century, when Poland’s relations with Italy were especially lively that the finest Renaissance buildings were erected, particularly in Cracow.
It is, of course, impossible here even to enumerate all factors that contributed to the Polish national culture. But it seems the role of the Cracow University cannot be omitted. Established in 1364, and now already 600 years old, it was the second seat of higher learning in Central Europe (the first is the University at Prague). Its law school and astronomical school soon achieved international fame. It was here that Copernicus gained his foundations of learning.
Full Maturity
Thus the Polish national culture that had been born in the midst of the European Dark Ages reached its full maturity and authenticity in the Renaissance. The sense of national identity helped the Poles to fare through the 18th century when the political power of the Polish State was on the decline. It enabled them to endure with dignity the more than century-long period, when-after the partitions of Poland in the late 18th century-these was no Polish State on the map of Europe.
However, the loss of independence and the ensuing efforts to regain it brought home to the Polish patriots the basic weakness of the feudal Poland’s social and cultural structure. However, splendid the achievements of Polish culture might have been they were accessible
only to the privileged strata of the society-the gentry. The magnates, the high clergy. The peasantry, reduced to serfdom and the burghers were kept outside the pale of political and cultural life of the Polish society.
To the Polish reformers of the late 18th century the ideas of the enlightenment had therefore a double appeal. On the one hand, these ideas satisfied their sense of social justice. They urged them to bring about the liberation of the oppressed –the peasants and the burghers. On the other, they pointed the way to the certain of a modern democratic nation capable of resisting with an incomparably greater vigor foreign aggression against Poland’s independence.
Polish Traits
For various reasons the belated reforms did not save Poland form her fate. But the twin idea-national liberation as inseparable from social justice –sank deep into the national consciousness. Another trait, strongly characteristic of the Polish national movement in the 19th century, is the fact that Polish democrats tied up “the cause of Poland” with that of the liberty of peoples.” In fact they came to identify the two causes and, following their slogan “for your liberty and ours,’ were always ready, wherever they went, to struggle for them both.
Later on, with the formation of the working class in Poland the advent of the Socialist ideology, these basic traditions of the Polish people found new philosophy and motivating force as exemplified in the development of a powerful Socialist movement in Poland, but their continuity was not disrupted.
Stronger Than Ever
These are some of the traditions that laid the foundation of the People’s Poland. In the 16 years that has gone by since it was first established, the nation has witnessed many changes. New classes have taken upon their shoulders the responsibility for the future of the nation. They are well-advanced in building a solid framework of a new, Socialist society. The rapid pace of the economic development, and of the growth of industry in particular, means social security and higher living standard.
With the spread of education, the cultural values, both ancient and modern, are accessible to more people than ever before. Poland’s external relations are not only more wide-spread and more manifold but have also in many ways changed in character. She is no longer surrounded by ‘traditional enemies’ but by friendly Socialist nations –this has changed her nations of national security.
Anniversaries, particularly when expressed in well-rounded figures, have a magic quality. They induce reflections. We would like to take advantage of the 1,000th anniversary of the foundation of the Polish State and reflect upon our long national history in the light of the experience of our generation. From such a self-reflection we can only emerge stronger than we have ever been before.