The History of Poles in Lithuania describes the history of Polish culture and language in Lithuanian lands, as well as the process of formation in the Polish community there before 1990.
During the Polish–Lithuanian union, there was an influx of Poles into the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the gradual Polonization of its elite and upper classes. At the end of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1795, almost all of Lithuania's nobility, clergy, and townspeople spoke Polish and adopted Polish culture, while still maintaining a Lithuanian identity. In the late 19th century, due to the processes of Polonization of Lithuanian and Belarusian peasants Polish population lived mainly on a long strip of land, stretching to Daugavpils and including Vilnius. The rise of the Lithuanian national movement led to conflicts between both groups. Following World War I and the rebirth of both states, there was the Polish–Lithuanian War, whose main focus was Vilnius and the nearby region. In its aftermath, the majority of the Polish population living in the Lithuanian lands found themselves within the Polish borders. However, interwar Lithuania still retained a large Polish minority. During World War II, the Polish population was persecuted by the USSR and Nazi Germany. Post-World War II, the borders were changed, territorial disputes were suppressed as the Soviet Union exercised power over both countries and a significant part of the Polish population, especially the best-educated, was forcefully transferred from the Lithuanian SSR to the Polish People's Republic. At the same time, a significant number of Poles relocated from nearby regions of Byelorussian SSR to Vilnius and Vilnius region.
Currently, the Polish population is grouped in the Vilnius region, primarily the Vilnius and Šalčininkai districts. In the city of Vilnius alone there are more than 85,000 Poles, who make up about 15% of the Lithuanian capital's population. Most Poles in Lithuania are Roman Catholic and speak Polish, although a minority of them speak Russian or Lithuanian, as their first language.
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
From the 13th century to 1569
The first Poles appeared in Lithuania long before the Union of Krewo in 1385. The early Polish population was composed mainly of enslaved war captives who assimilated relatively quickly. The Lithuanian slave raids into Poland continued until the second half of the 14th century. The process of voluntary Polish migration began in the mid-13th century, nonetheless Poles did not start to migrate to Lithuania in more noticeable numbers until Christianization of the country.
Between 1387 and 1569, members of various Polish social strata (i.e. burghers, clergy, merchants, and szlachta) moved to Lithuania, although this migration was not large-scale. The Poles settled mainly in urban centers, on Catholic church grounds, and concentrated at aristocratic courts. Many Poles worked in the Grand Ducal latin chancellery. Mikołaj Cebulka was appointed the senior secretary by Vytautas. was the starosta of Vilnius and a commander during the city's successful defence in 1390, when it was besieged by Vytautas and Teutonic Knights. In the same year, Jaśko from Oleśnica became the governor of Lithuania on behalf of king Władysław II Jagiełło (Jogaila). Another Pole, Mikołaj Sapieński, participated in the Council of Constance as one of three leaders of the Samogitian delegation.
By the end of the 15th century, several Polish families from Podlachia were included in the governing elite of the Grand Duchy. In the 15th and 16th century, the Polish population in Lithuania was not large numerically, but the Poles enjoyed a privileged social position – they were found in highly regarded places and their culture was considered prestigious. With time Polish people became also part of the local landowning class. A relocation of a Polish noble to the Grand Duchy tended to trigger a chain of further arrivals, often motivated by family ties or geographic links. Lithuanian nobles welcomed fugitive Polish peasants and settled them on uncultivated land, but they usually assimilated with Belarusians and Lithuanians peasants within few generations. Polish peasants took also part in the colonization of the Neman river area. In the 16th century, the largest concentrations of Poles in the GDL were located in Podlachia the border areas of Samogitia, Lithuania and Belarus, and the cities of Vilnius, Brest, Kaunas, Grodno, Kėdainiai, and Nyasvizh.