The many aspects of Kashubian identity

Kashubian folk motives decorated on a facade in Puck, Pomeranian Voivodeship. Photo: Danuta Hyniewska / Shutterstock

Identity, origin and sense of belonging are still very individual issues today. Talking to people coming from different corners of the world, one can understand that none of us has the same lineage or the same identity. There is an aspect of interconnected identities in each of us. Numerous historical upheavals caused the mixing of influences creating cultural, ethnic or religious fusions. If we were to analyze the origin of, for example, a Pole, it would probably turn out that such a person has different roots. Thanks to subsequent generations, this origin does not disappear and becomes a heritage, a part that will always remain. Maybe by realizing this we would get rid of all prejudices, if we were just aware that everyone of us has something from a different identity.

The same is true for the Kashubians. Kashubians are a community that lived between the Poles and Germans for a long time. As Cezary Obrach-Prondzyński writes, “the national aspirations of Poles and Germans clashed in Pomerania, also in the sense of territorial aspirations, and Kashubians found themselves at this crossroad.” In addition to territorial aspirations, there were also those connected to identity. Kashubian existed between German and Polish during the partitions of Poland. At that time, a question arose of who the Kashubians were and whether their speech was more related to Polish or German. It was possible to talk at that time about defining identity or even nationality through the prism of language. Even this determinant was not sufficient to clearly state whether someone was really Kashubian, as faith became an additional criterion here. The boundaries of the Kashubian identity, as well as the sense of belonging to Kashubians, are not subject to specific criteria today.

There are such people who openly identify themselves as proud Kashubians, who proudly wear traditional Kashubian costumes, speak Kashubian, or cultivate Kashubian traditions. According to the census carried out in Poland in 2021, over 176,000 people declared Kashubian affiliation. This is the second most widely represented ethnic minority group in Poland (the most numerous group consists of Silesians). Although there are fewer Kashubians than in the previous census, it has still been a large and important group. However, apart from this group, which is quite diverse internally (according to the Kaszubopedia site, Kashubians are divided into many local groups), there are also those who perceive their “Kashubianness” solely as love for the region, nature or the uniqueness of this part of Poland. So the question arises: who are they? One may ask oneself whether it is at all possible to have a sense of the Kashubian identity without knowing the Kashubian tradition and history, or without using the Kashubian language. However, it is worth taking at first a closer and more thorough look at the Kashubians, in order to begin to consider the difference between their declared affiliation and sense of the Kashubian identity.

An important element of Kashubian culture are traditional costumes. The history of  Kashubian dress is very interesting, because as it turns out, today’s styles are only an attempt at reconstructing the historically original one. A folk costume is primarily an element that distinguishes a given community or ethnic group. It fulfils not only a representative function but also constitutes affection to a given culture. As the example of the Kashubian costume shows, it can even be used for political purposes. A correlation between costume and a sense of ethnic or national belonging began to be noticed already at the beginning of the 20th century. Unfortunately, from that time on this phenomenon also began to be used for entertainment, as well as political and identity creation purposes. The Kashubian costume, as sources say, dates back to the Middle Ages. However, it is worth focusing on the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century in this history. It was then that the followers of folk traditions noticed the decline in both the care and cultivation of the embroidering tradition and wearing folk costumes as a whole. Teodora Gulgowska played an important role in the history of the Kashubian costume. Ms. Gulgowska and her husband lived in the village of Wdzydze and it was there that the very characteristic Kashubian embroidery of “Wdzydze-type” was born (designed by Teodora Gulgowska herself). The Kashubian costume in the years from 1910 to 1945 was very diverse, with different types of embroidery (Wdzydze, Kartuzy and Tuchola-type, depending on the village or city). But after the Second World War, in accordance with the will of the then authorities, a folk costume and all manifestations of folklore were included in a new framework in line with official politics. The new framework for propagated folk content was to be determined by the Ministry of Culture and Art and by the Central Office of Folk and Artistic Industry (the acronym: CPLiA). The authorities chose selected elements from folk art in such a way to meet current political needs. Currently, the Kashubian costume can be treated as an element of manifestation of one’s ethnic affiliation, which is present and visible mainly during cultural or political events. Despite the rather complicated history of the costume itself (only a minor fragment of this history has been cited in this study), it is important till today to declared Kashubians and those who visit Kashubia as well. The most important thing is that Kashubians have managed to maintain their own identity. From the point of view of a native woman of Gdynia, for example, this creates a rather open community that willingly opens the door to this magical, folk world.

Another element is the language. Visiting Kashubian cities one can hear this so beautiful and unique language. The Kashubian language (not a subdialect), which is officially respected today and – according to the act of January 2005 – is officially recognized as a regional language. Language is one of the basic elements of Kashubian identity. The other factors constituting Kashubian identity are space and origin. The uniqueness of this identity is emphasized, as Monika Mazurek writes, by the lack of conditions for an absolute identity. This means that it is still not possible to clearly define someone as a Kashubian or not. The criteria for identity remain quite fluid. Moreover, the determinant of “Kashubianness” can be exclusively the place of residence (not even the place of birth). Language is undoubtedly an element of Kashubian culture, but it does not determine belonging to this ethnic group, as the role of the Kashubian language today is, to a large extent, symbolic. On the other hand, learning the Kashubian language is a form of “keeping it alive” and not incorporating it into everyday use.

The history of the Kashubians shows us that a strong identity still exists. What is more, Kashubians are not a hermetically closed group. Perhaps due to their internal diversity, they are characterized by a higher degree of tolerance. Even if we were to define what city is the capital of Kashubia, it would not be an easy task. Gdańsk is considered the historical capital of Kashubia, the spiritual capital is Wejherowo, whereas one can read sometimes that Kartuzy is the capital of the area. This amazing region allows everybody to have everybody’s own capital of Kashubia.

In conclusion, one does not have to know the Kashubian language or wear a folk costume to have a sense of belonging to the Kashubian minority. What is more, one does not even have to have a sense of belonging to respect this minority. It is enough for one to visit Kashubia to feel the uniqueness of the region and maybe even a part of the Kashubian identity itself.

This text was prepared in the framework of the 2024/2025 edition of the Solidarity Academy, an international project of the European Solidarity Centre, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Warsaw, and New Eastern Europe. The project aims to inspire and support the development of young leaders across Europe.

Zofia Zych is a political scientist and a PhD student at the Doctoral School of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Gdańsk, preparing her doctoral thesis on the Polish maritime economy. Research interests: maritime policy, maritime economy, elections and high culture. Member of the Polish Political Science Association, Gdynia Branch. Graduate of the 2024/2025 edition of the Solidarity Academy.

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identity, Kashubia, language, minority rights, Poland