EMIGRATION IN POLAND Poland also played an important part in the history of migration movements from Europe. The tragic fate of the Polish nation from the beginning of the 18th century through the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century also led the Poles to emigration. For many of our compatriots this was emigration due to political reasons, related to Poland's loss of independence in the year 1795, followed by 125 years of captivity, with unsuccessful uprisings against the invaders. In that same year, the territory of the Republic of Poland was partitioned by the three invader countries, i.e. Russia, Prussia and Austria. The first wave of political emigration from Poland took place after the defeat of the Confederation of Bar and the first partition in the year 1772. Emigrants arrived mainly in Turkey, Switzerland and France. Emigration after the war with Russia in the year 1792 and the victory of Targowica Confederation was of serious political significance. At that time, the most outstanding political activists and officers of higher ranks, who had been involved in the preparations to the Kościuszko Uprising in cooperation with the resistance movement at home and trying to obtain assistance from revolutionary France, left our country. After the defeat of the Kościuszko insurrection and the 3rd partition, as a result of which Poland finally lost its independence, Polish emigrants mainly gathered in France and Italy, where Polish military formations were established, namely Dąbrowski Legions. Besides, Polish emigrants served in various French army units and after Napoleon's victory in the war with Prussia in the year 1806 they participated in the establishment of state government and army of the Duchy of Warsaw. After Napoleon's defeat and finishing of the Vienna Congress a significant part of the emigrants returned to their homeland. The new wave of emigration, called the Great Emigration, was caused by the collapse of the November Uprising in the year 1831. About 7 thousand people left the country until 1831. The main destination was France, while smaller groups of emigrants gathered in Great Britain, Belgium and Switzerland. Numerous political groupings in exile were intensely involved in gaining support of revolutionary powers, the public or governments in Western Europe for the Poland’s cause, also influencing the conspiratorial movement at home. The Poles played an important part in revolutionary struggles in Europe 1848-1849. After the collapse of the January Uprising 1863-1864, about 10 thousand of its participants left Poland. The main emigration centers were primarily formed in France, Turkey, Switzerland. Smaller groups of emigrants arrived in Great Britain, Germany, Italy, Belgium and in the United States, where they consequently played an important part in the organization of Polish emigration for economic reasons at the close of the 19th century. As early as in the first half of the 19th century, emigration for economic reasons also began, which gradually outgrew the political emigration and became a mass movement from the 1890s. Emigration for economic reasons occurred on a massive scale in the middle of the 19th century (mainly from the territory of the Prussian partition) after the abolition of serfdom, mainly involving rural population. It was often seasonal and initially oriented towards the territories of partitioner countries (e.g. 'going to Saxony' [Polish idiomatic expression 'chodzić na saksy' meaning customary seasonal employment in Germany]). Before the 1st World War, the most extensive migrations were the following: from the territory of the Prussian partition deep into Germany - approx. 650 thousand people, to the USA - approx. 600 thousand; from the Russian partition to the USA and Brazil - over 750 thousand, from the Austrian partition (mass emigration around the year 1900) to the USA - approx. 600 thousand people. Emigration issues presented in our exhibition mostly relate to the areas of the Russian partition, particularly to Płock province, situated within northern Mazovia. Emigrants from the territory of the Russian partition primarily recruited from peasantry. The land reform of 1864 did not solve the agrarian issue. The owners of small farms existing in the countryside were unable to earn their living without additional income. However, the young generation that often descended from peasant farmers but did not inherit land constituted vast majority of emigrants. Towns could not assimilate the surplus of workforce, particularly in less industrialized regions. Facing the difficulties in the labor market, poorer inhabitants of towns were also potential candidates for emigrants. Also, numerous agriculture-oriented small towns became reservoirs of unused workforce. The agrarian crisis in the 1890s intensified those problems on independent farms and worsened the situation of landless peasants. Low wages in farming constituted an additional stimulus for employment search abroad. The situation became even worse due to rapid population growth - the population doubled in the second half of the 19th century. The Płock province, particularly its border districts on the Drwęca river, is considered the territory in which peasant emigration began earliest. According to official statistical data provided by tsar's authorities, about 4996 persons emigrated from the territory of the Płock province in the 1880s, of which more than 4515 went to the United States. Until 1888, the most emigrants came from the following districts: Rypin and Lipno, followed by Przasnysz, Sierpc, Mława, Ciechanów, Płock and Płońsk districts. The majority of people leaving the country were peasants - approximately 71%, followed by Jews - 22,5%. The total of 7458 persons emigrated in the 1890s from the Płock province to North America. In most cases, the authorities noted economic reasons of leaving the country. Some cases of escaping military service were also noted, which particularly related to people of Jewish origin. Due to scarcity of available data it is difficult to determine the duration of the emigrants' stay in America. The analysis of data concerning returns indicates that such stay typically last 2-3 years. Most of the emigrants were married men, who left without their wives. Also, the phenomenon of re-emigration could be noticed. Polish emigrants often went to North America several times, using the money earned there for improving their living standard at home. Such trips did not result in breaking family and property bonds between the emigrants and their relatives who stayed at home. Emigrants would send significant amounts of money, reaching several hundred rubles a year, to their families. Later, some of the emigrants brought their families to the United States. This depended on their experiences in that country. It seemed that emigrants originating from town dwellers were more willing to stay in their new country than rural population, who were more inclined to return. In the United States, Polish emigrants stayed mostly in New York, Buffalo, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia and mining centers of Pennsylvania. During the 1900 census in the United States, among 383510 persons declaring to have been born in Poland 154424 persons from the Russian partition were singled out. They resided mainly in Pennsylvania, New York State, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut and Ohio. In the 1920 census there were already as many as 1139979 persons who quoted Poland as their country of origin. Emigration from Poland to the United States, which continues until the present day, is a complex issue providing grounds for long lasting scientific research. Most of all, one should keep in mind that there were various breakthroughs and tragic points in the history of our country that forced Poles to leave their homeland.