Polscy górnicy w Estonii w latach 1937–1939
Polish Miners in Estonia between 1937 and 1939

Summary/Abstract: The purpose of the publication is to present the fate of Polish miners in Estonia between 1937 and 1939. Until now, this topic has only been hinted at by some Polish historians while doing other research. This article is based on Polish and Estonian documents which are kept in the Central Archives of Modern Records in Warsaw and the National Archives of Estonia in Tallinn, respectively. This allowed the Polish and Estonian viewpoints on the subject to be compared. Taking into account the state of research on the discussed topic, the article presents such issues as the genesis, course and consequences of the emigration of Polish miners to Estonia. The analysis of Polish and Estonian documents indicates that the main reason for labour migration from Poland to Estonia was material deprivation, which went hand in hand with access to the foreign labour market. Lack of work opportunities and poverty in Poland forced miners to seek work abroad. At the same time, economic changes in Estonia during the interwar period led to the emergence of new industries in the country, the most important of which was the fuel industry. Estonia needed foreign miners to work in shale mines. Poland was the only country that supplied Estonia with miners, as the budding Estonian oil industry was unable to meet the demands for skilled profession- als from Western Europe.

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