Polish Settlement in Manchuria (1898-1950). A Brief Historical Survey

During the late nineteenth century, geopolitical, military, political as well as economic considerations combined to induce the Tsarist government to pursue a policy of mass colonization of the Far East. This process led to the appearance of numerous Slavic enclaves in Northeastern China from the late 1890s onwards. As a consequence, northern Manchuria became the final major meeting point between European settlers and Asian inhabitants of the borderland encompassing Tsarist Russia as well as Imperial China. The European settlement in Manchuria was to leave profound imprints on the region’s changing landscape for the next half-century. At the beginning of the twentieth century, numerous Poles migrated to the Far East in pursuit of better economic conditions. They found work building the Chinese Eastern Railway and remained behind to help operate the line. Others were employed as physicians, engineers, bankers and lawyers. In this way, unlike other Polish diaspora communities, this grup largely comprised wealthy and educated individuals.