Over 100 years of Preserving Polish Language & Culture

The establishment of the Polish People's University in Philadelphia, similar to many folk or People’s Universities in Europe, was based on the concept originally developed in the Denmark by poet and theologist N.F.S. Grundtvig in the 19th century. The Maatschappij tot Nut van 't Algemeen (Nut for short; Society for Public Welfare), a non-profit organization, was founded in 1844 with the purpose of developing individuals and society, primarily through extracurricular education.

People’s Universities spread throughout Scandinavia and the rest of Europe in the 19th century. Their principle was to provide extracurricular education in humanities, history, and language, but also in general culture and life and social skills. In Poland, People’s Universities also have over a hundred-year tradition starting in 1905. Initially called “workers” universities, they were developed mostly in regions of Poland which had been partitioned by Austria (Galicia), where the use of the Polish language was allowed. The model organization was the Folk University of Adam Mickiewicz in Krakow which exemplified the deep connection of writers, scientists, and artists with the worker’s community. Their approaches united the nation, overcame class divisions, and taught cooperation and mutual understanding between different ethnicities. In 1995 there were 80 such institutions in operation in Poland.

The first Polish People's University (Polski Uniwersytet Ludowy) in the US was established in Chicago in 1908 and one of its oldest branches was PUL in Detroit established in 1912. In the next 50 years, seventeen branches of PUL were formed including New York, Cleveland and Toledo, OH, Flint, MI, Milwaukee, WI, Niagara Falls, NY, Jersey City and Harrison, NJ, Gary IN, and St. Louis, MN. While most of these branches ceased their activity, Philadelphia’s PUL still continues its active engagement in the Polish community today.

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