Bloc of National Minorities
Bloc of National Minorities Blok Mniejszości Narodowych (Polish) Блёк нацыянальных меньшасьцяў (Belarusian) Блок національних меншин (Ukrainian) Block der Nationalen Minderheiten (German) בלאָק פון נאַשאַנאַל מינאָריטיעס (Yiddish) | |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1922 |
| Dissolved | 1930 |
| Headquarters | Warsaw, Poland |
| Ideology |
Minority politics Ethnic minority interests Regionalism Federalism |
| Political position | Centre |
Blok Mniejszości Narodowych (Polish pronunciation: [ˈblɔɡ mɲɛjˈʂɔɕtɕi narɔˈdɔvɨx], BMN; English: Bloc of National Minorities; Belarusian: Блёк нацыянальных меньшасьцяў, Bliok nacyjanałnych mieńšaściaŭ; Ukrainian: Блок національних меншин, Blok Natsional'nykh Menshyn; German: Block der Nationalen Minderheiten; Yiddish: בלאָק פון נאַשאַנאַל מינאָריטיעס, Blok fon Nashonal Minorities), was a political party in the Second Polish Republic, representing a coalition of various ethnic minorities in Poland, primarily Ukrainians, Belarusians, Jews and Germans.
Overview
The Bloc was co-founded by Yitzhak Gruenbaum,[1] a Polish-Jewish politician. It was formed on 17 August 1922 at a conference in Warsaw.[1] Its united electoral committee consisted of three representatives each from Belarusians, Jews, Germans and Ukrainians (except for natives of Eastern Galicia who boycotted the elections).[1]
BMN took part in the Polish legislative election, 1922, Polish legislative election, 1928 and Polish legislative election, 1930, doing very well in the 1922 elections (19.5% and the second largest party) and 1928 elections (14% and the third largest party). In 1922 the bloc received the most votes in Volhynia, Polesia, and Chelm lands.[1] On its party list there were elected 66 sejm representatives and 22 senators.[1] In 1928 the bloc consisted of the Ukrainian National Democratic Alliance (UNDO), Ukrainian Peasant Union, Zionist organizations "Mizrahi" and "Gitahdut" (Unity) and few Belarusian and German groups.[1] During the 1928 elections, the bloc earned 55 mandates to the Sejm and 21 to the Senate.[1]
In 1930 elections which were considered not free, it fared poorly (3% and the ninth largest party). In the political shakedown following the 1930 elections, the Bloc was dissolved.
In the Second Polish Republic, ethnic minorities constituted 1/3 of total population.
Notable members
Belarusians
Germans
- Heinrich Greitzer
- Adolf Rause
- Karl Wilhelm Lutticher
Jews
- Yitzhak Gruenbaum
- Jakub Wygodzki
- Noach Pryłucki
- Apolinary Hartglas
- Jakub Lejb Mincberg
Ukrainians
- Volodomyr Turchyniv
- Oleksii Sorydychiv
- Oleksander Syntyvich