Kaszuby: Homeland of The Kashubians

The Kashubians reside in North Central area of Poland that is very diverse in landscape. Because Kaszuby is a thin strip of land that goes from the shores of the Baltic Sea in the North down South into Poland there are many different types of terrain that are covered. The Northern area of the territory is lined with sandy shores and flat land. As you travel down into Poland there are many lakes and forests and is referred to by some as, "The Sweden of Poland." A great example of this is Wdydze Landscape Park which covers 17,800 hectares, 11% of which is water.

Wdydze Landscape Park Courtesy of na-kazuby.pl

Kaszuby Coastline Courtesy of

Konrad Jagodziński on flickr.com

History of the Kashubain Culture

The Kashubian people are regarded more as an ethnic group rather than a nationality because they have always been governed by a greater power. The Kashubs come from an ancient Slavic people that migrated to Northern Poland 1,500 years ago but were not recorded until the 14th Century when one of their own was given the title of Duke by the Pomeranians. Since they migrated to Poland in the 6th Century they have been ruled by many groups such as, The Teutonic Knights, Sweden, Germany, Prussia and now Poland. Kashub culture was also molded by merchants that traveled to the area from The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden and Germany. These Merchants brought mostly dances and music to the area and if it wasn't for that the Kashubs may be living in a entirely different manner today.

Photo Courtesy of Poland.gov

Introduction to the Kashubian Culture

The Kashubian people are an ethnic group settled in the North Central region of Poland that migrated from the Slavic region nearly 1,500 years ago. The Kashubs became mostly dependent on fishing and farming when they settled on the Baltic Sea which offered great fishing and extremely fertile soil. The Kashubians continue to live in this area of Poland that is now known as The Kaszuby Region and also have large populations in the United States, Canada and Germany.

Photo Courtesy of Krzysztof at Wikimedia.org

INDEX:
1) History of the Kashubian Culture
2)Kaszuby: Homeland of the Kashubians
3)World of the Kashubians (how they make a living, Cultural Landscaping)
4)Kashubian Cosmos (What they believe about the world)
5) Birds of the Kashubian Culture
6)Kashubains and their Neighbors
7) Kashubains Migrations
8) Dances of the Kashubians
9)Kashubian Cultural Survival
10)Referances (Annotated Bibliography)