The socio-political situation of Poles in Vilnius after the accession of Lithuania to the EU

Polish minority is the largest national minority in the whole Lithuania. In contemporary Vilnius Poles have a very strong position. Almost 1/5 of population inhabited the capital city that are Polish. Poles who are in Vilnius for a long time have got many Polish organizations which support development of Polish culture and traditions. What is more the organizations support Polish minority not only in the capital city of Lithuania but also Poles in the whole country. The most important organization is the Union of Poles in Lithuania (ZPL). ZPL defends the rights of the Polish minority, conducts educational and cultural activities, promotes Polish economic initiatives, participate in parliamentary and municipal elections and publishes a weekly paper. Other important Polish organization is the house of Polish Culture in Vilnius (DKP) which was founded in 2001. The main target of DKP is the organization of cultural life of local community. Important directions of activities are cultural education, promotion of Polish literature and art in Vilnius area, support for local artistic and cultural initiatives. In Vilnius is still possible to find a lot of signs of Polish cultural heritage which is so important for Polish history. In the city are also Polish schools and in many churches the masses are in Polish language.Article wrote as part of researches sponsored by the National Science Centre granted based on decision no. DEC-2011/01/N/HS4/0214