Who Are the Kashubians?
The Kashubians are a West Slavic ethnic group numbering approximately 230,000-300,000 in northern Poland around Gdańsk, speaking Kashubian language with approximately 100,000 speakers. Kashubian belongs to Lechitic branch of West Slavic languages, more closely related to Polish. Traditional Kashubian culture features distinctive embroidered costumes, folk music, pottery, and Baltic fishing culture. The region experienced severe Germanization under Prussian rule and Nazi occupation. Since Polish democracy in 1989, Kashubian cultural revival has flourished with language education, media, and official recognition. The 2005 Act on National and Ethnic Minorities granted Kashubians official minority status and recognized Kashubian as regional language.