Bloc of National Minorities

The Bloc of National Minorities (Polish: Blok Mniejszości Narodowych, (Polish pronunciation: [ˈblɔɡ mɲɛjˈʂɔɕtɕi narɔˈdɔvɨx], BMN; 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.

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)
Founded1922
Dissolved1930
HeadquartersWarsaw, Poland
IdeologyMinority politics
Ethnic minority interests
Regionalism
Federalism
Political positionCentre

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 1922 Polish legislative election, 1928 Polish legislative election and 1930 Polish legislative election, 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 "Hitachdut" (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

Ukrainians
  • Volodomyr Turchyniv
  • Oleksii Sorydychiv
  • Oleksander Syntyvich

References
  1. Block of National Minorities. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine
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