Polish Daily Life
A look at the traditional foods, clothing, housing, and lifestyles of Poland.
Daily life for the common people of medieval Poland revolved around the farm and family. Under serfdom, peasants held few rights and were required to support their lords with goods and labor. A household’s labor quota was determined by its size. In most cases, one or two members of a family and their draft animals worked three days per week for their lord. Serfdom waned in the 15th century before growing again to handle increasing grain exports. Lords could decide where a peasant lived and who he or she married. Punishments for the lower classes were typically severe. Members of the upper classes built manors of wood, stone, and brick. Peasants lived in more humble abodes, generally of timber. They wore clothing made from flax or linen and grew their own crops when they weren’t working for their manor.
Despite their low position in society, the peasants of Poland led active, communal lives. The Polish Plain, a large grassland in the nation’s interior, supported extensive cereal farming. Peasants of the Middle Ages lived primarily on grains, milk, and meat when they could get it. Common drinks included mead, beer, and milk. Grains were eaten as groats or baked into flatbreads, noodles, and dumplings. Peasants also possessed a thorough knowledge of the wilderness around them. Game animals, even bears, were commonly hunted and eaten. In addition, they foraged for wild edibles like mushrooms, herbs, and berries. Pickled vegetables like sauerkraut played a prominent role in their diet as well. Classic dishes, influenced in part by Turkey, tend to be spicier than the rest of Europe’s. The introduction of potatoes in the 17th century gave the peasants a new and more efficient staple crop.
The long policy of serfdom made Poland’s nobles rich, but it stunted growth in other areas. While the rest of Europe modernized, Poland remained largely rural. Industrialization came in the communist era. Soviet-style policies pushed for greater manufacturing and more efficient farming methods. They encouraged workers to move from rural villages and into growing cities. For decades, Poland suffered from frequent supply shortages. Citizens waited in long lines for the chance to secure food and other goods. For the most part, however, families experienced greater stability and access to education than before. The shift to a capitalist society from 1989 presented its own challenges. Rural villages never fully recovered from depopulation. Young people often preferred to leave their homes for the cities of Poland or other European Union states. Today, Polish society provides basic amenities for its citizens, including access to higher education, healthcare, and social security.
References
Biskupski, Mieczysław B. The History of Poland. Greenwood Press. 2000.
Blum, Jerome. The End of the Old Order in Rural Europe. Princeton University Press. 1978.
Dyczewski, Leon, ed. Values in the Polish Cultural Tradition. The Council for Research in Values and Philosophy. 2002.
Hertz, Aleksander. The Jews in Polish Culture. Northwestern University Press. 1988.
Lukowski, Jerzy and Hubert Zawadzki. A Concise History of Poland. 2nd ed. Cambridge University Press. 2006.
“The World Factbook: Poland.” Central Intelligence Agency, Central Intelligence Agency, 20 June 2018, www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/pl.html.
About TOTA
TOTA.world provides cultural information and sharing across the world to help you explore your Family’s Cultural History and create deep connections with the lives and cultures of your ancestors.
