Poland Eastern Europe Chapter 5 section 1 Pgs. 174-180.
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Transcript of Poland Eastern Europe Chapter 5 section 1 Pgs. 174-180.
Objectives
Find out about Polish traditions. Learn about economic changes that have
taken place in Poland since the collapse of communism.
Understand the future challenges that Poland faces.
Key Terms
Shrine – A holy place
Capitalism– An economic system in which businesses are
privately owned and operated Entrepreneur
– A person who develops original ideas in order to start new businesses
Poland’s Traditions
Catholicism has been a Polish tradition for hundreds of years.– Communist govt. tried to stop/discourage religious beliefs
and traditions Underestimated the strong faith and belief in the Roman
Catholic Church
90% of Poles are Catholic 1978 a Polish priest was selected as Pope Pope John Paul II served until he died in 2005
Polish Orthodox
Not everyone is Catholic Polish Orthodox makes up the minority They have their own religious traditions
– Planting wooden crosses of various sizes each year on the hillsides of northeastern Poland
Judaism in Poland
More than 3 million Jews used to live in Poland– Where did they go? Why?
During the Holocaust, about 85% of the Jews were killed by Hitler’s army
A small percent still live in Poland today– Their numbers are only in the thousands
Polish Language
Many past rulers tried to ban the use of Polish over the years– Communists did not ban it but did force Polish
school children to learn Russian Polish language survived
– Spoken by the majority of the population It links Poland with the other Slavic nations of
Eastern Europe
Economic Challenges
Communism ended in 1989 Capitalism adopted
– Economic system where businesses are privately owned
Poland went from communism, where everything is owned by the govt., to capitalism almost overnight.
Capitalism
January 1, 1990– Ended govt. control of prices– Froze taxes and wages
1991– Set up a Polish stock market
These steps helped to transition Poland from communism to capitalism
Economy
Foreign Investment– Many foreign countries began to invest in Poland
businesses Privatization
– Private businesses increased and helped the economy
– Started out selling in booths on the streets– Began to by/rent storefronts– More than 2 million private businesses in Poland
Economy
Consumer Goods– Poles have access to more goods than when they
lived under communism– 1989 only ½ people had TV– Now almost every Polish home has a TV– Many Poles have cell phones and wear Western
fashions
Economy
Farm Life– Under communism, most farms remained
privately owned– Govt. always bought the produce and meat
Provided them with a reliable income– After communism, this income varied.– Hard on farmers to change from communism to
capitalism
Future Challenges
Pollution– Coal-mining and steel production
Destroyed most of the forests in southern Poland– Increased cancer rates– By 2003, reduced many forms of pollution by 50%