Difference between revisions 3031659 and 3519294 on enwiki

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Since medieval times, western [[Poland|Polish lands]] had some Germanic residents, for the first several centuries by invitation. Polish landowners had unproductive land and needed more workers. Germans from the Protestant Low Countries were recruited to reclaim wetlands of northern Poland. Sometimes, Protestant refugees from the Catholic higlands were recruited. As time progressed the settler came more from neighboring German lands. Additionally, groups of oppressed Protestants from areas that Catholics had won in southern Germany (eg Wurttemburg) migrated in significant numbers. As time progressed the settler came more from neighboring German lands. For quite some time, the Western settlers were given the complete freedom of religion, as a major part of the inducement. These were times of the bloody religious wars in the Western [[Europe]], which however didn't extend to Poland. Poland was the unique example of tolerance, thanks to [[Warsaw Confederation]], that guaranteed the [[religious freedom]] and internal peace.

==Counterreformation==
(contracted; show full)
In general Poland guaranteed German minority national rights. However, many landestates that belong to German landowners were subject of parcelation and were sold to Polish peasants.


==War and atrocities==
World War II brought the brutal repressions of totalitarian German state against Poles. Unspeakable attrocities touched every family in the Western provinces of Great Germany(see [[World War II atrocities in Poland]]).