Zostać czy wrócić? Emigracja na Zachód polskich stypendystów naukowych w latach 1956–1989 (szkic problemu)

• Authors: Pleskot Patryk

Title variants

EN

Stay or return? Emigration of Polish scientifi c grant holders to the West in the years 1956–1989 (outline of the problem)

• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The political transformations of 1956 signifi cantly increased the options of scientifi c trips to the West, and stimulated the exchange of personnel between national scientifi c institutions and their Western counterparts. However, on consenting to the development of scientifi c co-operation with foreign entities, the communist authorities were fearful of opening to scientists a new path of emigration from PRL (the People’s Republic of Poland). Therefore, they were intent on controlling scientifi c exchange as strictly as possible, sending abroad mainly the politically trustworthy researchers. Both tasks turned out to be unachievable, but despite that, emigration to Western countries associated with scientifi c journeys (grants or scholarships) was marginal in the period of PRL. Furthermore, statistics suggest that most of Polish scientists traveling abroad, did not treat their stays as an opportunity to fl ee communist Poland. The article states statistical data confirming these conclusions. The decision to emigrate was always individual, nonetheless it used to be taken in a concrete social/political context. Conditions in the PRL apparently favoured decisions to stay abroad. Therefore, the small number of “defections” of scientists during their stays in western countries, is yet more surprising. It may be partly explained by the fact that scientists willing to emigrate had other ways to accomplish their aim, such as tourist travels, as well as the legal emigration procedure.

• Publisher: Instytut Pamięci Narodowej, Komisja Ścigania Zbrodni przeciwko Narodowi Polskiemu
• Journal: Pamięć i Sprawiedliwość
• Year: 2012
• Issue: 1(19)
• Pages: 183-197

Contributors

author

Pleskot Patryk

• IPN Warszawa

References

• P. Pleskot, Intelektualni sąsiedzi. Kontakty polskich historyków z francuskim środowiskiem „Annales” w latach 1945–1989, Warszawa 2010, P. Pleskot, Jak wyjechać na Zachód? Procedury wyjazdów polskich uczonych do państw kapitalistycznych z ramienia uczelni wyższych i PAN w latach 1955–1989 [w:] Naukowcy władzy, władza naukowcom. Studia, red. P. Franaszek, Wrocław 2010, s. 292-325. M. Pasztor, Między Paryżem, Warszawą i Moskwą. Stosunki polsko-francuskie w latach 1954– –1969, Toruń 2003, D. Stola, Kraj bez wyjścia? Migracje z Polski 1949–1989, Warszawa 2010, K. Pomian, Przeszłość jako przedmiot wiedzy, Warszawa 1992, Adam Schaff, Moje spotkania z nauką polską, Warszawa 1997, A. Sakson, Wpływ „niewidzialnych” migracji zagranicznych lat osiemdziesiątych na struktury demograficzne Polski, Warszawa 2002, Robert Jarocki, Opowieść o Aleksandrze Gieysztorze, Warszawa 2001. P. Pleskot, R. Spałek, Pokolenie 82–90. Niezależne Zrzeszenie Studentów na Uniwersytecie Warszawskim (1982–1990), Warszawa 2011.