Finding aid for the Alliance of Poles of America Records

History of the Alliance of Poles of America

The Alliance of Poles of America is an ethnic fraternal-insurance organization established in Cleveland, Ohio, in September 1895. Originally named the Alliance of Poles in Ohio, this organization was founded by members of Group 143 of the Polish National Alliance who were dissatisfied with that body's decision to admit non-Roman Catholic Poles to membership.

The Alliance initially received most of its membership from the Cleveland area and from Ohio cities with substantial Polish communities. In 1917, however, the organization changed its name to the Alliance of Poles of America in order to more accurately reflect its growing membership outside of the state of Ohio.

By the 1920s and 1930s, the Alliance had evolved into a substantial enterprise. In 1925-1926 it constructed a large headquarters building and meeting hall on Broadway Avenue in the heart of Cleveland's Polish community in the Slavic Village neighborhood. By the late 1930s, its membership exceeded 20,000. It maintained over sixty "groups" in the Cleveland area as well as groups in the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania. During this decade, it also began the independent publication of its own house organ, Zwiazkowiez (The Alliancer).

The Alliance has functioned as a major insurance organization although it is far less structured in terms of membership requirements than during its early history. Membership is open to men and women and to individuals with other than Polish or Roman Catholic background.

click here to view the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for the Alliance of Poles of America

Scope and Content

The Alliance of Poles of America Records, 1895-1971 and undated, consist of minutes, correspondence, publications, lists, and drafts of articles. A major topic of the correspondence is the Polish Armed Forces in Canada during World War II. A major correspondent is Konstanty Zielecki.

This collection will be useful to researchers studying the history of the Polish immigrant community of Cleveland, Ohio, in the late nineteenth century and the twentieth century. It will also be useful to researchers seeking resources documenting ethnic fraternal-insurance organizations in the United States. Although the collection provides important information about the Polish community of Cleveland and the development of an ethnic fraternal-insurance organization, its most important segment consists of the correspondence relating tot he recruitment and support of the Polish Armed Forces in Canada during World War II. This segment includes correspondence with General Bronislaw Duch and with Dr. Teofil Starzynski.

Statement of Arrangement

Restrictions on Access

None.

The researcher should also consult PG 269 Alliance of Poles of America Photographs; and MS 3962 Alliance of Poles of America Group 87 Records.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.

Subjects:

Preferred Citation

[Container ___, Folder ___ ] MS 3930 Alliance of Poles of America Records, Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio

Acquisition Information

Gift of the Alliance of Poles of America in 1972.

Processing Information

Processed by John J. Grabowski in 1983.

Detailed Description of The Collection