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<p>The paper concerns the presence and ideological identity-building function of Polish folk music in Polish state-run schools between the World Wars, and the experiences of Jewish children and teenagers in this regard. The young Polish state brought together populations from the former three partitioned territories, which included numerous national minorities. The need for bond-forming, powerfully symbolic elements supporting a collectively developed national identity was soon strongly felt. Polish folk music, with particular emphasis on its regional varieties, perfectly fitted into the ideological current of patriotic and civic youth education in both state-run and private schools. Dances and songs which children learned at music and PE lessons familiarised them with the wealth of traditions, imbuing them with pride and the love of national culture. The paper quotes examples of young Jews’ experiences in this context, as they encountered Polish folksongs and dances in state-run schools: their responses to this issue and the impact of such contacts on their identities. The source material comes from pre-WWII press, in which we hear the voices of the children themselves, reporting their experiences.</p>
</abstract>

The paper concerns the presence and ideological identity-building function of Polish folk music in Polish state-run schools between the World Wars, and the experiences of Jewish children and teenagers in this regard. The young Polish state brought together populations from the former three partitioned territories, which included numerous national minorities. The need for bond-forming, powerfully symbolic elements supporting a collectively developed national identity was soon strongly felt. Polish folk music, with particular emphasis on its regional varieties, perfectly fitted into the ideological current of patriotic and civic youth education in both state-run and private schools. Dances and songs which children learned at music and PE lessons familiarised them with the wealth of traditions, imbuing them with pride and the love of national culture. The paper quotes examples of young Jews’ experiences in this context, as they encountered Polish folksongs and dances in state-run schools: their responses to this issue and the impact of such contacts on their identities. The source material comes from pre-WWII press, in which we hear the voices of the children themselves, reporting their experiences.

General Music Education in a Multi-Ethnic Context, on the Example of State-Run Schools in Poland between the World Wars

Musicology Today

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

The paper concerns the presence and ideological identity-building function of Polish folk music in Polish state-run schools between the World Wars, and the...

General Music Education in a Multi-Ethnic Context, on the Example of State-Run Schools in Poland between the World Wars

Published Online: Dec 31, 2022

Page range: 28 - 38

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/muso-2022-0002

Keywords
Polish folk music, music in education, Jews in Poland between the World Wars, Jewish music in Poland

© 2022 Agnieszka Jeż, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

General Music Education in a Multi-Ethnic Context, on the Example of State-Run Schools in Poland between the World Wars

Published Online: Dec 31, 2022

Page range: 28 - 38

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/muso-2022-0002

KeywordsPolish folk music, music in education, Jews in Poland between the World Wars, Jewish music in Poland

© 2022 Agnieszka Jeż, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Polish folk music, music in education, Jews in Poland between the World Wars, Jewish music in Poland