Wielkopolska is a historical region of Poland situated in the Warta river basin. It occupies the area of Wielkopolska proper, i.e. the voivodeships of Poznań, Kalisz and Gniezno, which existed prior to 1772. The region’s boundaries remained pretty much intact from the end of the 14th century until the end of the 17th. Poland was then partitioned by Prussia, Russia and Austria. Wielkopolska found itself in Prussia after the second partition, although the eastern part of Kalisz Voivodeship was transferred to Russia after the Congress of Vienna (1815). The population of the countryside identified more with their church parishes than their administrative divisions, even though these parishes were based on political and administrative organisation. These parishes exerted a considerable influence on the landscape of the Wielkopolska countryside as the boundaries of small regions, e.g. Szamotuły, often overlapped with parish boundaries. The vast secular and ecclesiastical estates also contributed to building regional groups. For example, Biskupizna was in the parishes of Krobia and Domachowo, which were the property of the bishops of Poznań.
Groups could be distinguished by their costumes, which had become standardised as early as the beginning of the 20th century. First men, and later women, began to adopt urban fashion. This was brought about by contacts with the western regions of Prussia while emigrating there for seasonal work during the 19th and 20th centuries. Clothing started to pick up a lot of urban characteristics as a result and changed through having some elements discarded and others adopted. Men’s clothing was gradually modernised at the turn of the century. Women’s costumes endured, albeit in modified form, until the 1940s or 1950s, mainly among the older generation. Young country people were getting around in city clothes before the First World War.
A white shirt, white linen or blue or navy cloth trousers, a vest, a black or red jacket known as a “jaka”, a blue or navy caftan, a green or navy “sukmana” (a homespun coat), a cap with ribbons or a hat, and black shoes made up the basic components of a traditional costume. Women’s clothing consisted of a linen shirt, a jacket known as a “jaczka”, a multi-coloured skirt, a smock, a navy jerkin, a mob cap, tights, and shoes known as “trzewiki”. The individual parts of these core components differed from village to village. In Poznań County, tall cylindrical grey sheepskin caps were worn in winter and broad-brimmed hats and short caftans in summer. The costume worn in Mogilno and Gniezno counties combined elements from Wielopolska, Kuyavia and Pałuki and the women in Września County wore black headbands made of flowers known as “czółkos”.
Traditional folk music is the domain of the many folkloric groups active in our region. These are most energetic and advanced around Kalisz, Krotoszyn and Leszno in the south.
A folk group lineup never used to vary all that much bagpipes and violin or double bass and violin in the bagpipes region and violin and double bass or violin, double bass and clarinet or tabor in Kalisz. Contemporary folkloric groups are highly elaborate and can comprise violin, accordion, clarinet, saxophone, trombone, tuba, double bass and drums with the most common instrumentation being violin, accordion, trumpet and drums.
All Dances in most Wielkopolska regions began with a rousing “viva”. A series of rotating dances like obereks, polkas, mazurkas and kujawiaks would then follow each other in whatever sequence was appropriate for the given group. Nowadays, we can watch or participate in folk dancing at folkloric events. The Kalisz Cultural Centre puts on folkloric get-togethers like this at various locations around the county. This goes by the name of “Estrada Folkloru Ziemi Kaliskiej” (Kalisz Country Folklore Stage) and Wielkopolska Ethnographic Park in Dziekanowice (on the first Sunday in July and the second Sunday in September).
