Polish forests

Polish forests are those forested or wilderness areas in Poland that have such unique characteristics or location that they are recognized by name, such as the White Wilderness (Puszcza Biała) or the Green Wilderness (Puszcza Zielona).

Historical importance

Up until the end of the 18th Century, during what are known as the Middle Ages, forests were considered places for travelers and ordinary folk to stay clear of, as they contained bandits, primitive woodsmen, and evil spirits. Law and order, as such, did not exist in forests for many centuries, except for self-policing observed and administered by the inhabitants themselves.

However, the forests did contain numerous woodsmen and their families who made the best the could within their remote environment. These woodsmen lived on what the forests could produce, such as collecting pitch, which was important for sale as a method of illuminating city streets at night, lumber, collecting lime, bees wax, honey, hops, mushrooms, and whatever other salable items could be harvested from the forest and sold in villages outside the forest.

Families of the woodsmen produced their own food through gardening and hunting, as well as their own clothing. In some cases, their sewing of intricate laces became well known outside the forest, resulting in additional family income.

Cultural differences

Because of their isolation from society in general, woodsmen and their families developed their own style of dress, music, sewing, dialect, type of dwelling structure. and celebrations. The kurpś people, for example, lived in the forested region known in Poland as the White Wilderness and the Green Wilderness. These folk people, known as Kurpie people, still proudly proclaim and celebrate their unique culture and customs.

Over the years, many of the larger Polish forests have been reduced in size. However, forests are now protected by the Polish government and, in many cases, they have become tourist sites.

List of Polish forests

A
*Puszcza Augustowska (Augustów Primeval Forest)B
*Puszcza Biała (White Wilderness)
*Białowieża Forest
*Bydgoszcz Forests
*Puszcza Bukowa (Beech Forest) near Szczecin.D
*Bory Dolnoslaskie (Lower Silesia Forest)K
*Kampinos forests (Kampinos Forest)
*Knyszyn forests
*Krajna
*Puszcza Kurpiowska, which is the overall name of both the Puszcza Biała and Puszcza Zielona.N
*Puszcza Niepołomicka (Niepołomice Wilderness)
*Puszcza Notecka (Notec Forest) near the Lubuskie Lake District. O
*Oliwa forests in the Gdansk district.P
*Puszcza Piaskowa (Piasek Forest) in the Odra valley near Cedynia.
*Puszcza Piska (Pisz Forest)
*Pomeranian Forest R
*Puszcza Romincka (Romincka Forest)S
*Las Szpęgawski (Szpęgawski Forest)T
*Bory Tucholskie (Tuchola Forest) in the Pomeranian Lake District.W
*Puszcza Wkrzańska (Ueckermünder Heide)Z
*Puszcza Zielona (Green Wilderness)
*Puszcza Zielonka (Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park)

References

* [http://polandpoland.com/polish_forests.html Forests in Western Poland]
* [http://www.staff.amu.edu.pl/~zbzw/ph/pnp/bial.htm Bialowieski National Park]
* [http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/102477554MQfdAg Polish Forest pictures from forests photos on webshots]
* [http://osobliwosci.eduseek.interklasa.pl/~milosz/ekurpie.htm Kurpie district]
* [http://www.naszlaku.pl/dane/prezent/_prez_po/ostrolek/2_a.htm Mazovia history]
*cite book
last = Sienkiewicz
first = Henryk
authorlink =
coauthors = tr. by W. S. Kuniczak
year = 1991
chapter =
title = The Deluge
publisher = Copernicus Society of America
location = Fort Washington, Pennsylvania
id = ISBN 0-87052-004-0↑ Encyklopedia Polski t.2 ISBN 83-86328-74-6