Bloc of National Minorities

The Bloc of National Minorities (Polish: Blok Mniejszości Narodowych, (Polish pronunciation: [ˈblɔɡ mɲɛjˈʂɔɕtɕi narɔˈdɔvɨx], BMN; Belarusian: Блёк нацыянальных меньшасьцяў, Bliok nacyjanałnych mieńšaściaŭ; Ukrainian: Блок національних меншин, Blok Natsional'nykh Menshyn; German: Block der Nationalen Minderheiten; Yiddish: בלאָק פון נאַשאַנאַל מינאָריטיעס, Blok fon Nashonal Minorities) was a political party in the Second Polish Republic, representing a coalition of various ethnic minorities in Poland, primarily Ukrainians, Belarusians, Jews and Germans.

The Bloc was co-founded by Yitzhak Gruenbaum,^[1] a Polish-Jewish politician. It was formed on 17 August 1922 at a conference in Warsaw.^[1] Its united electoral committee consisted of three representatives each from Belarusians, Jews, Germans and Ukrainians (except for natives of Eastern Galicia who boycotted the elections).^[1]

BMN took part in the 1922 Polish legislative election, 1928 Polish legislative election and 1930 Polish legislative election, doing very well in the 1922 elections (19.5% and the second largest party) and 1928 elections (14% and the third largest party). In 1922 the bloc received the most votes in Volhynia, Polesia, and Chelm lands.^[1] On its party list there were elected 66 sejm representatives and 22 senators.^[1] In 1928 the bloc consisted of the Ukrainian National Democratic Alliance (UNDO), Ukrainian Peasant Union, Zionist organizations "Mizrahi" and "Hitachdut" (Unity) and few Belarusian and German groups.^[1] During the 1928 elections, the bloc earned 55 mandates to the Sejm and 21 to the Senate.^[1]

In the 1930 elections (which were considered not free), it fared poorly (3% and the ninth largest party). In the political shakedown following the 1930 elections, the Bloc was dissolved.

In the Second Polish Republic, ethnic minorities constituted 1/3 of total population.

• Branisłaŭ Taraškievič
• Jan Stankievič
• Adam Stankievič

• Heinrich Greitzer
• Adolf Rause
• Karl Wilhelm Lutticher

• Yitzhak Gruenbaum
• Jakub Wygodzki
• Noach Pryłucki
• Apolinary Hartglas
• Jakub Lejb Mincberg

• Volodomyr Turchyniv
• Oleksii Sorydychiv
• Oleksander Syntyvich

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