The Kashubians are an ethnic group living within northwestern Poland, mainly to the north, northwest, and west of the city of Gdansk. This region has historically been known as Kashubia. The map at right gives an idea of where Kashubia is situated in Poland today. Many Kashubian families emigrated in the second half of the 19th century, including the Bambeneks of Lesno and the Pellowskis of Szwedzki Ostrow. Many emigrated to Winona, Minnesota, making it the Kashubian Capital of America. You can read more about the Kashubians and about Kashubia below..

There are also some posts from my blog, Smiles in Boxes, which touch upon Winona’s Kashubian American community and sometimes feature some vintage pictures.