s ▁While ▁the ▁term ▁Polish ▁culture ▁refers ▁primarily ▁to ▁the ▁Polish - language ▁culture ▁in ▁Poland , ▁the ▁Second ▁Polish ▁Republic ▁also ▁had ▁numerous ▁v ibr ant ▁national ▁minor ities , ▁most ▁not ably ▁Jewish , ▁Ukrain ian , ▁Bel arus ian , ▁Lith uan ian ▁and ▁German . ▁It ▁was ▁a ▁mult icult ural ▁society ▁whose ▁eth no - c ult ural ▁make up ▁was ▁sh aped ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁centuries . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 1 ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁first - ever ▁national ▁census , ▁the ▁Catholic ▁Pol es ▁constit uted ▁ 6 9 . 2 % ▁of ▁the ▁population , ▁the ▁Uk ra ini ans ▁ 1 4 . 3 %, ▁the ▁Jews ▁ 7 . 8 %, ▁the ▁Bel arus ians ▁ 3 . 9 % ▁and ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁ 3 . 9 %. ▁The ▁minor ities ▁amount ed ▁to ▁ 3 0 . 8 % ▁of ▁the ▁total . ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁new ▁intellig ents ia ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁record ▁number ▁of ▁political ▁parties , ▁lo bb ies ▁and ▁soci eties . ▁In ▁a ▁dozen ▁or ▁so ▁years ▁the ▁newspaper ▁read ership ▁double d . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 9 , ▁new ▁univers ities ▁opened ▁in ▁Poz na ń , ▁Wil no , ▁and ▁Lub lin . ▁Univers ities ▁in ▁Krak ów ▁and ▁L w ów ▁were ▁pol on ized ▁already ▁five ▁years ▁earlier . ▁The ▁Element ary ▁School ▁Te ach ers ▁Union ▁was ▁formed ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 9