Hamtramck is a Detroit treasure and definitely a must visit destination for anyone excited about culture. The 2.1 mile mini city located within Detroit’s city lines is a historical gem most notable for its rich Polish culture. This week, we spent a day in the uniquely diverse town, visiting some well-known hot spots that are cherished by what’s left of the Polish community.
Our first stop was at the Hamtramck Historical Museum with historian and author, Greg Kowalski, who has authored nine books about Hamtramck. Kowalski has been a part of the Hamtramck Historical Commission since 1998, and devotes a lot of his time to studying the history of Hamtramck and the history of the Polish community in Hamtramck.
We picked up some Paczkis from New Palace Bakery — no explanation needed. For those that live under a rock, Pączkis are filled doughnuts found in Polish cuisine. Most people will know these desserts as the traditional sweet treat enjoyed on Fat Tuesday before lent.
Next up was a traditional hearty Polish lunch at Polonia. Polonia restaurant offers traditional and gourmet Polish and Eastern European favorites like pierogies, stuffed cabbage, sauerkraut, and kielbasa, all made in house. The restaurant is outfitted with Polish artifacts, art by Polish artists, and filled with traditional Polish music. Not to mention the Polish hospitality which did not disappoint. After a significant lunch, Chef Dluyosz — in his thick Polish accent — didn’t hesitate to offer a few plates of strawberry filled crepes to top it all off.
With our stomachs full, we hobbled over to the Polish Art Center for a traditional egg decorating demonstration, also known at pisanki. Expert pisanki instructor, Michelle Bittner, daughter of owners Raymond and Joan Bittner, explained that the art of egg decorating came long before our commonly known Easter traditions. Egg decorating comes from pagan traditions and holds a lot of symbolism and meaning to the gifter and the giftee. Even the seemingly simple line work and shapes hold significant meaning within each unique egg. The family owned shop since 1973 houses folk art, beautiful Baltic amber jewelry, boleslawiec stoneware, books, Christmas ornaments, and many other unique Polish treasures.
We then made our way over to Pope Paul Park for a traditional Polish dance number by a few local Polish kids led by Jessica Urban of The PRCUA Gwiazda Dancers. The park features a centerpiece statue of Pope John Paul II, the only person of Polish descent to be named pope.
Our last stop was Saint Florian Roman Catholic Church, the tallest building in Hamtramck. The Saint Florian Church stands as a beautiful reminder of the flourishing Polish town Hamtramck once was. As the patron saint of firefighters, every year, Saint Florian Church hosts an annual Firefighter March and Mass the first Saturday in May. Since we didn’t have until May to film this event, Rev. Tomasz Pietrzak, conducted his usual mass with an impromptu special blessing of the Hamtramck fire department.
Hamtramck started out as a German farming community back in the 1900’s with a small population of just 500. In 1914, with the establishment of the Dodge Brothers automotive plant, the city flourished, attracting Polish laborers in record high numbers — the greatest community growth for that period in the United States.
Since the 21st century, there has been a shift in immigration with new residents coming from middle eastern countries, such as Yemen, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and others. The new residents have made the small city their home where you’ll see Arabic shops amongst the Polish, creating this wonderful mix of cultures in such a small area, oftentimes referred to as the “world in two square miles.”