Polish émigrés

After each uprising a wave of political exiles left the Polish territories. After the November Uprising, more than 10 thousand were forced to emigrate. This tide was called the Great Emigration on account both of  its volume and the intellectual potential of the émigrés, who included the statesman Prince Adam Czartoryski, the national bards Adam Mickiewicz and Juliusz S³owacki, the composer Frédéric Chopin, historian Joachim Lelewel, and almost the entire general staff of the Uprising. Most of the émigrés became involved in European politics, while continuing to strive for Polish independence. Some, like Prince Czartoryski, tried to further the cause by diplomatic means, others by military service, others still  by  participating in secret European organisations like Young Europe. The best-known masterpieces of Polish literature were created in France, notably the national epic Pan Tadeusz by Adam Mickiewicz. Poles were ever present in world events, not only as soldiers or politicians: Ignacy Domeyko laid the foundation of geology in Chile; Ernest Malinowski built railways in Peru; Pawe³ Edmund Strzelecki explored Africa and Australia for the British Crown. There were also the Polish writers and artists: Joseph Conrad (Józef Konrad Korzeniowski) made a mark in world literature, Henryk Rodakowski won gold medals at Paris art exhibitions, while in music Frédéric Chopin and Ignacy Paderewski are world-famous as composers and virtuouso performers.