To provide a polymer material and a carbon material having novel physical properties and morphology prepared by a novel synthetic process.

The present invention relates to a polymer which has a backbone component of a copolymer of one or more monomers selected from phenols having structures wherein an aromatic ring is substituted with two or more hydroxyl groups and one or more monomers selected from aldehydes (which may comprise one or more cationic surfactants selected from alkylammonium salts and alkylamines, as well as an anionic surfactant having an amino acid group in its molecular structure); and has a spiral structure with a diameter of 50 to 500 nm; and also relates to a carbon material which is obtained by calcinating the polymer under an inert atmosphere and has a spiral structure with a diameter of 30 to 500 nm. The invention further relates to processes for production of such a spiral polymer and a spiral carbon.