UDK: 911 3.32(438) COBISS: 1 08 Contemporary regionalism in Poland Michal Hermanowski and Gerard Kosmala Institute of Geography. University of Wroclaw. PI Uniwersytecki 1, PI 50-137 Wroclaw, Poland Abstract Forms of Polish regionalism movements are similar to those in Western Europe. Strategic aims are almost similar. The main aim is to possess or to have autonomy and to rule in the region. The only difference between Polish and the Western European regionalism is in its historical background: the development and distribution of Polish regionalistic movements were under pressure of displacements and resettlements of various groups of people during the 1940s. Keywords: political geography, population geography, regionalism, ethnicity. Poland. Introduction: the concept and types of regionalism At least since November 1988, as they've published »The card of community concerning regionalization«, the European Parliament strongly supports regional autonomy1. The regionalism is being understood there and than as the phenomenon of searching for your own identity by the means of a territorial unit.2 Strong cases in this regard have been made in Scotland, Wales, Brittany. Alsace. Catalonia, Friuli and Franconia.1 The aim of this paper is to show the phenomenon of regionalism in contemporary Poland The socio-geographic sphere of regionalism, that was not emphasized by now, will be explored. Studies on Polish regionalism are already numerous, many of them point out the special character of regionalisms in Poland. Regionalism has never been clearly defined. Rembowska (2000) names two forms of regionalism: the modernistic one (more an economic and technological form) and the traditional one (which lays stress on the cultural and historical differences of the regions). Both forms are set against the traditional state's tendency towards unification and integration 4 Also Gorzelak (1993) marks out two forms of regionalism: the ethnic and the economic. The first one includes elements of culture, language, religion etc. Regionalism therefore anses from ethnic and cultural differences. The economic regionalism is a result of regions' point of view regarding own situation, being either economically strong (as they set against the wealth redistribution of the state) or the weak (as they, in their opinion, are a subject of an inner colonization of the center and the rich regions of the state). Rochmiriska"' in the article _Wie-loznacznosc terminbw...« explores the meaning of the term regionalism in a different way. She points out the reasons that enable regionalism and clearly defines: (1) ethnic regionalism, based on the differences in tradition, culture Schmidt P.. 1992, Nadrenta Point una -Halfalia jako region europejski a ponadgraniczne euro-regiony. s. 84. [in: J Region jako przyszla struktura euntpejska. Opole. Gorzelak G.. /993. Regionalizm i regionalizacja m' Polsce na lie europejskim. ¡in:J Crr Polska hqdzie parisru em regionalnym1. Gorzelak G.. Jalov iecki B. led.). H'arszawa. ss. 45 • 70; more information about regionalistic moivments in Eastern Europe you can find in: Tomasiewicz J.. /998. WspHatsnt ruchy regionalistyczne m Europie Zachodniej. [in:] Spnmi Narodowoiciowe. torn VI. z. 2(11). Poznan, ss. 295 - 317; also Gorzelak. ibid; Rembowska K. 2000. Tozsamoši lokalna i regionalna Region Ltidzkl, (in ] Ada Universalis Lod- ziensis. Folia Geographica Socio-Oeconomica 3. Lodz. ss. 3-9 Rochmihska A . 2000. H'ieloznacznoic terminow "regionalizacja" i "regionalizm[in:] Ada L nnvr-satis Lodziensis. Folia Geographica StH iii-Oettutomica 3. Lodz. ss. II - 29 and religion; (2) economic regionalism, considered from the point of view of the strong or weak regions (see above); and (3) political regionalism, paving the way towards changes of the state's administrative structure. Rykiel (1993) elaborated on a similar typology. He identified, along the three forms of regionalisms mentioned above, the sc. folk regionalism, which includes the postulates of the preservation of a culture and which becomes outmost essential for the society living on a certain territory. One would speak of ethnic regionalism too. Rykiel identifies also two quasi-regionalisms of Poland: the political and the ecological. The first is based on cultural differences of minorities or ethnic groups and is related to histo-rically based loyalty towards the former administrative center. The second one other is based on the integration of a regional society around a serious ecological problem.6 Ethnic and border changes in Poland in 20th century At the beginning of the 20m century Poland was divided by three imperial powers: Prussia, Austro-Hungary and Russia. In 1918 the independence of Poland was restored. Galicia, part of former Austro-Hungary, the sc. Great Poland and Pomerania, part of former Prussia and the sc. Kingdom of Poland, part of former Russia composed the Polish state after the WW1. With the exception of eastern all boundaries were set at the peace talks in Versailes, France. Gdansk and its surroundings was declared a Free City and put under the patronage of the League of Nations. The eastern borders were set at the conference in Riga, in 1921, soon after the Polish - Bolshevik war has ended. In 1920 Vilnius and the region called "Middle Lithuania" was occupied by Polish forces. After the plebiscite held in 1922 Middle Lithuania was incorporated into Poland. Poland had in 1921 about 27 million inhabitants and an area of 388,600 sq. km. In the mterwar period(WW1 - WW2) Poland was a multiethnic state. Censuses show a Polish majority of about 65 percent of the total population. Ukrainian, Byelorus, German, Jewish. Russian, Lithuanian, Czech. Roma and other minorities constituted over 30 percent of the population. Ukrainians lived in the southeastern part of Poland, Byelorussians in the eastern and Lithuanians in the northeastern part. A small minority of Russians lived displaced in the " Rvkel Z.. IWJ. Regionalism in Poland, with special reference lo Upper Silesia, tin ) Region and Regionalism. No. I. Opole ■ Link..«. 117- 125 eastern area of the state. Germans lived in the west and. in small groups, in the southeastern part of Poland - in Podole. The majority of Jews were settled in towns (76 percent) all over Poland. The size of Czech, Gypsy (Roma) and other minority communities was much smaller. The composition of the religion believe was also very diverse. The Roman Catholics composed a 64 percent majority, while other religions, like the Orthodox Christians, Protestant Christians and believers of Judaism, incorporated close to 30 percent of the state s population. The diverse structure of the population generated conflicts on the ethnical, cultural and religious grounds. Although, their scale was not so significant as in neighboring countries like Germany and in the Soviet Union. In 1938, as Germans captured Sudetenland (a German minonty region in those days Czechoslovakia) and Hungarians entered southern Slovakia, the Polish Army occupied the Czechs Cieszyn Silesia and a small part of Spisz and Orawa. Because of the Polish refusal to grant Germans a corridor connecting Eastern Prussia with the Free City of Gdansk Germany invaded Poland and on September 1, 1939 initiated WW 2. Soon than after, the 3rd Reich and the Soviet Union executed the so called .fourth partition« of Poland. According to the secret agreement between both aggressors, the division of Poland's territory into two zones would have to take place. Generally, rivers Pisa -Narew - Vistula - San would have to divide these tow zones. The war modified this plan: Germans captured the area of the Bug River, while Soviets took Western Ukraine and the Western Byelorussia. Middle Lithuania had been "given back" to Lithuania In summer 1940 Lithuania. Latvia and Estonia joined the Soviet Union, as was than requested by the than strong national communist parties. After WW 2, following the Peace Accords of the Conference in Potsdam, new political borders were set. Silesia, Pomerania and the southern part of East Prussia were granted to Poland on Germany's expense. In contemporary Poland these territones are known as Western and Northern provinces or the Regained Territories. The city of Gdansk became Polish, too. However, former western Ukraine, western Byelorussia and Middle Lithuania remained to be part of the Soviet Union. That new situation generated problems. like migrations, ethnic and political conflicts, etc. Table 1. Population of Poland 1921 -1946 General Census Total (in thousand) Poles (%) Ukrainians (%) Byelorus-sians (%) Russians (%) g xf> C Lithuanians (%) Jews (%) Czechs (%) others (%) verified (%) 30.IX.21 27 177 69.2 14.3 3,9 - 3.9 - 7.8 - 0.9 9.XII. 31 32 107 64 7 16.0 6.1 0.4 2.4 0.3 9.8 0.1 0.2 14.11 46 23930 85.7 9.5 1.6 1.7 Sonne II Mono Polsti m Otzbach. LuJnosc. Teniorium. GVS. H'anzawa 19VJ. Table 2. Religions in Poland 1921 -1990 (in %) Roman Catholic o "5 w fi i «s c 9 2 Ï ~ o X t O Lutherans Other Christians I I Jews !? 1 i o in B 0) c. S Jehova Witnesses Adventists 1921 63.8 11.2 10.5 3.7 10,5 0.3 1931 64.8 10.4 11.8 2.6 0.5 9.8 0.1 - 1990 94.0 0.8 1.5 0.3 ? 0,0 0.02 ? 0,2 0,03 Source: Historia Polski >% hczbath. LuJnosc Tentorium. GVS WarsMnv 199). The post-WW2 migrations of people went generally towards west. From former German territories between 6 and 9 million people (different estimations) migrated - almost the complete German population. Poles from Central and Eastern Poland (Eastern Poland = areas annexed by the Soviet Union) filled out the empty space. In 1951 a small, boundary change between Poland and Soviet Union took place. Area near Horodlo and Ustrzyki Dolne was exchanged on the ground of border simplification. After WW 2 Poland had 24 million inhabitants and an area of 312.600 sq. km. Only the 1946 census elaborated on the ethnic composition of Poland. The national composition of the population at that time was. 85 percent Poles. 9.5 percent Germans, 1.7 percent »nationally still to be verified«. 1.6 precent Ukrainians, Byelorussians and other minorities. A part from Ukrainians, Byelorussians and Lithuanians officially there were until the early 1990 no minorities in Poland. Table 3. National minorities and ethnic groups in Poland (in thousand) National minorities and ethnic groups by Kwilec-ki. 1963 (situation m 19S4) |1] by Wielka Encyklo-pedia Pow-szechna (situation in 1960) |2j by Sob-czak, 1982 (situation In 1980) (3] by Mimster-stwo Kultury (situationin 1991) [2| s oi 8 2 s 3 S 1 1 x § it by national minorities organization (situationin 1992) [2) by Gazeta Görrvo-sl^ska (situation in 1993) |4] by Minister-stwo Kultury i Sztuki (situation 1994) (5) Byelorussians 148 170 345 200250 200300 300 ok. 400 300 Ukrainians 162 180 300 200220 about 300 200300 Lemkos Ukrainians Ukrainians 50-60 80 =Ukra-inians Germans 200 3 4 150250 300350 700 8501000 300500 Jews 70 30 25 15 15 10-15 10-15 Lithuanians 9 10 12 20-25 about 20 about 30 about 30 20-25 Gypsies 12 12 12 15-20 25 25 20-30 Russians 17 20 10 10-13 13 Slovaks 19 20 about 25 about 20 about 30 20 Czechs 2 2 22 about 3 2-3 3 Ormians about 8 about 15 8 Tatars about 2.5 about 4 5 Karaims 0.150.2 about 0.2 0,195 Greeks and Macedonians 9 10 about 4.5 about 5 sources 1. J. Tomaszen-ski. "Sfmejszoici narodove m Polsce w XX w. " 2. "Geografia Polski spoleczno - ekonomtczna" wydarue z 1995 r. 3. "Geografu Polski spoleczno - ekonomiczna" nydanie z 1992 r. 4 "Gazela GomoikfslUi". nr2l. 3-9061994 r. 5. Informator diu Ki mulct n Spol- Polil Rudy \finisirdw. At present, when everybody can declare his own nationality without fear, it appears that it was all to the benefit of the communistic propaganda But the exact data on the number of national minorities is still unknown. Estimations vary and are mostly picked up from reports produced by minorities themselves. Estimates are that Poland has at present between 400.000 and 1 million Germans, 300.000 Ukrainians, more than 300.000 Byelorussians, 30.000 Lithuanians and several thousand Gypsies (Roma), Greeks etc. Germans still live in the west and north, and have a strong center of their activity in the Upper Silesia and Opole region. Ukrainians reside in the area of the sc. Western and Northern Territones and in southeast Poland. A strong concentration of Byelorussians is in the Podlasie region, in eastern Poland. Lithuanians are residents of few communes in the northeast of Poland. Other minorities are territorially dispersed. Several ethnic groups, the Kashubians. Mazurians. Silesians and the Polish Highlanders identify themselves with its own ethnic background and with an ethnic territory as well. After WW 2 the composition of the population based on their religious believe also changed dramatically. No Polish censuses investigated that matter. Estimates are that Roman Catholics make a total majority with 94 percent, whereas other churches, religious organizations and sects and atheist make the rest: the Orthodox Church - 1,5 percent, the Greek Catholic Church -0,8 precent, the Protestant Churches - 0,3 percent, the Jehovah Witnesses -0,2 persent, 7th Day Adventists - 0.03 percent. The Church of Moon. Hare Krishna or Scientologists are considered dangerous sects. Contemporary regionalism in Poland In Poland, which has undergone an accelerated course of social and political changes, we can identity several regionalisms. In this paper we elaborate on three examples: Upper Silesia, the Wielkopolska and and the Kaszuby regions. The regionalism in Silesia has deep, historical roots. The historical and cultural region of Upper Silesia is now situated in two Polish voivodships, untill 1999 it was a part of four voivodships. It makes a big part of the Opole Silesia voivodship and covers almost the half of the Silesia voivodship (former Katowice voivodship). Two types of regionalisms are centered around two major centers of the region - Katowice and Opole. An important force in the Opole Silesia voivoship is the German minority, while in Silesia voivodship there are several regionalistic organizations, often with opposing programs The German working community „Reconciliation and Future«, in the Opole voivodship, works towards the autonomy of Silesia. The autonomy would be based on the principles of the interwar period. Similar goals has the »Movement for the Autonomy of Silesia«, which is working towards independence of Opole Silesia - understood as the pre-WW 2 administrative region »Bezirk Oppeln«. The worst post WW 2 wrongdoings are seen in the merger of the region with the Katowice voivodship and in the continued Polonization of the region. The »Polish Western Union«, being in opposition to the German minority, sees their goals in region's and Polish self-governing. The Union operates in part within the Movement for Polish Silesia, being an anti-minority organization, fighting against autonomy and for a total unification of the region with Poland. In 1992 seven regionalistic organizations have created a co-operation pact in order to create a lobby to defend their interests In the second half of the nineties discussions to change the administrative partition of Poland become alive. Instead of 49 voivodships just several would have to be crated The aim of Warszaw was to strenghten regions and their economic, natural and cultural resources. Such regions should be able to cooperate and compete with similar regions of the European Union. An Upper Silesia voivodship. that would mainly incorporate terntories outside of histoncal boundaries, and people that have had no Silesian identity, was close to become reality. Hence, when the day of the new division was nearing, different actions to prevent that threat were arranged Two postulates (1) defending Opole voivodship from being absorbed into Katowice and (2) creating an Upper Silesian voivodship in its historical borders - either as the pre-WW 2 province »Oberschlesien« or as a voivodship which would be identical with the frame of the church province of Upper Silesia. The idea gathered people from different political options. They worked within the Civil Committee of Defending Opole Silesia (the Polish abbreviation means „trench« in English). The second option had far less followers, but was heavily supported by the German minority. As result, the independent voivodship of Opole remained and an Upper Silesia voivodship, consisting out of Katowice, Bielsko and Cz^stochowa areas was formed. This division consolidated, somehow, the existing two regionalisms of Upper Silesia. The Opole voivodship supports the co-existence of the immigrant and the autochtonous population, being organized in German minority institutions. The Upper Silesia voivodship is organized as a unit of autochtonous peoples of different national heritage and immigrant non-Silesians, few in numbers. While the Silesian regionalism is based on ethnic and cultural claims and supported by strong economic means, the Wielkopolska regionalism is based only on high-tech economy and standard of living. The drive towards autonomy comes from the conviction that Wielkopolska people could better manage the society and economy, therewith, reaching quickly a higher level of economic development . The Wielkopolska regionalism is supported by several institutions of the civil society. The Union of Wielkopolska People, the Association of Communes of Wielkopolska Region and the Association of Wielkopolska Mayors are the prominent ones8. The Union of Wielkopolska People is the oldest among them, being established in the early 1990 s. It associates politicians from different political parties. According to the statute, its aim is (1) to represent and defend common Wielkopolska businesses. (2) to create several levels of autonomy within the constitution of the uniformed state, (3) to ennch the economic and societal development of the Wielkopolska region. A charactenstic action of The Union of Wielkopolska People was organized in 1994 as they've promoted products and services made by firms from Wielkopolska with the slogan »The Wielkopolska's Quality«. The Union of Wielkopolska People has its territonal branches in Wielkopolska and Lubuskie voivod-ships' The present existence of the territorially large Wielkopolska voivodship is important for the Wielkopolska regionalism. A similar voivodship in size existed in the interwar period and after WW 2, until 1975. The aspiration to recreate Wielkopolska was an important element of the regionalism - in a similar manner as was the maintenance of Opole voivodship for the Opole regionalism. The Kashubian regionalism has roots that reach back into the history, in times ahead of WW 2. Kashubians never stopped with activities promoting autonomy. They were engaged in different forms of actions at different times: in times of hard-line communism they've pointed out their special ethnography, at other occasion activities stressed the unique political, cultural and economic development of Kashuby. The idea of autonomy is strongly supported by the »Kashuby - Pomerania Association« (The Kashubian Association did not contain Kociewie Region until 1964). The journal ,Kaszëbe« is an important opin- Ja'oniecki B. 199J. Kwestia regionalna h Police, [in ] Crv Polska bedzie panslwem regionalnim'', Gorzelak G., Ja'owiecki B (red./. H'arjzawa, n. 33-42: * Mairiowxki R. !99f>. Prztjavty wtpo'czesnego regionalizmi m1 Wielkopohct. fin:/ Poiska m1 Europie Ba'tyckiej, Materia\ z 45 Zjazdu PTG. S'upsk. ss. 2IS ■ 221: * Butlner H'.. \l