The Curative Function of the Village – Infrastructure, Environmental Resources, Curative Materials

Abstract

The study involves an unusual function of the village, i.e. the curative function present in a small number of towns in Poland. The subject of research includes two Lower-Silesian villages: PrzerzeczynZdroj, Dlugopole-Zdroj and one village from the Świetokrzyskie Province – Solec-Zdroj. As is the case with most highly developed states, the contemporary village in Poland is no longer a settlement inhabited exclusively by farmers. It may serve various functions. A significant number of inhabitants in villages make their living through non-agricultural work performed either in or beyond their place of residence. One of these functions, uncommon for Polish villages, is the curative function found in places having curative potential, especially in the context of environmental conditions (the existence of curative mineral waters or a therapeutic climate) as well as infrastructural conditions.