Cieszyn Silesia Research Articles

Praktyki dokumentowania i wykorzystania dziedzictwa kulturowego Śląska Cieszyńskiego od początku XIX wieku do wybuchu II wojny światowej

This article is devoted to an interest in local folk culture, regional heritage, and the past of Cieszyn Silesia, as well as to methods extending back through the 19th century for the documentation, popularization, and protection of the unique cultural knowledge of the region. Attention is primarily given to the activities of the Cieszyn Silesians themselves. The author examines multiple sources, including local periodicals, for elements of local culture (folklore, dialects, traditional outfits, customs). He tries to capture how the phenomena of cultural heritage is defined both regionally and nationally, and also how it can be used as a resource in tourism and in broadly-understood identity policy.

The Polish-Czechoslovakian Conflict over Cieszyn Silesia, Spiš and Orava in the years 1938-1939 as Reported by the Polish Provincial Press published in Siedlce

The paper touches upon the theme of how the provincial press in Poland commented on the Polish-Czechoslovakian conflict over Cieszyn Silesia, Spiš and Orava. The timespan covers a few months in 1938 and 1939 - from the time Hitler made his claims towards Czechoslovakia until the moment the state was dismantled. The author has focused on presenting the Polish-Czechoslovakian relations as reported by the press published in Siedlce, a district town located in the centre of pre-war Poland. At that time four periodicals were published there. The analysis of these publications has allowed the author to determine that the editors informed their readers about the situation of the disputed territories on a regular basis. The editors tried to make their message more attractive by posting photos or accounts by special correspondents. They built among its readers a negative image of the Czechoslovakian state, which was presented as an artificial creation where the rights of national minorities were not respected. The incorporation of these lands into Poland was presented as a symbol of historical justice. The press also played an important part in mobilising the local community to act for fellow countrymen from the lands being the object of the Polish-Czechoslovakian dispute. However, it did not recognise the growth of Slovakian independence activities, which were important for the internal affairs of Poland’s southern neighbour.

How do security and benefits instill trustworthiness of a digital local currency?

Research background: The existence of new technologies and increase in the extensive usage of the internet by individuals, forces governments, local authorities and practitioners to create alternative payment methods such as digital currencies. However, some of the individuals are concerned about trusting these currencies since they negatively perceive their security. Moreover, some people with low income have the willingness to use these currencies in case of receiving some financial benefits. In this regard, security and benefits have been used as tools to increase the trustworthiness of digital currencies.
 Purpose of the article: The goal of this study is to investigate and to examine the influences of security and benefits of a local digital currency on potential users? trust in this currency. This paper also considers the age and work experience of prospective users and investigate these variables? effects on stated relationships.
 Methods: This paper is based on a case study that includes 413 respondents who are workers of a large company in Cieszyn Silesia region of the Czech Republic. A questionnaire survey was employed by researchers to determine the perceptions of potential local currency users. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships between selected variables. Calculations were made using SPSS Statistics software.
 Findings & Value added: The results of this paper confirm the positive influences of security and provided benefits on the trust of a digital currency. Regarding characteristics of potential users, perceptions of younger and less experienced users regarding the security and financial benefits are more positive to trust this currency comparing to older and more experienced respondents. Trade freedom of a country, long term orientation and individualistic characteristics of potential users might be reasons for the positive relation-ships between security, benefits and trust in a local digital currency. On the other hand, the income of prospective users, new technology curiosity, and experience of users might be mounting pieces of evidence to explain the differences in the perceptions of potential users regarding security, benefits and trust to a local digital currency. This paper also proposes some policy implementations to users, practitioners, local authorities and governments to make them cope with the security and trust issues of these currencies.

The ‘Kindred Circle’ of Village Mayors in the Habsburg Monarchy and the Example of Cieszyn Silesia, 1864–1918

In Cieszyn Silesia (the eastern part of the crownland of Austrian Silesia) from the time local government was introduced in 1864 until 1918 it is possible to identify 1332 village mayors (German: Gemeindevorsteher; Polish: wójt; Czech: starosta). Of these, at least 1006 (almost 76 per cent) had another village mayor in Cieszyn Silesia in their ‘kindred circle’, which includes second-degree relatives according to canonical computation, as well as witnesses at weddings and baptisms of their closest family (children, parents, siblings). The uninterrupted lineage of these types of relationships connected at least 875 village mayors, or 66 per cent of all those known. Thus the partial democratisation at the level of local self-government led to a kind of oligarchy, with the position of the village head being assumed by wealthy peasant families who all had connections to one another. Outside of the ‘kindred circle’, there were the factory owners and officials of archdukes and counts, who took the position of village mayor in industrialised areas, as well as a few Jewish village mayors and probably the majority of village mayors from the mountain villages. The question examined here is whether the situation looked similar in other parts of the Habsburg monarchy, or whether Cieszyn Silesia stood out in this respect. This question remains unanswered due to the lack of analogous studies on village mayors.

Types of identity among people in their late adulthood, who reside in both Polish and Czech parts of Cieszyn Silesia

Types of identity among people in their late adulthood, who reside in both Polish and Czech parts of Cieszyn Silesia

Can discounts expand local and digital currency awareness of individuals depending on their characteristics?

Research background: Because of enabling a greater amount of money circulation and addressing the needs of individuals in specific regions, local and digital currencies have become more important for local economic and sustainable development, especially in last decade. However, their awareness by potential users have become one of major constraints to their extensive usage. In this regard, discount have been used to increase the awareness of individuals. 
 Purpose of the article: As discount is used as an effective promotional tool. This study pays regard to this indicator and aims to investigate whether the discount rate is positively associated with local and digital currency awareness of potential users. Moreover, this research also includes job positions and age of the respondents into the analyses due to potential existence of differences in the awareness of people regarding their characteristics.
 Methods: The research employs a questionnaire survey and acquires data from 407 workers of a local business in Cieszyn Silesia region of the Czech Republic. The researchers run Binary Logistic Regression analyses in IBM SPSS Software to examine the relationship between these specified variables.
 Findings & Value added: The research substantiates the fact that potential users who demand more discount rates are more likely to be aware of local and digital currencies. Moreover, potential users who work in lower job positions and demand more discounts are more acquainted with these currencies. Although the existence of a relationship between age and local currency awareness is not proved, older people who demand discounts with higher percentages are more informed about digital currencies than younger individuals. Higher elasticity in discount demand, mutual interactions and relations, such as social media and internet usage of potential users, might be the reasons of these results. This study makes significant contributions to the literature by confirming the significance of individuals’ ages and occupational statuses in the awareness of local and digital currencies and the positive relationship between their discount propensity and awareness.

Zofia Kossak. Wrastanie – Górki Wielkie: ludzie i sprawy

2019 marks the 130th anniversary of Zofia Kossak’s birthday. The writer and her family “grew into” Górki Wielkie, a Silesian town in which they found home, shelter and paradise. After dramatic experiences during the Soviet revolution, and after losing her husband and family home in Kresy (Eastern Borderlands), Zofia Kossak needed peace, silence and respite to heal her broken heart. Górki Wielkie in Cieszyn Silesia, or as she wrote “the homeland of bibliophiles”, turned out to be a perfect place to build a new safe home, an oasis of peace and tranquillity.The author of Krzyżowcy (Crusaders) incorporated in her works everything that is the most beautiful and valuable in the Cieszyn region and the Silesian Beskids, i.e. faith, the scouting ideas of the town of Bucza, the rich variety of landscape and cultural characteristics, as well as the respect for residents who remained faithful to Poland despite their bad experiences over the centuries. Zofia Kossak, a resident of Górki Wielkie, consciously “grew into” regionalism in its proper understanding, which is particularly important in the case of Silesia.

The Concept of Religion of the Future according to the Esoteric Community of Wisła in the Interwar Period

The purpose of the article is to present the idea of a religion of the future as conceived by the esoteric community of Wisła in Cieszyn Silesia during the interwar period. Esoteric interpretations of Christianity formed its basis, inspired mainly by the Polish romantic tradition connected with Bible reading, as well as the esoteric and spiritual ideas that were popular at that time, originating from Theosophy and spiritism. An important role in this context was played by considerations on the salvational mission of Christ, albeit presented in a perennialist and Gnostic manner. The esoteric spirituality from Wisła of the interwar period later paved the way for a modern alternative spirituality in Poland.

The Process of Demographic Transition in Lands of the Former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and Other Areas with Polish-Speaking Populations, 1865–1912

The aim of the research is to trace the process of demographic transition in the area of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, enlarged by areas with a predominantly Polish-speaking population, Upper Silesia and Cieszyn Silesia, as well as Southern Masuria. The time frame of the work covers the years 1865–1912. changes in the basic indicators of the vital statistics of the population were analyzed: the crude death rate (death rate per 1,000 population), the crude birth rate and the crude marriage rate. The source of the data is the work of Adam Krzyzanowski and Kazimierz Kumaniecki, Statystyka Polski [Statistics of Poland], which was in fact the first statistical yearbook of the former Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth and other predominantly Polish-speaking areas. The analysis was carried out strictly according to the requirements of the demographic transition theory. A comparative analysis of the demographic situation in these lands on the eve of the outbreak of World War I was carried out using Ward’s taxonomic method and the k-means method. The results of the analysis indicate that the process of demographic transition in these lands was varied and was conditioned by their economic development and geographical location.

Customer attitude to the local currency implementation

Carrying local currencies into practice in limited geographical regions has become a major obstacle to overcome due to the awareness and trust of potential users. In this context, the purpose of this research is to explore and examine how the trust and knowledge of potential users about local currencies differ between their genders and working experiences. In line with this target, the researchers gained data from 413 workers in the Cieszyn Silesia region by using questionnaire surveys. Chi-Square and Z-score tests were calculated by SPSS statistical software to get statistically significant differences between the determining variables. The analyses corroborated the nonexistence of statistically significant differences between genders and work experiences in the local currency knowledge of potential users. Most of the respondents in the analyzed region were aware of local currencies. Publicity and prevalence of local currencies and mutual interactions between employees might be the reasons for the similarities in the knowledge of potential users. Furthermore, this study confirms that the trust of workers differs regarding their gender and work experience. Comparing to men and more experienced potential users, the propensity of women and less experienced employees to trust local currencies is higher. The reasons for these differences in gender and work experiences might stem from the education levels, perceptions, adoptions, instincts, and interests of potential users regarding these currencies. These results can be mounting evidence to consider for institutions, organizations, governments, and practitioners when implementing local currencies to increase the competitiveness of less developed regions. This study is only limited to a region, and the respondents are only employees. Other limitations are that this research examines two obstacles of the implementations of local currencies and two characteristics of respondents, namely, age and work experience. Keywords: awareness, Cieszyn Silesia region, community currency, digital currency, gender, local currency, trust, work experience.

Poczucie tożsamości osób w wieku późnej dorosłości na przykładzie południowej części pogranicza polsko-czeskiego

<p>Tożsamość kształtuje się przez całe życie jednostki, jednak po 60. roku życia postrzeganie samego siebie ulega znaczącym przeobrażeniom. Na tym etapie rozwoju człowiek szuka kontaktów z drugą osobą, odnajduje to, co wspólne, co łączy, na dalszy plan schodzi niepowtarzalność i odmienność jednostki. Badania oraz rozważania nad problemem kształtowania się tożsamości bazują na dokonaniu rozróżnienia między tym, co identyczne a tym, co odmienne. Opracowanie jest komunikatem z badań przeprowadzonych w Cieszynie oraz Czeskim Cieszynie – południowej części pogranicza polsko-czeskiego. Strategia ilościowa i jakościowa zastosowano jako komplementarne względem siebie. Celem podjętych rozważań było poznanie poczucia tożsamości osób w wieku późnej dorosłości żyjących w polskiej oraz czeskiej części Śląska Cieszyńskiego. Wyniki przeprowadzonych badań pozwalają dostrzec podobieństwa i różnice w deklaracjach poczucia tożsamości osób w wieku późnej dorosłości żyjących w Cieszynie oraz Czeskim Cieszynie. Kształtowanie się tożsamości to proces długotrwały, czasochłonny, refleksyjny z elementami wewnętrznej retrospekcji. Osoby w wieku późnej dorosłości kształtują swoje poczucie tożsamości na tle różnic, które dostrzegają w okresie dzieciństwa, adolescencji, młodości oraz dojrzałości.</p>

Śląsk Cieszyński w refleksjach humanistów – poszukiwanie klucza do zrozumienia narracji o przygranicznym mikroświecie

Searching for metaphors that allow us to understand the linguistic picture of Cieszyn Silesia and their residents, I refer to the anthology of conversations experienced by people with authority. The conversations influence the change and development of Cieszyn’s microcommunity and borderland (microworld). I analyse the language (common words, terms, names, and especially metaphors). The work includes three parts: the picture of space in metaphors, man in the space of Cieszyn Silesia (truths and myths) and names and brand names in the local microworld. I reach the conclusion that the metaphors describing the local community, one the one hand, grow it on tradition, culture and history and, on the other hand, express the current observations, for example about Cieszyn Silesia and its esotericism. The phenomenon of esotericism serves people’s judgment (as it is stated by some interlocutors) and sustains the opposition: autochthons are from here while strangers are not. The architectural icons of Cieszyn Silesia (for example Rotunda, Piast’s Tower) coexist with, e.g. the local taste (for example, Cieszyn cookies). Out of concern for Cieszyn Silesia identity, the knowledge about the borderland microworld should consciously be passed on from generation to generation.

The Importance of Discount Rate and Trustfulness of A Local Currency for the Development of Local Tourism

Local currencies have been used to achieve local economic, social and environmental goals that are not attained by national currencies. Thus, they can also be applied as a mean of the regional development focused on the development of the local tourism. However, trustworthiness and costs of local currencies have been some of the main impediments in their widely usage. Therefore, discount rates that practitioners (including municipal authorities and governments) of local currencies present for potential users might play a key role to deal with these issues. Within this context, this research intends to assess the relationship between discount rates that potential users demand to use local currencies (a paper-based and a digital) and their trust to these currencies. To hit this target, a questionnaire survey was directed to 407 employees of a regional business in Cieszyn Silesia region and the responses were analyzed by binary logistic regression test in SPSS Statistical Software. The results confirm that potential users with more trust to local currencies have more tendencies to demand higher discount rates. Cultural values, occupational status, age, income levels of respondents and potential roles of governments and local authorities in local currency implementations might be the reasons of these findings.

Środowisko rodzinne a poczucie tożsamości osób w wieku późnej dorosłości na przykładzie Śląska Cieszyńskiego

<p>Celem niniejszego opracowania jest zwrócenie uwagi na rolę rodziny w kształtowaniu tożsamości osób w wieku późnej dorosłości. Na Śląsku Cieszyńskim rodzina zajmowała i zajmuje znaczące miejsce w życiu mieszkańców. Jest miejscem wychowania, kontaktów międzypokoleniowych, źródłem tradycji, transmisji wartości oraz kształtowania tożsamości dzieci i młodzieży, a także osób w wieku późnej dorosłości. Życie rodzinne staje się dla osób w wieku późnej dorosłości motorem, który napędza do podejmowania wielostronnej aktywności, a ta z kolei przyczynia się do ugruntowania istniejącego już poczucia tożsamości lub postrzegania własnej osoby w nowych kategoriach.</p>

Euroregion as an Entity Stimulating the Sustainable Development of the Cross-Border Market for Cultural Services in a City Divided by a Border

This article discusses the issue of the sustainable development of the Polish-Czech cross-border market for cultural services in a city divided by an international border. The article uses the example of Cieszyn and Český Těšín, a city divided following the decision of the Council of Ambassadors in 1920. The research carried out so far indicates the main constraints in the harmonious functioning of the cross-border market for cultural services in this city, such as: The different cultural policies implemented on both sides of the city, the language barriers, as well as some legal and administrative differences. Therefore, the authors undertook research aimed at recognising the role of Euroregional structures in stimulating the sustainable development of this region. On the basis of an analysis of the Cieszyn Silesia Euroregion’s documentation, and the results of qualitative and quantitative research, this article describes the role of the Euroregion in building a cross-border market for cultural services. The presented results shows that the level of familiarity with cultural events organised in Cieszyn and Český Těšín within the framework of Interreg cross-border projects, is much higher than the familiarity with cultural events that are organised without financial support received through the Euroregion. Recommendations were also prepared that could constitute the principles of a common cultural policy, not only for Cieszyn and Český Těšín, but also for other European cities in the Schengen Area, which, like Cieszyn and Český Těšín, have been divided by an international border.

Uwarunkowania i formy instytucjonalnej polsUwarunkowania i formy instytucjonalnej polsko-czeskiej współpracy transgranicznej = Conditioning and forms of institutional cooperation across the Polish-Czech border

The social and political transitions taking place in Central and Eastern Europe post-1989 allowed Poland to develop cross-border cooperation with neighbouring counties. At local-government level in particular, the Czech Republic then became a key partner. Today, the Polish-Czech borderland resembles those between Poland and Germany, and between Poland and Slovakia, in constituting a model example of innovative cross-border cooperation. While the area first played hosted to Euroregions, it later also fell within European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation. And while collaboration between one local authority and another over the border has evolved particularly dynamically, as-yet untapped potential would seem to remain. Overall, this article seeks to analyse the actors currently operating across the Polish-Czech border, from a political-science perspective. These are Euroregions (of Nysa, Glacensis, Pradziad, Silesia, Cieszyn Silesia and the Beskids), as well as European Groupings of Territorial Cooperation (of Tritia and Novum), and selected units at local government level. The analysis of the transboundary entities, and those engaging in cross-border activity was of a genetic, structural and functional nature, and this facilitated the identification of similarities and differences between the actors concerned, making clear what their specifics are, and what the prospects for cooperation.

„Nie wojna nas zabija i demoralizuje”… Komentarz do powojennych wydarzeń z Polski i zagranicy w Dzienniczku z czasów wojny 1914-1921 Franciszka Dudy

‘It is Not the War that Kills and Demoralises Us’…A Commentary to Postwar Events in Poland and Abroad in a Diary from the War Period of 1914–1921 By Franciszek Duda This source edition is a continuation of a fragment of A Diary from the War Period of 1914–1918 by Franciszek Duda, which was published in the “Annual Volume of the Scientific Library of the PAAS and the PAS in Cracow”, Vol. 58 (2018). In the previous part, the author brought the edition up to the moment of establishment of the Provisional People’s Government of the Republic of Poland led by Prime Minister Jędrzej Moraczewski. In the further part of his memoirs, Franciszek Duda leads the reader through the most important postwar events, including the victorious defence of Lviv in November 1918, Ignacy Paderewski’s return to Poland and his two visits to Cracow, events accompanying the signature of the Treaty of Versailles, the Polish-Czechoslovak war for the territory of Cieszyn Silesia, the Polish-Ukrainian war and the Upper Silesia plebiscite. The author of the memoirs was a representative of the Cracow intelligentsia, an employee of the National Archive of Castle and Land Records in Cracow (currently the National Archive in Cracow), and a declared advocate of the national ideas of Roman Dmowski. In his Diary..., Franciszek Duda does not report any new facts from that period that had been unknown to or rarely commented by historians until then. An interesting aspect of his memoirs is his own remarks and thoughts and a reflection of what others thought of current events and how information was circulated in Cracow at that time – who disseminated the news, what rumours spread around the city and how they were commented. Franciszek Duda gives us a very detailed account of moods and opinions that prevailed in Cracow in those days. It is worth mentioning that these comments are also very subjective and, given the fact that the same author expressed relatively moderate opinions in the previous part, loaded with emotions. We can suppose that even the time that passed from the time of writing the original Diary... till its rewriting in 1936 did not soften the author’s feelings regarding these events.

Poezie Wilhelma Przeczka v českých a německých překladech

In this article, we are presenting the work of a Polish poet from a Polish minority the Czech Cieszyn Silesia Wilhelm Przeczek (7. 4. 1936 v Karviná, Czechoslovakia - 10. 7. 2006 Třinec, Czech Republic) into the Czech and German language, as the author’s poetry was published not only in journals but also in books. We understand translation as an expression of intercultural communication, and especially in the area of the literature of a national minority, which is undoubtedly a Polish ethnic group in the Czech Cieszyn Silesia, it is a paramount phenomenon comparing the quality of literary life in the area with majority culture (Czech); as far as translations into German are concerned, it shows the interest of translators in the work of a poet from the Polish national minority, without this witnessing the emanation of a typical Polish soul in Polish literature in the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia, but it is evidence that it is fully competitive in total Polish national culture.

The Sense of Security of the Residents of the Borderland of Cieszyn Silesia Based on the Example of the City of Czech Cieszyn

The article analyses the issue of the sense of public security of the residents of the borderland of Cieszyn Silesia based on the example of Czech Cieszyn, a border city. Supported by research, it also presents an evaluation of police work in the city’s communities. The research was conducted in Czech Cieszyn in 2017. The research shows the current state of security and the sense of the security of the city’s inhabitants. The research mainly focuses on the level of security of Czech Cieszyn’s residents and communities occupying the borderlands of Cieszyn Silesia and the evaluation of the image of the Police of the Czech Republic. The research has adopted the diagnostic poll method in the form of a survey for which a questionnaire has been created. The analysis of the research outcome allows peculiar correlations to be identified, such as sex, age, education level, professional activity etc., time of day, the sense of security in each city quarter. The research indicates the presence of an optimistic trend of a rather high, subjectively experienced sense of security of the city’s residents. Since the citizens’ sense of security is largely dependent on the visible uniformed presence of the police patrolling the city, the research also includes the issue of the society’s satisfaction with local police service. The interviewees graded the competence, courteousness and communication skills of the officers along with their willingness to assist the residents. In general, the officers’ performance is good according to the community of Czech Cieszyn. The article ends with a conclusion along with a positive statement that the city council and the police have undertaken and have been already taking action to prevent the most undesirable threats.

Efforts to Get a Polish Priest for the Pastoral Work in Moravia (1927–1931) in the Light of August Hlond’s (the Primate of Poland) Correspondence

in the Light of August Hlond's (the Primate of Poland) Correspondence At Archdiocesean Archive in Gniezno, at the Archive of the primate of Poland a correspondence was preserved. It was a correspondence between him, his office and other various entities – the Consulate of Poland in Ostrava, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Motherland School for Cieszyn Silesia and the others, which were seeking a Polish priest for Moravia Poles asked the primate for the priest who not only celebrated services, granted sacraments, but also taught Polish children religion and cared about the national identity of Poles in Czechoslovakia. This correspondence became a base of dissertations taken in this article.