Tell me what I need to know about Silesia

Tell me what I need to know about Silesia.

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>German settlers coming to Silesia since the second half of the 13th century, called the native Slavic population of this land "Wasserpolen", and in further centuries this name was also extended into slavic speech of inhabitants of Silesia: "Wasserpolnisch Michsprache". A German geographical description of Silesia from year 1689 notes - for example - that between Oława and Kąty Wrocławskie "sehr polnisch redet". In Kąty Wrocławskie (Kanth) in year 1641 almost half of all artisans / craftsmen belonged to a separate, "Polish artisan guild". One of first decrees of Frederick the Great from year 1764 was directed against the Polish language - by this decree German language was introduced as official language and by the same decree from 1764 it was forbidden to employ in schools teachers who did not use German language. Restrictions for Polish language in schools and offices were introduced.

>Initially, Germanization affected the area of Lower Silesia - especially all large cities located in that area. The city of Wroclaw (Breslau) thanks to German settlement became a bilingual city. Gradually Polish language was being replaced by German language in Wroclaw, but nevertheless for a very long time the right bank side of Wroclaw, located on the eastern side of the Oder River, was being called by Germans "Polnische seite". Even a document from as late as 1789 says that population living in the suburbs of Wroclaw was still using Polish language.

In the 19th century Jerzy Samuel Bandtkie wrote:

>"The capital city of Silesia has many Polish-speaking inhabitants, because already 1,5 miles from Wroclaw there are entire Polish-speaking villages, and just 2 or 3 miles from Wroclaw there are entire parishes with majority of Polish-speaking populations, located at the Oder River."

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In a brochure from 1791, an ethnic German pastor from Breslau - J. W. Pohleg - wrote:

(Source: J. W. Pohleg, "Der Oberschlesier verteidigt gegen seine Widersacher", published in 1791):

>"(...) What is the native language here in Silesia? Because rather not German? Basing on the names of cities and villages in a particular land, we can establish without any doubts, what was the most common language in this land when those cities and villages were built. What do words such as Glogau, Bunzlau, Wohlau, Jauer, Breslau, Brieg mean in German language? Nothing. On the other hand, in Polish language all these words have their meaning! Isn't the conclusion, that when those cities were built, Polish was the regional language in Silesia, true? Isn't this thus true, that accusing a Lower Silesian of speaking German language is more justified than accusing an Upper Silesian of speaking Polish language?* There is so much ignorance shown by your agitators**, who complain so loudly. The thing which they criticize,*** is rather worth praising. Honestly, how pitiful is a nation, which is jeering at people due to their mother tongue - people who are not at fault for using it - and the ones who are mocking, have not enough virtues to judge others genuinely and earnestly. (...)"

* He wrote this after Frederick the Great started oppressing Polish language in Silesia.

** He is writing about agitators of the Prussian king - Frederick William II.

*** And this thing is the fact that Upper Silesians spoke Polish language.

Józef Ignacy Kraszewski during his trip to Breslau from 1869 wrote:

>"(...) Germanization even until this day was not able to fully obliterate traces of old, Slavic extraction. Wroclaw is, we can already say this today, a half-polish city, because its part behind the Oder River, near Tum, even nowadays is called polish* and we can hear Polish language being spoken by inhabitants already in the suburbs of this city. (...)"

* This district of Breslau was called by Germans "Polnische seite".

And an ethnic German scholar - dr Partsch - in his book "Schlesien" from 1896 wrote:

>"(...) It is hard to believe, how could such a thing happen, that on the western side of the Oder River, in the Ohlau District as well as in the vincinity of parts of the Breslau District and the Strehlen District, there could survive completely compact territories of Polish-speaking inhabitants, which includes within its boundaries many important roads and which extends in all directions from the large center of transport that the city of Breslau is. (...)"

Dumping maps for the time being

The Silesian voivodeship - only half-Silesian

Imajun if only Silesian Piasts were allowed to rule after Casimir died. Silesia would never stop being Polish.

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