Post-communist Transitions: Mapping the Landscapes of Upper Silesia

Abstract

This chapter examines the social and cultural consequences of changes in Upper Silesia — or more precisely, in the Silesian Voivodship — that began more than 20 years ago following the collapse of communism in Poland. We begin with a brief overview of the post-war history of Poland in Section 5.1, moving then to a description of the situation of the region under communism and up to 1989 and its collapse in Section 5.2. In Section 5.3, the most important aspects of sociological studies in Upper Silesia, from the mid-1930s up to the present, are discussed and some conclusions are drawn concerning the cultural identity of workers’ communities in the region. Finally, Section 5.4 refers to the most recent transformation of the region, focusing first of all on the social consequences of restructuring of heavy industry. In the closing section we look to the possible consequences of regional transformations for changes that relate to both individual and group identity.