STUDIA HISTORIAE OECONOMICAE UAM Vol. 36 Poznań 2018 zhg.amu.edu.pl/sho Mariusz W. M a j e w s k i (Katowice) ORCID 0000-0002-9599-4006
[email protected] THE HISTORY OF JOINT-STOCK COMPANIES IN THE SECOND POLISH REPUBLIC AS EXEMPLIFIED BY WSPÓLNOTA INTERESÓW GÓRNICZO–HUTNICZYCH SA (MINING AND METALLURGY COMMUNITY OF INTERESTS JOINT STOCK COMPANY) Abstract: The article focuses on problems related to capital in Katowicka Spółka Akcyjna dla Gór nictwa i Hutnictwa SA (Katowice Mining and Metallurgy Joint Stock Company) and Górnośląskie Zjednoczone Huty “Królewska” i “Laura” (Upper Silesian United Metallurgical Plants “Królewska” and “Laura”) in the years 1918–1939. The article examines particular issues of the Upper Silesian industry after the Great War, namely: concentration of foreign capital in the mining and metallur gical industries; great mining and metallurgical enterprises in the periods of both industrial pros perity and crisis; attempts to limit the influence of foreign capital following the introduction of ju dicial supervision over Katowicka Spółka Akcyjna dla Górnictwa i Hutnictwa SA and Górnośląskie Zjednoczone Huty “Królewska” i “Laura” SA; the emergence of Wspólnota Interesów Górniczo– Hutniczych SA (Mining and Metallurgy Community of Interests Joint Stock Company) in the fi nal years of the Second Polish Republic. Key words: Second Polish Republic, mining and metallurgical industry, foreign capital, Wspólnota Interesów Górniczo–Hutniczych SA. doi:10.2478/sho-2018-0003 INTRODUCTION. THE CONDITION OF INDUSTRY IN UPPER SILESIA AFTER THE GREAT WAR On May 15, 1922, the Geneva convention on Upper Silesia was signed. As a result, mining and metallurgical enterprises, which up to that point had successfully functioned within the same structures, found themselves 44 Mariusz W.