sign in sign up
<<
Home , Jan Czochralski, Potsdam Agreement

HISTORIE Yearbook of the Center for Historical Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Volume 6 2012/2013 Economic history

English abstracts:

Wolf Lepenies East and West. North and South. The European cardinal points controversy (pp. 13-24) In his lecture Wolf Lepenies examines the relation between Germany, and in comparison to the conflict between Northern and Southern Europe in current European affairs. He explains how the tension between the Eastern and Western bloc during the could transform into this new – in geographical respects – vertically oriented dispute. Lepenies shows that the North-South-conflict has deeper historical causes and proposes the formation of a new ”Weimar triangle” (ger. ”Weimarer Dreieck”) to solve current and future challenges in European policy.

Maciej Salamon The Second International Congress of Polish History in Cracow, 2012 (pp. 27-33) The Second International Congress of Polish History took place in Cracow from September 12th to 15th, 2012. It was organized by the Polish Historical Society (pl. Polskie Towarzystwo Historyczne) and other historical societies of the Visegrád Group. Over 1000 researchers from Europe, Asia and both Americas attended the event. In contrary to the first congress, which focused on the current state of foreign research on Polish History, the lectures during the second congress addressed predominantly the problem of Poland’s role in .

Michał Galas Award of the prize Pro Historia Polonorum to Prof. Antony Polonsky (pp. 34-38) During the Second International Congress of Polish History in 2012, Antony Polonsky was honoured with the Pro Historia Polonorum Prize for his work The Jews in Poland and Russia, consisting of three volumes. Being an expert in this field of research for many years, his highly acclaimed work – covering the history of Jews in Poland and Russia from the Middle Ages to the year 2008 – will help English-speaking readers to learn about the and Polish Jews as well as the history of Polish-Jewish relations.

Kornelia Kończal Genealogies and Regions of Memory. Some Reflections on a Warsaw based Approach to Memory Studies (pp. 39-51) In 2011, a network of various Polish and German institutions launched the project ”Genealogies of Memory”. Up to now, two large-scale research conferences – the first on ”Genealogies of Memory” (2011), the second on ”Regions of Memory” (2012) – and some smaller events have been organized. Further events will take place in the coming months and years. The article summarizes both symposia and presents the overall project. The goal of the project is to facilitate the exchange of ideas between scholars coming from different countries, disciplines and research traditions. Since there were no platforms for discussion or effective exchange of ideas between students of memory studies in Poland, memory-related research projects carried out by Polish scholars were rather dispersed and the dialogue between students of memory studies was fragmented, often casual and limited. The approach of ”Genealogies of Memory” contrasts sharply with the hitherto prevailing forms of communication and offers a great opportunity to discuss projects carried out in Poland, Central Europe and other regions of the world in a truly international context as well as to present less known (not only) local research traditions.

Marek Kornat The problem of the resettlement of the German population from the territories incorporated into Poland after World War II from the perspective of the Polish government in exile (1942—1945) (pp. 52-88) The territorial program of the Polish government in exile was based on the assumption that the Western border of Poland must be reconstructed. Between 1939 and 1941, Polish diplomacy in exile postulated the incorporation of the (Gdańsk), Eastern , Upper and the district of Oppeln (Opole) into Poland. In October 1942, the idea of a future delimitation between post-war Poland and post-war Germany along the rivers and the appeared. On October 7, 1942, this program was adopted by the Council of Ministry under General Sikorski just before his journey to the in December of that year. The Polish conditions for the future peace agreement were the subject of studies in a special Ministry for the Works for Peace Congress. Studies were coordinated by Dr. Marian Seyda, a right-wing politician and former Polish Minister for Foreign Affairs. In June 1944, the Ministry adopted the ”Theses on the resettlement of Germans from Poland.” This memorandum was a basic document for the creation of the Polish resettlement planning. The arguments of the authors of this text were centered on three general assumptions: (1) the security of Poland requires a new ”strategic” border; (2) the coexistence of the Polish nation and the large German population in a common state is absolutely impossible; (3) the coming total defeat of German Reich created an unique opportunity for Poland to achieve a new ”comfortable” settlement of the territorial problems between both nations.

Cecylia Leszczyńska Polish economic history. State of the art (pp. 91-120) The study presents the development of research in the field of Polish economic history as well as the most important research centers. Polish economic historiography began at the beginning of the 20th century and improved in the period between the wars thanks to two prominent scholars, Franciszek Bujak (Lviv) and Jan Rutkowki (Poznań). They established the methodological and institutional foundations for the modern economic historiography. In the period of the Polish People’s Republic, economic historiography was in a difficult position due to political and ideological reasons. At the same time, a strong increase of interest in social-economic aspects was observed. In the 1960s Polish economic historiography linked itself to the world historiography; collaboration with the ”Annales” school was especially important. The flourishing period of the Polish historiography lasted until the 1980s. Nowadays, it is fragmented and divided into a number of different institutes. Many historians left the economic history field in favour of social-cultural issues. Strict historical-economic publications mostly concern the 19th and 20th century. Studies on the economy of the Middle Ages and early modern times, which built the core of the polish economic historiography in the second half of the 20th century, are rare. Participation of Polish historians at international congresses of economic history is also low. The yearly conferences with the name ”Wrocław meeting with economic history” and the Polish Association of Economic History should lead to an improvement of the situation.

Anna Sosnowska Dependent on or unable to catch up with Western Europe? Post-1945 Polish historians’ debate on Eastern European backwardness (pp. 121-142) The paper analyzes the most important voices in the Polish post-war historical debate on the origins of and the ways to conceptualize Eastern European backwardness since the times of the rise of the West in the 16th century. It discusses in detail four models of Eastern European backwardness and its relation to the Western European developmental path. The two opposite interpretations of Eastern European backwardness were created by Marian Małowist’s model of dependent, quasi-colonial development, and Andrzej Wyczański’s model of catching up with the West. Witold Kula’s model of hybrid development and Jerzy Topolski’s model of unhappy coincidence represent the intermediate interpretations. The paper also briefly discusses the ways in which the Polish debate was influenced by Marxism and influenced Western historical research on the rise of the West, especially by Fernand Braudel and Immanuel Wallerstein. Finally, the paper argues that the debate, with its emphasis on common historical traits in Eastern Europe and serfdom as one of the central social institutions, is relevant not only for history of ideas, but also for sociology of Central Eastern European societies.

Michał Kopczyński Body height as a measure for the standard of living in the Polish territories from the Middle Ages to the beginning of the 20th century (pp. 143-161) The matter under consideration is the body height of the inhabitants of the Polish territories within the past thousand years. The body height is taken as a variable depicting the standard of living, mainly the quantity and quality of the available nutrition. Anthropological studies of skeletons from the cemeteries located in Polish territories (from the 10th to the 17th century) showed that the highest body height was achieved in the late Middle Ages. The early modern age brought an average decrease of about 1 cm. This can be linked with the worsening of the diet, above all the reduction of animal protein in the nutrition. In the 19th century a significant growth trend in the Polish territories loomed from the 1860s which is consistent with the knowledge on changes in food consumption during this period. The trends, which are described above are comparable to the ongoing changes in Europe, i.e. the period after 1945 brought an increase of the average body height of around 7 cm over the course of 36 years.

Jacek Kochanowicz Migration and economic development in the Polish territories (pp. 162-179) The article presents the role of migration for the economic development in the Polish territories located in the developmental periphery of Europe from the medieval ages to the present. In the preindustrial period, people mainly moved from the territories in the centre (Western Europe) in the direction of the sparsely populated and poorly developed peripheries. In the case of the Polish territories, this immigration became an essential mechanism for the transfer of technical and institutional improvements which then contributed to its economic development. In the ages of industrialisation and – despite some disruptions – progressive globalisation since the second half of the 19th century, the migratory flows changed their direction. People from the sparsely populated peripheries moved to the higher developed centre (to Western Europe and the USA), a process that continues to the present day. These migration flows lift pressure from the limited resources in the peripheries, but cause brain drain at the same time. Yet, even in the age of industrialisation, entrepreneurs and specialists continued and still continue to migrate from the centre to the peripheries, searching for better opportunities than in their countries of origin, whilst at the same time contributing to the transfer of technology and know-how.

Henryk Samsonowicz The economic interplay between German and Polish territories in the Middle Ages (pp. 183-195) The article examines the economic interactions of German and Polish territories throughout the Middle Ages. Germanic-Slavic economic relations have been multidimensional since antiquity due to close proximity. Yet, the intensity of economic interactions between German and Polish territories grew significantly following the beginning of the German colonisation (ger. “”) in the 13th century. The so called German Law was introduced to many Polish towns and the contact of German settlers with the local inhabitants led to the formation of a population which benefited from the experiences of both cultures. In the course of the 14th and the beginning of the 15th century, the economic relations between both sides increased once again. This growth surge was a result of expanding exchange of goods and a renewed wave of German settlement. This time however, wealthy merchants, knights and craftsmen settled in Polish cities. The flourishing economy as well as German law allowed Germans and Polish inhabitants in a number of Polish cities to increase their cultural ties.

Markus Denzel Danzig and : The centres of cashless payment transactions in Poland and Silesia in the 17th and 18th century (pp. 196-219) Trade with and within Central Eastern Europe (here, Polish and Silesian trade is being looked into) in the early modern period has been researched carefully both by Polish and German scholars. By contrast, financial relations resulting from commerce received much less attention. This article attempts to fill this gap by analyzing the way of using bills of exchange in Poland. Thus, the article presents the development of an international system of cashless payment transactions until the late 16th and early 17th century and answers the question, why Central Eastern Europe had not been involved in it much longer. Moreover, the paper offers an insight into the transactions in Danzig and Breslau between the 17th and 19th century. It also presents the reasons, why there were only two major exchange markets in this area. Finally, the article provides an explanation of the decline of their role in the region.

Katrin Steffen Recognised, ostracised, rehabilitated: the metallurgist Jan Czochralski in Germany and Poland in the 20th and 21st century (pp. 220-236) The Polish metallurgist and chemist Jan Czochralski, who invented a method for growing metal single crystals that is widely used until today for the production of silicon, lived a transnational life. Born in the Prussian part of Poland in 1885, he advanced professionally in the large metal laboratories of AEG, Berlin and the Metallgesellschaft, from 1908 on. Additionally, he took over several positions within the German science-industrial-military complex. In 1928 a position in was created for him at the Warsaw Polytechnic. He then transferred his knowledge from Germany to Poland and adjusted it to the needs of the new state, which in return willingly provided him with power and status in order to push for close cooperation between this time Polish science, industry and military. During WW II Czochralski supplied both the German in Warsaw as well as the Polish Underground. Therefore, in the year 1945 he was accused of collaboration and although later freed from the accusation, he lost his position and fell into oblivion. Only from 1989 onwards, a slow process of rehabilitation was initiated, reaching its peak in 2013 when the Polish parliament named the year 2013 after Jan Czochralski calling for remembrance and Czochralski’s reincorporation into the Polish nation. In Germany, on the other hand, he remains largely forgotten.

Hubert Orłowski A fine net. “Polnische Wirtschaft” – a discourse in the history of Germany-Poland relations (pp. 237-244) In his article Hubert Orłowski discusses a recent study: “Polen-Deutschland: Partnerschaft für Europa? Interessen, Meinungen der Eliten, Perspektiven“ (eng. “Poland-Germany: A partnership for Europe? Interests, opinions of the elites and perspectives”) by Piotr Buras and others. The authors of the study claim that a “Copernican Revolution” took place in favor of a positive German reception of the Polish economy due to its relative stability in the course of the recent economic crisis. Orłowski criticizes the poor quantity and quality of the sources which were used to verify this hypothesis. As a historian who worked in the field of stereotype research for many years he even contradicts the possibility that the negative view on the “Polish economy” in Germany can ever be dispelled as it is the case of all longtermed stereotypes. Furthermore, he underlines the polyvalence of the term “economy” in communication and the necessity to determine the potential contexts of stereotypes in communicative actions while researching the “Polish economy” as one.

Artur Lipiński Studies on the relation of collective memory and political science – from distance to symbiosis (pp. 247-266) A cursory overview of the political science literature reveals that collective memory is not a prominent issue in the field. This remark is a routinely repeated theme in the limited number of political science publications pertaining to the problems of collective memory. However, this trend is slowly starting to turn around. The growing importance of this issue as a part of political science research can be explained through the declining role of positivism as the dominant research paradigm and the increasing importance of constructivism privileging ideas, culture and discourse as explanatory factors. This article provides an overview of the main themes considered by the studies at the intersection of political science and collective memory studies. Among them are: the political significance of identity constructed through the references to collective memory of the past; the issue of retrospective legitimacy of multifarious objects and phenomena to maintain power relations and finally the political construction of knowledge about the past.

Lucas Elsner, Patrick Giebel, Niklas Steinert The old town of Küstrin, a realm of memory? Development and application of a procedural approach to space related remembrance using the example of the realm of memory: old town of Küstrin. Results of a research project (pp. 272-286) The old town of Küstrin was nearly completely destroyed during the hostilities in March 1945. According to the Agreement, the former German town became Polish. In contrast to other towns, Küstrin’s old town has not been rebuilt and the ruins have been overgrown. A project conducted by students at the Institute of Urban and Regional Planning at Technical University Berlin dealt with the memories associated with Küstrin’s old town. This analysis was based on the perception that memories at such a multilayered place, as the old town of Küstrin, cannot be arranged hierarchically and that it should be possible to experience them equally. At such a site, it becomes obvious that memory is rarely uniform and free of contradictions. Against this background, a process-oriented concept of place-related remembrance was formulated and applied to the case of Küstrin’s old town. With respect to this concept, ideas for the future development of the site as a realm of memory were developed.

Clara Frysztacka One past, many tales? Clevages and continuities of Polish historical interpretation post 1989 using the example of the historiography of Akcja Wisła (pp. 287-303) This article analyses the different interpretations of the Akcja Wisła in post-socialist Poland. During this operation in 1947, the Polish army fought the Ukrainian partisans and resettled the Ukrainian minority to the new northwest Polish territories. After 1989, some Polish historians started to condemn the positive interpretation of the act endorsed during socialism. They attributed blame for these violent resettlements to the socialist system and criticized the nationalism in Polish historiography that had led to the justification of the Akcja Wisła. At the end of the 1990s, other historians began to confront these statements and vindicated the action as a legitimate act of self- defense by the state. The article discusses the connections between the interpretations of the Akcja Wisła after 1989 and the current historiographical-political debate concerning communist Poland. It also seeks to highlight the continuities in Polish historiography existing before and after 1989.

Jeannine Harder Polish posters and their historical context. Two expositions in Germany in 1956 and 1957 (pp. 304- 313) Poster design from the People’s Republic of Poland, the so-called “Polish School of Posters”, occupied a prominent place within international graphic design from the 1950s on. Understanding this development as a “histoire croisée”, the article combines two viewpoints – the originating environment in Poland and the reception of the posters in non-socialist countries. Exemplified by two exhibitions in the Federal Republic of Germany in 1956 and 1957, the analysis reveals how processes and dynamics on national and transnational levels contributed to the prominent position of Polish posters in the art of advertising and to their functionalization in (foreign) cultural policies during the East-West conflict.