• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Geographia Polonica 2017, Volume 90, Issue 3, pp. 319-333 https://doi.org/10.7163/GPol.0097 INSTITUTE OF GEOGRAPHY AND SPATIAL ORGANIZATION POLISH ACADEMY OF SCIENCES www.igipz.pan.pl www.geographiapolonica.pl REVIVAL OF RURAL SETTLEMENTS IN KŁODZKO LAND Robert Szmytkie • Przemysław Tomczak Institute of Geography and Regional Development University of Wrocław pl. Uniwersytecki 1, 50-137 Wrocław: Poland e-mails: [email protected] • [email protected] Abstract During the post-war period the area of Kłodzko Land was subject to considerable depopulation processes which resulted in partial and total depopulation of outlying villages. For this reason the region is considered as problematic by many researchers, despite numerous attempts to revive it. In recent years, however, increas- ing variation in the trends of population change has been noticed and, besides the continually progressing depopulation, processes indicating the ‘revival’ of certain declining villages have emerged. This situation is a result of the influx of new residents, mainly from urban areas, who frequently run their own businesses and by doing so transform the functional character of particular villages. Key words rural areas • population change • depopulation • functional changes • Kłodzko Land Introduction depopulation of many settlements and even entire rural areas, which, in turn, led to the During the post-war period the rural areas decline of entire villages or parts of them of the Sudety underwent significant processes (Chachaj 1978; Szmytkie 2008; Latocha 2013). of depopulation1, however they were most Among the results of the aforementioned pro- visible in the area known as Kłodzko Land cesses we can include changes in land use, (Tomaszewski 1968; Chachaj 1978; Jerkie- which led to considerable lowering of the alti- wicz et al. 1979; Salwicka 1978, 1983; Mi- tude of the agriculture-forest boundary or the szewska 1979, 1989; Zagożdżon 1990; Ciok dilapidation of development in abandoned vil- 1994, 1995). Unfavourable changes in popu- lages (Zagożdżon 1990; Ciok 1995; Latocha lation in the region led to partial or total 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012). The settlements which underwent depop- ulation processes mainly comprised small, 1 However, the phenomenon had commenced as early as in the end of 19th century (see Eberhardt non-urbanised villages (up to 100 inhabitants) 1989). located in the upper parts of valleys above 320 Robert Szmytkie • Przemysław Tomczak the so-called limit of the agricultural break- reviving villages, which, in the current socio- even point, which, in Sudety, was established economic circumstances (through the use at 500-600 m.a.s.l. (Borkowski et al. 1966; of dormant local potential) have found or are Tomaszewski 1968; Zagożdżon 1990; Ciok finding their path for development, or even 1995). The analysis of changes in the popu- a recipe for economic success. The phenom- lation of the villages in the region indicated enon of the revival of villages in the Kłodzko that in the 1960s the majority of settlements Land area is presented in the context of the (77.9%) displayed a decrease or stagnation trends which have dominated population in their population (Jerkiewicz et al. 1979), change in recent years. The analysis was con- and, between 1970 and 1978, a decrease ducted on the basis of data concerning the in population was noted in 81.2% of villages statistically defined settlements for the fol- (Miszewska 1979). In addition, the selec- lowing years: 1988, 2002 and 2011 (census tive character of migration (mainly outflow data)2, and, in the case of selected villages, of young people) caused a transformation also for 1933, 1950, 1960, 1970 and 1978. of the demographic structures of villages, The analysis also used data on the size and in particular producing an ageing of the structure of the rural accommodation services population and lowering of the rate of natural of the poviat, as it is tourism which has offered increase (Zagożdżon 1990). In the 1990s the the opportunity to overcome ‘socio-economic decline of rural settlements, together with the lethargy’ to many settlements. In selected vil- associated economic-ecological changes, were lages of Kłodzko Land (Bielice, Gajów, Jarków, identified as one of the main problems of the Kąty Bystrzyckie, Lasówka, Lutynia, Nowy Sudety region (Ciok 1991). Other mountain- Gierałtów) free-form interviews with local ous regions of Central-East Europe underwent leaders were also conducted in which the issue similar processes during the post-war period of demographic changes and the functioning (compare with e.g. MacDonald et al. 2000; of the local communities was raised. Wolski 2007; Soja 2008; Baumann et al. 2011; Drápela 2011; Mladenov & Ilieva 2012; Kłodzko Land as a research area Novotná et al. 2013; Affek 2015). However, over recent years a process of di- Kłodzko Land, a historical rather than a geo- versification has been noted in the population graphical notion, refers to an area on the bor- change and while the depopulation processes der between the Central and Eastern Sudety have remained, evidence of a ‘revival’ have Mountains, drained by the Nysa Kłodzka river also appeared in certain declining rural settle- and its tributaries, and centred around the ments. In the paper the notion of the ‘revival broad Kłodzka Basin (Migoń 1996). The area’s of villages’ is understood by the authors not boundaries follow the administrative borders only as an increase in population after a long of the Kłodzko Poviat (district) and formerly period of depopulation, but also as a process these of the Kłodzko Province. Kłodzko land of recovering (reactivating) of formerly lost is distinguished from the rest of the Lower functions (together with various expressions Silesia Voivodeship by its distinctive physi- of socio-economic life) and even enriching ography. The area of the region (approx. (supplementing) the process with new forms 1700 km2), which, by its characteristic shape, of activity resulting directly from comprehen- resembles a quadrangle, cuts into the territory sive improvements in standards. of the Czech Republic. As a geographical bor- The main aim of the paper is to present the der region, it has often changed its national issue of reviving villages, discussed via exam- affiliation, and, as a result, became an area ples of rural areas in Kłodzko Land. During the post-war period, many settlements of this 2 It is vital to emphasise the problem of the unregis- tered inflow and outflow of population caused by a lack region transformed from abandoning villages of change of the residency address of inhabitants (see (without perspectives for development) into Śleszyński 2005). Geographia Polonica 2017, 90, 3, pp. 319-333 Revival of rural settlements in Kłodzko Land 321 of conflict and intermingling of Polish, Ger- with distinctive environmental, landscape, man and Czech culture. Despite the fact that climate, curative and cultural values. The at- after World War II Kłodzko Land was a place tractiveness of the region is also confirmed of total replacement of population, even today by elements of geomorphological structure we can observe attachment to the region and (unique rock formations), interesting floral a feeling of distinctiveness among its inhab- groups, ruins of castles and its historic devel- itants. According to Czerwiński et al. (2003) opment. In order to protect the area of the deeply rooted historically conditioned econom- highest environmental and landscape values ic transformations and continuous migration it was decided to establish 11 nature and for- of the population resulted in the fact that the est nature reserves, 2 landscape parks and mountainous areas of the Kłodzko Land, un- 1 national park, this last being the highest like the Karpaty Mountains, lack an individual category of environmental protection in Po- image, especially in the case of regional devel- land. Moreover, a trademark of Kłodzko Land opment and specific customs and traditions. is its network of health resorts which pride Until 1989 the Kłodzko region, like the en- themselves on their high rank cultural events, tire Sudety region, was considered by the as well as numerous religious sites. central government as a ‘valuable German According to “The development strategy inheritance’ and omitted in the allocation of the Lower Silesia rural areas” (Strategia of the budget. The results of such a policy, Rozwoju… 2001), Kłodzko Land, in a similar visible in outdated technical infrastructure manner to the major part of the Sudety, was suffering from underinvestment, may nega- spatially assigned to so-called subregion III tively influence the future image of Kłodzko with industrial-touristic-recreational functions. Land. Kłodzko Land is, above all, a region Because of the low quality of agricultural 1 – urban areas; 2 – rural settlements with bedspaces (the size of the diagram is directly proportional to the number of bedspaces in the given settlement) ABC Bedspaces: A – 500; B – 250; C – 100 (continuous scale). Figure 1. The rural tourist accommodation base in Kłodzko poviat in 2013 Geographia Polonica 2017, 90, 3, pp. 319-333 322 Robert Szmytkie • Przemysław Tomczak production in the area (the proportion of the Nevertheless, as the years passed by, what productive area in agricultural use in Kłodzko was initially an advantage for Kłodzko Land poviat is, on average, 58.3%, while for the changed into a handicap. The most numer- Lower Silesia Voivodeship it is 74.5%, and for ous tranche composed of young people, who Poland – 66.6%), as well as the high quality settled on the area in the post-war period, of its environment, recreational and tourist in 1990s successively made a transition into services could become the main source of in- the retirement age range (Górecka & Tom- come for the inhabitants of the region. czak 2008). Moreover, since 2012 there has The importance of the tourist function in the been a great increase in the number of people rural areas of Kłodzko Land is reflected in the of post-working age, which is connected with increase in rural tourist accommodation in the the transition of the population born in the region (Potocki 2009).

Load more

  15

Copy Link