German minority in Poland
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Germans are a national minority in Poland, consisting of almost 150,000 people. The German language is used in certain areas in Opole Voivodship (Oppeln), where most of the minority resides. The German Minority currently has Two seats in the Polish parliament (Sejm) benefiting from the provision in the current Polish Election Law which allows national minorities to be exempt from the 5 per cent national threshold (there were four from 1993 to 1997). [1] At the end of World War II, the territories of West Prussia, southern East Prussia, Lower Silesia, Upper Silesia, East Brandenburg and the largest part of Pomerania were transferred to Poland. The vast majority of Germans were expelled, but some remained. Recently some Germans acquired land and property in the areas where they or their ancestors formerly lived, and moved there.
There are 325 Polish schools that use the German language as the first language of instruction, with over 37,000 students attending them. Most members of the German minority are Roman Catholic and only some of them are Protestants (the Evangelical-Augsburg Church).A number of German language newspapers and magazines are issued in Poland.
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[edit] Statistic Data
Most Germans in Poland live in Silesia (93% of all Germans in Poland): Opole Voivodship - 104,399 i.e. approx. 69,9% all Germans in Poland, and approx. 10% of the population of this Voivodeship and Silesia Voivodeship - 31,882 i.e. approx. 20.8% of all Germans in Poland. In the other Voivodeships, the percentage of Germans in the population lies between 0.632–0.007%.
| region | population | German | % German |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poland | 38557984 | 147094 | 0.381 |
| Opole Voivodship | 1055667 | 104399 | 9.889 |
| Śląsk Voivodship | 4830000 | 30531 | 0.632 |
| Warmian-Masurian Voivodship | 1428552 | 4311 | 0.302 |
| Pomeranian Voivodship | 2192000 | 2016 | 0.092 |
| Dolny Śląsk Voivodship | 2898000 | 1792 | 0.062 |
| West Pomeranian Voivodship | 1694865 | 1014 | 0.060 |
| Greater Poland Voivodship | 3365283 | 820 | 0.024 |
| Kujawy-Pomorze Voivodship | 2068142 | 636 | 0.031 |
| Lubusz Voivodship | 1009005 | 513 | 0.051 |
| Mazowsze Voivodship | 5136000 | 351 | 0.007 |
| Łódź Voivodship | 2597000 | 263 | 0.010 |
[edit] German media in Poland
- Schlesisches Wochenblatt
- Polen-Rundschau
- Schlesien Aktuell - German-speaking radio station from Opole (Oppeln)
- Radio Polonia (broadcasting in German for half an hour a day)
- Polen am Morgen - Online-newspaper, published daily since 1998
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- Scholtz-Knobloch, Till (2002). Die deutsche Minderheit in Oberschlesien - Selbstreflexion und politisch-soziale Situation unter besonderer Berücksichtigung des so genannten „Oppelner Schlesiens (Westoberschlesien)“ (in German). Goerlitz: Senfkorn-Verlag. ISBN 3-935330-02-2.
- Zybura, Marek (2004). "Niemcy w Polsce" (in Polish). Wrocław: Wydawnictwo Dolnośląskie. ISBN 83-7384-171-7.
- Rabagliati, Alastair (2001). "A Minority Vote. Participation of the German and Belarusian Minorities within the Polish Political System 1989-1999" (in English). Kraków: Zakład Wydawniczy NOMOS. ISBN 83-88508-18-0.
