Polish identity disappears in Czech Republic

By

Daniel Siwy	Janusz Gurbiel

The Poles in Tesin region (located along the state border with Poland in the two districts of Frydek Mistek and Karvina) became national minority after Czechoslovakia and Poland divided the Tesin region between themselves after the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in 1918. This division sparked nationalism among the silesian Poles in the Czech lands. Nowadays there are about 52 000 people (0,5% of total population) who declared themselves to the Poles.

Polish minority is active and well organized society. The activities are partially subsidized by the state budget through the Ministry of Culture. Such state-sponsored programs support libraries, the publication of books and non-periodical materials, theatres, museums, art groups, hobbies and other artistic activities. The polish minority runs also a professional minority theatre group "Scena Polska" as an independent part of the Tesin Theatre under its own direction.

The CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS guarantees education in the mother tongue for the national minorities in the Czech Republic. In practice, this right is implemented through the public school system, including minority language schools, minority language correspondence education and bilingual schools. At present there is a net of polish school outposts in Czech Republic which consists of the kindergartens, basic schools and a few secondary schools.

On this occasion we would like to underline that according to the official statistics the number of pupils decreases in recent years (about 30% for last ten years). This is an explicit example of, as we think, one of the biggest problems of all minorities all over the Europe, an Assimilation Phenomenon. Generally speaking, many children from the polish families, school leavers surrender their Polish nationality. Mainly because of the pressure of the Czech surroundings. Another reason can be high unemployment that makes people to change their place of living. Negative birthrate causes, that the number of Poles in Czech Republic slightly grows small. The process of assimilation continues all the time; it is our biggest danger. There is no need to be so active on the field of social, cultural and economical life, there is no need to cultivate our customs and traditions and there is no need to take care of our polish schools when there are no young people.

The main thing is, that we should feel to be a ground and foundation for our next generations, we ought to be aware of our responsibility for the future of this small native region.

We have to underline the increasing number of mixed marriages, which in many cases lead to weakness or even to loss of national affiliation. The similar situation comes into existence as a result of consumptive way of life of new people generation, for who the national or cultural values are not so interesting at all.

So why is this loss of polish identity for us such a problem?

When we lose our consciousness of being Poles the Czechs will absorb us. As a result of that process, will be the interruption of our social and cultural bindings with the Poland that have lasted and have been supported for ages and the only mention of Silesian Poles in Czech Republic appear just in books.