Papers by Jakub Grudniewski
Bulletin of Geography. Socio-Economic Series, Mar 1, 2024
The problem of dynamic transformations within complex settlement systems poses an important chall... more The problem of dynamic transformations within complex settlement systems poses an important challenge to planning. This is particularly true of post-industrial and post-mining regions, whose economic past adds an additional dimension affecting development and spatial policy. However, the article highlights the case of a settlement (Szopienice -a district of the city of Katowice in southern Poland) with a heterogeneous genesis in relation to the (post-)mining region in which it is located. Taking into account its economic development founded on zinc and lead metallurgy, the difficulties of development projection are pointed out. These difficulties are emphasised by a focus on the importance of paying attention to this type of locality from several research perspectives. In addition to the aforementioned heterogeneity, the role of "in-between" town locations and spatial peripheralisation is highlighted.
Bulletin of Geography. Socio-economic Series, 2024
The problem of dynamic transformations within complex settlement systems poses an important chall... more The problem of dynamic transformations within complex settlement systems poses an important challenge to planning. This is particularly true of post-industrial and post-mining regions, whose economic past adds an additional dimension affecting development and spatial policy. However, the article highlights the case of a settlement (Szopienice-a district of the city of Katowice in southern Poland) with a heterogeneous genesis in relation to the (post-)mining region in which it is located. Taking into account its economic development founded on zinc and lead metallurgy, the difficulties of development projection are pointed out. These difficulties are emphasised by a focus on the importance of paying attention to this type of locality from several research perspectives. In addition to the aforementioned heterogeneity, the role of "in-between" town locations and spatial peripheralisation is highlighted.
Organisatorische Normen für die Durchführung des Plebiszits in Oberschlesien im Jahr 1921
Brill | Schöningh eBooks, Apr 28, 2023
The Influence of State Policy on the Development of Zinc-, and Lead Metallurgy in the Szopienice settlement (With a Particular Emphasis on the Environmental Impact of the Industry)
Historica. Revue pro historii a příbuzné vědy
The article deals with the interrelationship between state policy and the development of metallur... more The article deals with the interrelationship between state policy and the development of metallurgy in the Szopienice settlement and the impact of industry on the environment. The Szopienice settlement was part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526. In 1742 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia, and in 1922 to the Second Polish Republic. Back in the Habsburg times, the state granted Georg von Giesche a monopoly to exploit calamine deposits in Upper Silesia (1702). Calamine was initially used to produce brass, but in the late 18th century, zinc production using calamine began in Upper Silesia. Expanding its road and rail infrastructure, the Prussian state contributed to establishing new smelters by private capital in the 19th century. The “Wilhelmine” zinc smelter was established in 1834 by the Giesche concern in Szopienice. In the 1860s, a lead smelter was also established next to the zinc smelter. Both smelters had a disastrous impact on the environment and residents’ health, which...
Historica, 2023
The article deals with the interrelationship between state policy and the development of metallur... more The article deals with the interrelationship between state policy and the development of metallurgy in the Szopienice settlement and the impact of industry on the environment. The Szopienice settlement was part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526. In 1742 it was annexed to the Kingdom of Prussia, and in 1922 to the Second Polish Republic. Back in the Habsburg times, the state granted Georg von Giesche a monopoly to exploit calamine deposits in Upper Silesia (1702). Calamine was initially used to produce brass, but in the late 18th century, zinc production using calamine began in Upper Silesia. Expanding its road and rail infrastructure, the Prussian state contributed to establishing new smelters by private capital in the 19th century. The "Wilhelmine" zinc smelter was established in 1834 by the Giesche concern in Szopienice. In the 1860s, a lead smelter was also established next to the zinc smelter. Both smelters had a disastrous impact on the environment and residents' health, which went hand in hand with the dramatic housing-, and hygiene standards. At the beginning of the 20th century, a metallurgical hospital was established at the initiative of the Giesche concern. However, the recording of lead poisoning cases did not begin until the 1920s. After World War II, the problem of environmental impact was attempted to be publicized in the 1970s through studies of children who had contracted the disease. The population was resettled from the most endangered zone, and children were treated during months-long stays in sanatoriums.
Historica. Revue pro historii a příbuzné vědy
The article focuses on a unexplored group of higher officials of the governing presidium in Opole... more The article focuses on a unexplored group of higher officials of the governing presidium in Opole (Oppeln) in 1871–1918. The archives of the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preußischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin are used as the primary source for this research. The research is based mainly on the statistical method and the features such as social and regional origin, religion, professional qualifications, and different career paths are examined. The article also deals with the political involvement of officials and the criteria of their selection by higher authorities.
Wieki Stare i Nowe, 2022
At the outbreak of the First Silesian War (1740-1742), Pszczyna was the seat of a free state rule... more At the outbreak of the First Silesian War (1740-1742), Pszczyna was the seat of a free state ruled since the 16th century by the Promnitz family, part of the Habsburg monarchy. The ruler of Pszczyna, Erdmann II Promnitz, like other representatives of local power in Upper Silesia, tried to remain loyal to the Habsburgs in early 1741. In the spring of 1741, in view of the superiority of the Prussian army, the pro-Habsburg coalition quickly collapsed. Towards the end of that year, the Prussians began to organise military garrisons in Upper Silesia, including Pszczyna. During the Second Silesian War (1744-1745), there was a counter-offensive by the Habsburg army, which recaptured almost all of Upper Silesia at the end of 1744. A battle between Hungarian and Prussian troops then took place in Pszczyna. The consequences of the Silesian Wars included a reorganisation of the administration, including the creation of the Pszczyna County.
The aim of this article is to elucidate on the role of Georg Kopp, the Bishop of Fulda and later ... more The aim of this article is to elucidate on the role of Georg Kopp, the Bishop of Fulda and later the Bishop of Wrocław, in ending the Kulturkampf, which was the conflict between the German government and the Holy See. The source material is drawn from the German Bishops’ Conferences files, the transcripts of the Sessions of the House of Lords of Prussia (the Upper Chamber of the Prussian Landtag) and the evaluation materials of Bishop Kopp by his contemporaries. The West German historians (e. g. Heinrich Bornkamm and Christian Weber) dealt with the subject of Kulturkampf after 1945. Also, Polish historians, including Jerzy Krasuski, discussed the issue in the light of its influence on the Polish territories. Despite Hans-Georg Aschoff’ biography, Bishop Kopp’s role in the Kulturkampf has not been sufficiently present, especially in Polish historiography. This article aims to fill that gap. General conclusions were formulated based on the source analysis and the literature on the sub...
Księga kasowa konwentu bonifratrów w Cieszynie z lat 1833-1844", ed. Maksymilian Kuśka, Józef Marecki, translit. and transl. Jakub Grudniewski, Barbara Kalinowska-Wójcik, Cieszyn 2012 : [recenzja] / Marek Derwich
Rejencja opolska powstała w wyniku reorganizacji administracji pruskiej w okresie reform Steina-H... more Rejencja opolska powstała w wyniku reorganizacji administracji pruskiej w okresie reform Steina-Hardenberga. Reformy te były bezpośrednim skutkiem przegranej Prus w wojnie z Francją napoleońską w latach 1806-1807. Na czele nowo utworzonych rejencji stali mianowani przez króla prezydenci będący najwyższymi urzędnikami administracji państwowej na terenie rejencji. W powiatach ziemskich podobną funkcję pełnili landraci (Landräte), natomiast w powiatach miejskich nadburmistrzowie (Oberbürgermeister). Zreorganizowano tym samym fryderycjańską administrację, w ramach której prezydentom rejencji odpowiadali w hierarchii radcy wojenno-podatkowi (Kriegs-und Steuerräthe). Funkcja landrata istniała natomiast już od lat 40. XVIII wieku 28 .
Wieki Stare i Nowe, 2012
The Prince‑Bishop of Wrocław George Kopp was a controversial figure because of his attitude to ... more The Prince‑Bishop of Wrocław George Kopp was a controversial figure because of his attitude to the Polish‑speaking population in the Upper Silesia. On the one hand, he had great merits for the development of the religious life and the network of parishes in the area of Diocese of Wrocław. On the other hand, he was known for his disapproving attitude to the Polish issue, including the presence of Polish language in the public life in the Upper Silesia, and also to the Polish national movement, the leader of which was Wojciech Korfanty. Specially interesting source for researching these problems is Polish‑language UpperSilesian press. The present work bases on the newspaper titles representing different political orientations: Katolik (Catholic), Górnoślązak (Upper‑Silesian), Polak (The Pole) and Gazeta Robotnicza (Workers Gazette). In Polish‑language Upper‑Silesian press wide political and pastoral work of the Bishop of Wrocław Georg Kopp was rendered only partially. The preliminary source research shown that the press was interested in the figure of Bishop of Wrocław only in connection to the Polish issues in the Upper Silesia. It was triggered by the profile and ideological presumptions of each of the press titles. They supported, in variety of ways, the endeavor of the Poles to have equal language rights in the Upper Silesia. The most space was devoted to Kopp in Katolik, where he was presented in relatively nonpartisan manner. It stemmed form the clerical character of the newspaper that decided to pay respect to the bishop as the Head of Silesian Church. But, in Górnoślązak and Polak, because of national profile of those titles, the cardinal had been criticized from the very beginning. Especially in years 1901—1905, when the Polish national movement in the Upper Silesia was the most impetuous, the papers focuses mainly on the eponymous topic. In anticlerical Gazeta Robotnicza, on the other hand, not so much information about Cardinal Kopp appeared. In the few articles that he was present, he had been rendered as decisively negative character. Basing on the analysis of the press, the evolution of the Bishop’s views on Polish issue in the Upper Silesia can be traced. The analysis also shows that Katolik, contrary to Górnoślązak, Polak and Gazeta Robotnicza, noticed in the person of bishop Kopp not only the agent of Germanization, but also emphasized his merits in the field of pastoral work, in which he was just towards the Polish‑speaking population.
Szkice Archiwalno-Historyczne, 2011
The activities of German veterans’ associations during the Weimar Republic have been described in... more The activities of German veterans’ associations during the Weimar Republic have been described in the article. They were also advocates of the memory of the fights in Upper Silesia in the years 1919–1921. By cultivating and glorifying this memory they developed paramilitary activities in the post-war Germany.
SZKICE ARCHIWALNO-HISTORYCZNE, 2010
The records of the Wehrmacht military court (Gericht der Wehrmacht – Kommandantur des Industriege... more The records of the Wehrmacht military court (Gericht der Wehrmacht – Kommandantur des Industriegebiets Oberschlesien) serve as a basis for describing tragic fate of the Upper Silesians coerced into service in the German Army during World War II. The records illustrate ruthless work of the military justice administration (even in January 1945) and tragic lives of men obligated to fight in foreign uniforms in foreign lands.
PhD Thesis by Jakub Grudniewski
Prezydenci i landraci w rejencji opolskiej. Elity władzy na Górnym Śląsku w okresie II Cesarstwa Niemieckiego (Government Presidents and Landräte in Government District Oppeln. The Power Elite in Upper Silesia in the German Empire)
Books by Jakub Grudniewski
Summary
The aim of this work is to present the power elite in the Upper Silesia (Opole region) o... more Summary
The aim of this work is to present the power elite in the Upper Silesia (Opole region) of Prussia during the times of the German Empire (1871–1918). The initial caesura of the work consists in the unification of Germany under the aegis of Prussia. Shortly afterwards, important changes were made to Prussian domestic policy by issuing the district ordinance (1872), which was the legal basis for the functioning of the administration until the end of the monarchy. The introduction to the subject presents an outline of the administrative changes in the period preceding the
annexation of part of Upper Silesia by Prussia – that is, in the time when it belonged entirely to the Habsburg Monarchy, and then in the time when most of the region was occupied by Prussia, incorporated administratively into the new state – and their evolution in the following decades, until the Napoleonic Wars. As a result of the establishment of a new administrative unit within the Prussian state in 1815, the Opole Regency, by analogy with other Prussian regions, the permanent officials at the highest level of authority were the eponymous elite and as such, the main subjects of the study. These included the presidents of the Opole Regency, the landrats (district starosts) and the mayors of Upper Silesian cities. The presidents of the regency, as direct representatives of the royal authority, stood at the highest level of the administrative hierarchy. They were responsible for managing internal politics, i.e. internal security, supervising political movements, matters related to education, infrastructure and others. The starosts, also called the landrats in Prussia, were the most important representatives of the policy of the Prussian state in the districts, the
people carrying out the ideas of the Prussian monarchy. Their competences included controlling police matters and supervising the collection of taxes, as well as approving the village leaders in the municipalities. The landrat also presided over the meetings of the district council (Kreistag) and headed the new district authorities (Kreisausschüsse). He was also responsible for the newly established office of the head of the police district (Amtsvorsteher). The mayors, who ruled the largest cities in the region, were among the most important people in local government dministration, and this was an honorary function.On the basis of the research conducted on the group of the Prussian administrative elite in Upper Silesia after 1871, it has been possible to determine the model features of the representative of this group. The author, by making a quantitative and qualitative sociohistorical analysis,
has focused on issues such as: social origin, regional origin, religion, education, membership in student societies, preparatory service, promotion paths, military service, additional qualifications and distinctions. This analysis was accompanied by examples of careers of the power elite in Upper Silesia.
An interesting thread for the research on the history of Upper Silesia presented in this monograph is the activity of the examined groups in the context of social and economic events, political views, attitude towards processes and phenomena specific for Upper Silesia, such as the organized Polish movement or the Catholic Church, which has historically enjoyed a special position in the region. In this context, the monograph describes the participation of the elite of
the administrative power in the policy of Kulturkampf in the 1870s, as well as the attitude to the Catholic Center Party and the fight against ultramontanism. At the end of the nineteenth century, members of the power elite in Upper Silesia had to face the emerging Polish movement, represented at that time by a faction of the Center Party, which at the beginning of the twentieth century took the form of a national movement led by Wojciech Korfanty. The year 1918, which is not only the date of the disintegration of the Prussian monarchy, but also that of the dismantling
of the royal administration, constitutes the closing caesura.
This work is the first ever comprehensive publication on the subject, the fruit of many years of research on a group of more than 100 people, based on many hitherto unknown sources (including those from the Secret State Archives in Berlin). As a result of this work, the author has created an extensive database of the highest-ranking officials of the Opole Regency. In addition, he has presented conflicts with the circles of high-ranking Upper Silesian industrialists and the contribution of the power elite to the creation of the image of Upper Silesia that we know to this day.
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Papers by Jakub Grudniewski
PhD Thesis by Jakub Grudniewski
Books by Jakub Grudniewski
The aim of this work is to present the power elite in the Upper Silesia (Opole region) of Prussia during the times of the German Empire (1871–1918). The initial caesura of the work consists in the unification of Germany under the aegis of Prussia. Shortly afterwards, important changes were made to Prussian domestic policy by issuing the district ordinance (1872), which was the legal basis for the functioning of the administration until the end of the monarchy. The introduction to the subject presents an outline of the administrative changes in the period preceding the
annexation of part of Upper Silesia by Prussia – that is, in the time when it belonged entirely to the Habsburg Monarchy, and then in the time when most of the region was occupied by Prussia, incorporated administratively into the new state – and their evolution in the following decades, until the Napoleonic Wars. As a result of the establishment of a new administrative unit within the Prussian state in 1815, the Opole Regency, by analogy with other Prussian regions, the permanent officials at the highest level of authority were the eponymous elite and as such, the main subjects of the study. These included the presidents of the Opole Regency, the landrats (district starosts) and the mayors of Upper Silesian cities. The presidents of the regency, as direct representatives of the royal authority, stood at the highest level of the administrative hierarchy. They were responsible for managing internal politics, i.e. internal security, supervising political movements, matters related to education, infrastructure and others. The starosts, also called the landrats in Prussia, were the most important representatives of the policy of the Prussian state in the districts, the
people carrying out the ideas of the Prussian monarchy. Their competences included controlling police matters and supervising the collection of taxes, as well as approving the village leaders in the municipalities. The landrat also presided over the meetings of the district council (Kreistag) and headed the new district authorities (Kreisausschüsse). He was also responsible for the newly established office of the head of the police district (Amtsvorsteher). The mayors, who ruled the largest cities in the region, were among the most important people in local government dministration, and this was an honorary function.On the basis of the research conducted on the group of the Prussian administrative elite in Upper Silesia after 1871, it has been possible to determine the model features of the representative of this group. The author, by making a quantitative and qualitative sociohistorical analysis,
has focused on issues such as: social origin, regional origin, religion, education, membership in student societies, preparatory service, promotion paths, military service, additional qualifications and distinctions. This analysis was accompanied by examples of careers of the power elite in Upper Silesia.
An interesting thread for the research on the history of Upper Silesia presented in this monograph is the activity of the examined groups in the context of social and economic events, political views, attitude towards processes and phenomena specific for Upper Silesia, such as the organized Polish movement or the Catholic Church, which has historically enjoyed a special position in the region. In this context, the monograph describes the participation of the elite of
the administrative power in the policy of Kulturkampf in the 1870s, as well as the attitude to the Catholic Center Party and the fight against ultramontanism. At the end of the nineteenth century, members of the power elite in Upper Silesia had to face the emerging Polish movement, represented at that time by a faction of the Center Party, which at the beginning of the twentieth century took the form of a national movement led by Wojciech Korfanty. The year 1918, which is not only the date of the disintegration of the Prussian monarchy, but also that of the dismantling
of the royal administration, constitutes the closing caesura.
This work is the first ever comprehensive publication on the subject, the fruit of many years of research on a group of more than 100 people, based on many hitherto unknown sources (including those from the Secret State Archives in Berlin). As a result of this work, the author has created an extensive database of the highest-ranking officials of the Opole Regency. In addition, he has presented conflicts with the circles of high-ranking Upper Silesian industrialists and the contribution of the power elite to the creation of the image of Upper Silesia that we know to this day.