Powroty do kraju młodości. Wizyty francuskich weteranów wojsk sprzymierzonych na Górnym Śląsku w latach 70. i 80. XX wieku
Returns to the Country of Youth. Visits of the French Veterans of the Allied Forces in Upper Silesia in the 1970s and 1980s

Summary/Abstract: After completing their mission, the soldiers of the French contingent of the Allied Forces who stationed in Upper Silesia in the years 1920–1922 cherished the memory of their service in this area. A special role was played by the association bringing together people awarded the Upper Silesian Commemorative Medal – The Association of Medalists of Upper Silesia, established in 1923 (after the World War II renamed as: National Association of Veterans of Upper Silesia 1920–1922). In the early 1970s, members of this association established contacts with the Polish authorities in Upper Silesia as well as with the insurgent and war veterans’ community, which resulted in French visits to Poland and participation in the anniversary ceremonies related to the Silesian Uprisings and the plebiscite in 1971, 1976, 1978 and 1981. The Upper Silesian authorities used the visits of the French veterans for propaganda purposes – especially emphasizing France’s merits in the fight for Polish Upper Silesia and promoting Polish-French friendship and cooperation. For the veterans themselves, the visits to Upper Silesia were an opportunity to recollect and commemorate their comrades in arms from several decades ago.

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