Wprowadzanie dwujęzycznych nazw miejscowych na Śląsku Opolskim po 1989 roku
The introducing of bilingual place names in Opole Silesia after 1989

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is to show the processes which made it possible for the German minority inhabiting Opole Silesia to express and accentuate their individual character, among others, through their endeavours to officially have signposts introduced bearing bilingual names of places. In the initial period of formation and organization of this movement, that is around 1989, the postulate was not articulated in a clear manner. Until the moment of passing the act on national and ethnic minorities in the Republic of Poland the majority of representatives of the German minority, both rank and file members and the leaders, had opted for using newer German names, that is christenings. It was the act on national and ethnic minorities and the regional language of 6 January 2005, which finally settled the problem of introducing bilingual place names. Thus, it is allowed to use place names in the German language in Opole Silesia on condition that they do not make references to those given to the places in the years 1933–1945. Signposts bearing the name of the place in two languages are present in 15 communes of Opole Province (Radłów, Cisek, Leśnica, Tarnów Opolski, Chrząstowice, Izbicko, Dobrodzień, Jemielnica, Kolonowskie, Ujazd, Zębowice, Biała, Strzeleczki, Murów, Walce). Out of the remaining communes, some were entered into the Register of Communes and commenced the procedure of introducing the German names, and part applied to be entered into the Register of communes on the territory of which place names in the language of the minority can be used.

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