Opavské Slezsko v dobe transformace po roce 1989 [Śląsk Opawski w okresie transformacji po roku 1989]
Opava Silesia in the period of transformation after 1989

Summary/Abstract: Basing on the case of Opava Silesia, the paper discusses the fundamental problems of the Czech state relating to its transformation from the Communism to democracy. These transformations, in the period of the last two decades, have extended over the areas of administration, politics and economy. The social and cultural policies have also undergone far-reaching alterations. The administrative changes have had the all-national character and consisted in increasing the level of self-governing capacity of communes, counties and lands (Opava Silesia is part of Moravian-Silesian district). Following the breakthrough of 1989, all over the region of Opava Silesia there appeared citizens’ forums, giving rise to the formation of democratic parties that have been wielding power until today. Initially, the parties of the communist National Front lost their significance. In certain communes, the Folk Party managed to regain part of its former influence relatively quickly. The communists have not disappeared from the political stage either and, at the moment, can count on relatively stable support, particularly in the areas of Teschen and Bruntal. As regards the economic factor, this heterogeneous region has gone through a number of various forms of privatizing, in the effect of which there has been a relatively high unemployment rate, especially in the western part. The change of the political power has also been accompanied by far-reaching social transformation which consists in a new and regionally varied stratification of different groups. Changes of the cultural character have gone far as well. For example, a good number of cultural organizations and institutions have ceased to function. On the other hand, development of higher education has been recorded.

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