Rok 1945. Ziemia głubczycka nowym miejscem życia wygnanych z Kresów Wschodnich
The year 1945. Głubczyce county as a new abode for the expatriates from the Eastern Borderlands

Summary/Abstract: Thousands of Polish families were exiled from their homes in the Eastern Borderlands in 1945.They were put into freight railway cars and conveyed to Opole Silesia, which had just been incorporated into Poland. One of the Borderlanders’ settlements was Głubczyce county adjacent to Czechoslovakia. The cultural baggage amassed hitherto in the course of life in touch with the population of the Ukrainian and the Jewish nationality, as well as the coexistence of the Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic and Mosaic religions, made the Borderlanders open to others. Nonetheless, it is only for a short period that the newcomers came into contact in their new place of abode with the German population pending expatriation. Soon they became a community of one language and one faith – Catholic. The church and the school became the main contact venues for various groups that had come to that land. The author presents the strenuous reconstruction of life in Głubczyce county after 1945. From the beginning, the new inhabitants had to face the struggle against the political regime imposed upon the reviving state. The need of the moment was, however, the effort to repair the damage and to manage the fertile land, the craft workshops and the industry plants found at the site. The growing stability and human activity seemed to be a proof that during the initial months the joy of having survived the gruesome time of war was prevalent. Yet many went on believing that it would be a transient state and cherished the hope of returning to their lost homes, even at the cost of one more war.

• Details
• Contents