Trudna mediacja. Kilka socjologicznych refleksji o tożsamości Gliwic i gliwiczan
Difficult mediation. Some sociological remarks on the identity of Gliwice and its residents

Author(s): Tomasz Nawrocki
Subject(s): Sociology
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Summary/Abstract: Gliwice is an Upper Silesian city whose history remains complex. Its identity has been builtwithin a difficult mediation between that which is Polish and that which is German; that whichwas brought by its native residents and that which people settling there had to offer. Therefore,identity of this city makes a complex puzzle. It offers a challenge to a sociologist with interest inidentities of Upper Silesian towns and cities, thus the author makes an attempt to research thisissue of Gliwice and its residents. On the basis of the results from questionnaire surveys, theauthor has analyzed identity dilemmas of the city and people who dwell in the city. The resultsshow the lack of any distinctly defined identity of Gliwice. Moreover, they show that the spaceof the city allows for embedding there its residents’ identity only to a certain extent. In spite ofearlier predictions, the identity of Gliwice residents is not determined by space in any significantway. They identify themselves with the city; however, it is not the space of the city that playsan important role here. Gliwice residents seem not to be entirely on their own ground; they areyet on their way to grasp their identity of the city. This grasping is only to a very small degreebased on the relation to space and the past. The past of the city, respected by its dwellers though,has not been recognized as their own. Those who are not familiar with the history of the citytend to be more connected with the events that take place there rather than with the awarenessof its legacy.

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