Tożsamość śląska: etniczna czy regionalna?

Abstract

The Silesian identity – ethnic or regional? The aim of this paper is to examine a problem of the Silesian identity in historical and contemporary points of view. The analysis based on the data from the Austro-Hungarian, Polish and Czech censuses to 2011 and the surveys of identities among young people in the Silesian region. Also the data from other sources (observations, interviews, discussions in the Internet) has been taken into account. The result of the analysis shows that the Silesian identity is now in statu nascendi, changing from local and regional to ethnic or national. There are the people, among habitants in the Silesian region, who have only one, national – Polish, Czech or German identity, on the other hand, who have one, only Silesian identity. Between them, there is a mosaic of other combinations of identities, traditionally national: Polish, Czech (and sometimes German) as well as regional – Silesian (or parts of the Silesia). The situations is dynamic, some people change their identities during their life.