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67-479: Lubliniec is situated in the north of the historic Upper Silesia region at the rim of the Upper Silesian Industrial Region , about 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Katowice . It is an important rail hub, with two major lines crossing there – east-west (from Częstochowa to Opole ) and south–north (from Katowice to Poznań ) – and a site of light and chemical industry . The surrounding area

134-520: A German ethnic background, and aimed at a removal of the Polish nobility, which he treated with contempt. He likened the newly conquered West Prussia to a Prussian Canada and its inhabitants (which were German and Polish) to the Iroquois , who he saw as equally uncivilised. Under Prussian rule, Poles were subject to a series of measures aimed against them and their culture; Polish was replaced by German as

201-683: A Nazi prison in the town, and the E609 forced labour subcamp of the Stalag VIII-B/344 prisoner-of-war camp in the present-day district of Kokotek. Teachers from Lubliniec were among Polish teachers imprisoned and murdered in concentration camps. The area was conquered by the Red Army in January 1945 in the course of the Vistula–Oder Offensive , and then restored to Poland. The local football team

268-710: A Polish majority or substantial Polish population. The Prussian state did not support Polish attempts at restoration of Poland during the Congress of Vienna , where it tried to regain the Duchy of Warsaw or at least its western provinces. In 1815, the Prussian king made several guarantees in his speech to Poles in the newly formed Grand Duchy of Posen (created out of the territories of the Duchy of Warsaw) in regards to rights of Polish language and cultural institutions. In order to ensure loyalty of

335-688: A consequence, many Polish activists were imprisoned. A joint operation of Russian and Prussian secret police managed to discover Polish organizations working in Breslau (Wrocław) and Berlin , whose members were arrested and detained in Prussian jails. Intensification of anti-Polish policies started from 1830 onwards. As the November Uprising in Russian-held Congress Poland began, Prussians closely worked with Russia in regards to stopping any Polish independence drive. A state of emergency

402-563: A counterweight to Polish presence. As a result, many Jews saw in Prussia a free, liberal state and were opposed to the Polish independence movement. When Frederick William IV ascended to the throne in 1840, certain concessions were again granted. The German colonization was halted, some schools were able to teach Polish again, and promises were made to create Polish departments in universities in Breslau and Berlin, there were also vague promises about

469-481: A fear of German competition among Poles. The greatest difference remained the religious segregation. The local Germans displayed rather politically apathy and refrained from creating an organized form of social life. Prior to 1848, the provincial diet remained the only forum of German political activity. In general relations of the local Germans with the Polish population were good. Within Bismarck 's Kulturkampf policy,

536-519: A politician hostile to Poles, gained power over newly created Provincial Educational Collegium in Posen (Poznań) . Across the Polish territories, Polish teachers were being removed from work, German educational programs were being introduced, and primary schooling was being replaced by German one that aimed at the creation of loyal Prussian citizens. Already in 1816 the Polish gymnasium in Bromberg (Bydgoszcz)

603-537: A relief of the Łodzia coat of arms of the Grotowski family. The town was a center of Polish resistance against Germanisation policies. 19th-century Polish publicist, activist and poet Józef Lompa  [ pl ] printed many of his works in the town. In the 19th century the county's population remained overwhelmingly Polish and Catholic by confession. In 1871 the town became part of Germany . The first railway reached it by 1884. The former castle of Lubliniec

670-403: A series on the subject that have an anti-Polish bias. Polish professor A. Cienciala says that Blanke's views in the book are sympathetic to Germany. Official encouragement by the Polish state played a secondary role in the exodus. While there were demonstrations and protests and occasional violence against Germans, they were at a local level, and officials were quick to point out that they were

737-441: Is Sparta Lubliniec  [ pl ] . It competes in the lower leagues. Lubliniec is twinned with: Upper Silesia Upper Silesia ( Polish : Górny Śląsk [ˈɡurnɘ ˈɕlɔw̃sk]  ; Silesian : Gůrny Ślůnsk, Gōrny Ślōnsk ; Czech : Horní Slezsko ; German : Oberschlesien [ˈoːbɐˌʃleːzi̯ən]  ; Silesian German : Oberschläsing ; Latin : Silesia Superior )

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804-526: Is characterized by extended forests ( Lasy Lublinieckie ), including the Upper Liswarta Forests Landscape Park north of the town. Lubliniec was established about 1270 by the Piast duke Władysław of Opole on the road leading from his residence Opole to Kraków . It was part of the Duchy of Opole within fragmented Piast-ruled Poland . According to old folk tradition the name comes from

871-723: Is currently split into a larger Polish and the smaller Czech Silesian part, which is located within the Czech regions of Moravia-Silesia and Olomouc . The Polish Upper Silesian territory covers most of the Opole Voivodeship , except for the Lower Silesian counties of Brzeg and Namysłów , and the western half of the Silesian Voivodeship (except for the Lesser Polish counties of Będzin , Bielsko-Biała , Częstochowa with

938-617: Is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia , located today mostly in Poland , with small parts in the Czech Republic . The area is predominantly known for its heavy industry (mining and metallurgy). Upper Silesia is situated on the upper Oder River, north of the Eastern Sudetes mountain range and the Moravian Gate , which form the southern border with

1005-739: The Bohemian kingdom . During the re-establishment of Poland under King Casimir III the Great , all Silesia was specifically excluded as non-Polish land by the 1335 Treaty of Trentschin becoming a land of the Bohemian Crown and — indirectly — of the Holy Roman Empire. By the mid-14th century, the influx of German settlers into Upper Silesia was stopped by the Black Death pandemic. Unlike in Lower Silesia,

1072-527: The Duchy of Opava was established on adjacent Moravian territory, ruled by the Přemyslid duke Nicholas I , whose descendants inherited the Duchy of Racibórz in 1336. As they ruled both duchies in personal union , Opava grew into the Upper Silesian territory. In 1327 the Upper Silesian dukes, like most of their Lower Silesian cousins, had sworn allegiance to King John of Bohemia , thereby becoming vassals of

1139-612: The German occupation , the Polish population was subjected to mass arrests, imprisonment, deportations to Nazi concentration camps and executions. On September 8, 1939, the Einsatzgruppe II entered the town to commit various crimes against Poles . 180 civilian defenders were murdered immediately by the invading Germans in September 1939, in accordance with Adolf Hitler 's orders to execute Polish "partisans" immediately. Soon after capturing

1206-588: The Germanization process was halted; still a majority of the population spoke Polish and Silesian as their native language, often together with German ( Silesian German ) as a second language. In the southernmost areas, also Lach dialects were spoken. While Latin, Czech and German language were used as official languages in towns and cities, only in the 1550s (during the Protestant Reformation ) did records with Polish names start to appear. Upper Silesia

1273-753: The House of Vasa , and in 1655 the Black Madonna of Częstochowa was briefly hidden at the local castle by the Poles during the Swedish invasion of Poland . In 1666 the town fell to the Habsburg monarchy again, until it was annexed with most of Silesia by the Prussian king Frederick the Great in 1742. The town was an important center of Polish Bar Confederates , and in the 1770s it was visited several times by Kazimierz Pułaski , one of

1340-586: The Second Polish Republic , which largely limited the capacity of further Germanisation efforts of the Weimar Republic until the occupation during World War II . Following the partitions, the Prussian authorities started the policy of settling German speaking ethnic groups in these areas. Frederick the Great, in an effort to populate his sparsely populated kingdom, settled around 300,000 colonists in all provinces of Prussia , most of which were of

1407-546: The gord of Opole . It is possible that during the times of Prince Svatopluk I (871–894), Silesia was a part of his Great Moravian realm. Upon its dissolution after 906, the region fell under the influence of the Přemyslid rulers of Bohemia , Duke Spytihněv I (894–915) and his brother Vratislaus I (915–921), possibly the founder and name giver of the Silesian capital Wrocław ( Czech : Vratislav ). By 990

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1474-539: The "Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia", colloquially called Austrian Silesia . Incorporated into the Prussian Silesia Province from 1815, Upper Silesia became an industrial area taking advantage of its plentiful coal and iron ore . Prussian Upper Silesia became a part of the German Empire in 1871. The earliest exact census figures on ethnolinguistic or national structure (Nationalverschiedenheit) of

1541-854: The 1620 Battle of White Mountain , the Catholic Emperors of the Habsburg dynasty forcibly re-introduced Catholicism, led by the Jesuits . Lower Silesia and most of Upper Silesia were occupied by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1742 during the First Silesian War and annexed by the terms of the Treaty of Breslau . A small part south of the Opava River remained within the Habsburg-ruled Bohemian Crown as

1608-528: The Confederates' military commanders and soon-to-be hero of the American Revolutionary War . In the late 18th century the town was held by the Polish noble Grotowski family. In 1812 Franciszek Grotowski founded an institute, which purpose was to take care of orphans and provide them with education, and a new orphanage was built in 1848. To this day the facade of the former orphanage is decorated with

1675-895: The German law of changing surnames ( German : Namensänderungsgesetz ) a significant number of " Ruhr-Poles " had to change their surnames and Christian names to Germanised forms, in order to evade ethnic discrimination. Increasing intermarriage between Germans and Poles also contributed much to the Germanisation of ethnic Poles in the Ruhr area. During the First World War, the German Empire planned to annex up to 35,000 square kilometers of pre-war Congress Poland and ethnically cleanse between 2 and 3 million Poles and Jews out of these territories to make room for German settlers. After World War I ended,

1742-606: The Germanisation of Poles in Prussia "barbarous". Nevertheless, the Settlement Commission was empowered with new more powerful rights, which entitled it to force Poles to sell the land since 1908, although it was only ever used in one instance. Another form of Germanisation of Poles was the relation between the German state and Polish coal miners in the Ruhr area . Due to migration within the German Empire , an enormous stream of Polish nationals (as many as 350,000) made their way to

1809-417: The Germanisation of those Polish territories which were restored to Poland was largely reversed, although significant German minorities continued to exist. The American historian of German descent Richard Blanke in his book Orphans of Versailles names several reasons for the exodus of the German population. The author has been criticised by Christian Raitz von Frentz and his book classified by him as part of

1876-485: The Partitions After partitioning Poland at the end of the 18th century, the Kingdom of Prussia and later the German Empire imposed a number of Germanisation policies and measures in the newly gained territories, aimed at limiting the Polish ethnic presence and culture in these areas. This process continued through its various stages until the end of World War I , when most of the territories became part of

1943-519: The Poles were purposefully presented as " foes of the empire " ( German : Reichsfeinde ). Bismarck himself privately believed that the only solution to Polish Question was the extermination of Poles. As the Prussian authorities suppressed Catholic services in Polish by Polish priests, the Poles had to rely on German Catholic priests. Later, in 1885, the Prussian Settlement Commission

2010-450: The Polish prince Bolesław III Wrymouth (1107–1138) came to terms with Duke Soběslav I of Bohemia , when a peace was made confirming the border along the Sudetes . However, this arrangement fell apart when upon the death of Bolesław III and his testament the fragmentation of Poland began, which decisively enfeebled its central authority. The newly established Duchy of Silesia became

2077-557: The Polish sentence lubi mi się tu kościół i miasto budować , which refers to the erection of the church and the town by Duke Władysław. In medieval Polish documents the town appeared under the names Lubie , Lublin and Lubin , and then morphed to Lubliniec for distinction, as mentioned by 15th-century Polish chronicler Jan Długosz . Under the name Lubliniec it was mentioned in a 1612 Polish poem Officina ferraria, abo huta y warstat z kuźniami szlachetnego dzieła żelaznego by Baroque poet Walenty Roździeński  [ pl ] . By

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2144-434: The Prussian part of Upper Silesia, come from year 1819. The last pre-WW1 general census figures available, are from 1910 (if not including the 1911 census of school children - Sprachzählung unter den Schulkindern - which revealed a higher percent of Polish-speakers among school children than the 1910 census among the general populace). Figures ( Table 1. ) show that large demographic changes took place between 1819 and 1910, with

2211-534: The Ruhr in the late 19th century, where they worked in the coal and iron industries. Because of the various uprisings in occupied Poland during the previous century, German authorities viewed them as potential danger and a threat and as a "suspected political and national" element. All Polish workers had special identity cards and were under constant observation by German authorities. In addition, anti-Polish stereotypes were promoted, such as postcards with jokes about Poles, presenting them as irresponsible people, similar to

2278-545: The Russian Empire and therefore had no German citizenship, were deported from Germany. This was further strengthened by the ban on building of houses by Poles (see Drzymała's van ). Another means of the policy was the elimination of non-German languages from public life, schools and from academic settings. At its extremes, the Germanisation policies in schools took the form of abuse of Polish children by Prussian officials (see Września children strike ). The harsh policies had

2345-680: The Upper Silesian Duchy of Racibórz as an allodium from the hands of his elder brother Duke Bolesław I the Tall of Silesia. In the struggle around the Polish throne, Mieszko additionally received the former Lesser Polish lands of Bytom , Oświęcim , Zator , Siewierz and Pszczyna from the new Polish High Duke Casimir II the Just in 1177. When in 1202 Mieszko Tanglefoot had annexed the Duchy of Opole of his deceased nephew Jarosław , he ruled over all Upper Silesia as Duke of Opole and Racibórz . In

2412-718: The ancestral homeland of the Silesian Piasts , descendants of Bolesław's eldest son Władysław II the Exile , who nevertheless saw themselves barred from the succession to the Polish throne and only were able to regain their Silesian home territory with the aid of the Holy Roman Emperor . The failure of the Agnatic seniority principle of inheritance also led to the split-up of the Silesian province itself: in 1172 Władysław's second son Mieszko IV Tanglefoot claimed his rights and received

2479-610: The citizens many privileges, including brewing and market rights as well as the permit to form guilds . Upon Jan's death in 1532, Lubliniec with the Duchy of Opole fell as a reverted fief to the Lands of the Bohemian Crown , which since 1526 were ruled by the Austrian House of Habsburg . In 1638 the town was visited by King of Poland Władysław IV Vasa . In 1645 along with the Duchy of Opole and Racibórz it returned to Poland under

2546-550: The city of Częstochowa , Kłobuck , Myszków , Zawiercie and Żywiec , as well as the cities of Dąbrowa Górnicza , Jaworzno and Sosnowiec ). Divided Cieszyn Silesia as well as former Austrian Silesia are historical parts of Upper Silesia. According to the 9th century Bavarian Geographer , the West Slavic Opolanie tribe had settled on the upper Oder River since the days of the Migration Period , centered on

2613-569: The city, the Germans took over the local psychiatric hospital, and several hundred children were murdered there during the occupation as part of the Aktion T4 . There were also cases in which the killed children's brains were used for medical research by the Germans in Wrocław , as mentioned by German doctor Elisabeth Hecker, who was in charge of the hospital since 1941. The Germans also established and operated

2680-428: The clergy, and making peasants loyal through enforced military service. Schools were to be Germanized as well. Those plans were supported by such prominent public figures such as Carl von Clausewitz , August Neidhardt von Gneisenau , Theodor von Schon , Wilhelm von Humboldt . By 1830 the right to use Polish in courts and institutions was no longer respected. While the Poles constituted the majority of population in

2747-509: The course of the Ostsiedlung , establishing numerous cities according to German town law . The plans to re-unify Silesia shattered upon the first Mongol invasion of Poland and the death of Duke Henry II the Pious at the 1241 Battle of Legnica . Upper Silesia further fragmented upon the death of Duke Władysław Opolski in 1281 into the duchies of Bytom , Opole, Racibórz and Cieszyn . About 1269

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2814-523: The creation of a university in Posen. While the overall goal of Germanisation remained the same, the Prussian state hoped that by such concessions it could assure the identification of Poles with the Prussian state and an eventual change of their identity. The concessions were also connected to the freezing of relations between Prussia and the Russian Empire, with Prussian politicians hoping that Poles could be used to fight Russia on Prussia's behalf. At this time

2881-633: The early 13th century the ties of the Silesian Piasts with the neighbouring Holy Roman Empire grew stronger as several dukes married scions of German nobility. Promoted by the Lower Silesian Duke Henry I the Bearded , from 1230 also regent over Upper Silesia for the minor sons of his late cousin Duke Casimir I of Opole , large parts of the Silesian lands were settled with German immigrants in

2948-443: The final emancipation decree introduced in 1823, some segments of these social groups had begun to identify with the Prussian state. However, as German colonization grew in strength and policies against Polish religion and traditions were introduced the local population begun to feel hostility towards Prussia and German presence. Economic factors also began to influence Polish-German relations. Colonization policies in particular created

3015-404: The guarantees formulated in treaties of Congress of Vienna and proclamations of Prussian King in 1815 they were rejected by Prussia. Thus, neither the attempt to create Polish University in Posen nor Polish Society of Friends of Agriculture, Industry and Education were accepted by authorities. Nevertheless, Poles continued to ask for Polish representation in administration of the area, representing

3082-399: The historic Moravia region. Within the adjacent Silesian Beskids to the east, the Vistula River rises and turns eastwards, the Biała and Przemsza tributaries mark the eastern border with Lesser Poland . In the north, Upper Silesia borders on Greater Poland , and in the west on the Lower Silesian lands (the adjacent region around Wrocław also referred to as Middle Silesia ). It

3149-415: The majority of Poles were not yet engaged in political activity. At most only the landowners, the intelligentsia and the upper urban classes possessed a developed national consciousness. The peasantry and the working class had yet to experience their own "Polish national awakening". Through military service and school education, and in the case of "regulated" peasants also in the wake of the benefits wrought by

3216-555: The mayors were all Germans. In Posen, out of 700 officials, only 30 were Poles. Flotwell also tried to reduce Polish landownership in favour of Germans. In the time period of 1832–1842 the number of Polish holdings was reduced from 1020 to 950 and the German ones increased from 280 to 400. The Jewish minority in the Province was seen by Prussians as a useful ally to gain support for their policies. The Prussians hoped that by granting Jews rights and abolishing old limitations, they could integrate Jewish population into German society, and gain

3283-483: The newly installed Piast duke Mieszko I of the Polans had conquered large parts of Silesia. From the Middle Silesia fortress of Niemcza , his son and successor Bolesław I the Brave (992–1025), having established the Diocese of Wrocław , subdued the Upper Silesian lands of the pagan Opolanie, which for several hundred years were part of Poland , though contested by Bohemian dukes like Bretislaus I , who from 1025 invaded Silesia several times. Finally, in 1137,

3350-557: The newly re-conquered territories, the Prussians engaged in several propaganda gestures hoping they would be enough to gain land-owners' and aristocratic support. The base support of Prussian rule was from the influx of German officials and tradesmen, whose immigration started in 1772 due to Partitions of Poland, and while it was halted in 1806, it soon was reinstated after 1815 as planned systemic action of Prussian government. The Prussians knew exactly that Polish aspirations were involved with independence ; however, they were considering at

3417-446: The official language and the land of several members of the Polish nobility was confiscated and given to German nobles. The Prussian hold on Polish areas was somewhat weakened after 1807, where parts of its partition were given to the Duchy of Warsaw . The power status of Prussia was dependent on hindering any form of Polish statehood , due to the crucial position of Wielkopolska , Silesia and West Prussia; all areas with either

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3484-443: The province of Poznan, they held only 4 out of 21 official posts of higher level. From 1832 they could no longer hold higher posts at the local administrative level (Landrat). At the same time the Prussian government and Prussian King pursued Germanisation of administration and judicial system, while local officials enforced Germanisation of educational system and tried to eradicate the economic position of Polish nobility. In Bromberg

3551-471: The reborn Polish state. Nevertheless, after Wojciech Korfanty had initiated the Third Silesian Uprising from the nearby village of Czarny Las , it was incorporated into the Silesian Voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic and became a border town . In the interbellum the Polish 74th Infantry Regiment was stationed in Lubliniec. Again occupied in the 1939 invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany during World War II (and renamed Loben, 1941–45). During

3618-971: The region's total population quadrupling, the percent of German-speakers increasing significantly, and that of Polish-speakers declining considerably. Also, the total land area in which Polish language was spoken, as well as the land area in which it was spoken by the majority, declined between 1790 and 1890. Polish authors before 1918 estimated the number of Poles in Prussian Upper Silesia as slightly higher than according to official German censuses. (67.2%) (61.1%) (62.0%) (62.6%) (62.1%) (58.6%) (58.1%) (58.1%) (58.6%) (58.7%) (57.3%) (59.1%) (59.8%) or up to 1,560,000 together with bilinguals (29.0%) (37.3%) (36.1%) (35.6%) (36.3%) (36.8%) (37.4%) (37.2%) (36.5%) (36.5%) (38.1%) (36.3%) (36.8%) (3.8%) (1.6%) (1.9%) (1.8%) (1.6%) (4.6%) (4.5%) (4.7%) (4.9%) (4.8%) Germanisation of Poles during

3685-416: The reverse effect of stimulating resistance, usually in the form of home schooling and tighter unity in the minority groups. In 1890 the Germanisation of Poles was slightly eased for a couple of years but the activities intensified again since 1894 and continued until the end of the World War I . This led to international condemnation, e.g., an international meeting of socialists held in Brussels in 1902 called

3752-500: The separate character of the Duchy, keeping the Polish character of schools. From 1825, the increase in anti-Polish policies became more visible and intense. Prussian political circles demanded an end to the tolerance of Polishness. Among the Poles, two groups emerged, one still hoping for respect of separate status of the Duchy and insisting on working with Prussian authorities, hoping that in time they would grant some freedoms. The other faction still hoped for independence of Poland. As

3819-426: The threat of French intervention stopped those plans. The administrator of the region became Eduard Heinrich Flotwell, a self-declared enemy of Poles, who openly called for Germanisation and superiority of German culture over Polish people. Supported by Karl Grolman, a Prussian general, a program was presented that envisioned removing Poles from all offices, courts, judiciary system, and local administration, controlling

3886-674: The time two different methods to subdue Polish resistance. One advocated ruthless Germanisation of the Polish provinces, the other pursued by Chancellor Hardenberg, wanted to gain support of Polish higher classes, while turning them away from Russian Tsar Alexander I. Initially, the position of the Chancellor prevailed. At the same time, Prussians and Russians, through secret police , worked together against Polish movements that would seek independence either from Russia or Prussia, and Prussian representative in Warsaw helped to create political climate that would abolish constitutional freedoms in Congress Poland. The situation in Polish areas of Prussia

3953-478: The treatment of the Irish in New England around the same time. The vilification was mutual, with Polish rhymes often characterizing the Germans as dogs or less than human. Many Polish traditional and religious songs were forbidden by Prussian authorities [1] . Their citizens' rights were also limited by the German state. In response to these policies, the Polish formed their own organizations to defend their interests and ethnic identity. The Sokół sports clubs and

4020-413: The turn of the 13th to the 14th century it had obtained the status of a town according to Magdeburg Law by Władysław's son and successor Duke Bolko I . He had been one of the first Silesian dukes to become a Bohemian vassal in 1289, however it remained under the rule of the local branch of the Polish Piast dynasty until 1532. The Piast dukes erected a castle in Lubliniec. Duke Jan II the Good granted

4087-459: The workers' union Zjednoczenie Zawodowe Polskie (ZZP), Wiarus Polski (press) and Bank Robotników were among the best known such organizations in the area. At first the Polish workers, ostracised by their German counterparts, had supported the Catholic Centre Party . Since the beginning of the 20th century their support more and more shifted towards the social democrats. In 1905 Polish and German workers organized their first common strike . Under

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4154-460: Was calmed down after a series of proclamations and assuring the Polish right to their education , religion and traditions. In the end, the Polish rights were defined very narrowly, and Prussia started to abolish Polish in administration, schooling, and courts. In 1819 the gradual elimination of Polish in schools began, with German being introduced in its place. This procedure was briefly stopped in 1822, but restarted in 1824. In 1825 August Jacob,

4221-399: Was converted into a hospital for the poor in 1893, then altered to a psychiatric hospital in 1895/96. After World War I , Poland regained independence in 1918, and the region was divided according to the Upper Silesia plebiscite in 1921, whereby 88% of the Lublinitz citizens voted for continuance in the German Weimar Republic , while 47% of the citizens of the entire county voted to join

4288-461: Was hit by the Hussite Wars and in 1469 was conquered by King Matthias Corvinus of Hungary , while the Duchies of Oświęcim and Zator fell back to the Polish Crown as a part of Lesser Poland . Upon the death of the Jagiellonian king Louis II in 1526, the Bohemian crown lands were inherited by the Austrian House of Habsburg . In the 16th century, large parts of Silesia had turned Protestant , promoted by reformers like Caspar Schwenckfeld . After

4355-470: Was introduced in the Duchy, police surveillance started on a large scale and 80,000 soldiers were moved into the area. The Prussian Foreign Minister openly declared that Prussia would oppose independence of Poland as it would mean territories taken in the Partitions of Poland could be claimed by it. Russian soldiers fighting Poles received food supplies, equipment, and intelligence from Prussia. While Prussian generals even wanted to march into Congress Poland ,

4422-425: Was set up from the national government's funds with a mission to buy land from Polish owners and distribute it among German colonists. In reaction to this the Poles also founded a commission of their own to buy farmland and distribute it to Poles. Eventually 22,000 German families were settled through the Prussian Settlement Commission in the province of Posen. In 1885, 35.000 Poles, who had immigrated from Austria and

4489-401: Was turned into a German school and Polish was removed from classes. In 1825 the Teacher's Seminary in Bromberg was Germanized as well. While in 1824 a Provincial Parliament was invoked in Greater Poland, the representation was based on a wealth census, meaning that the result gave most of the power to German minority in the area. Even when Poles managed to issue calls asking for enforcing of

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