Silesian ethnicity phenomena as postcolonial emancipation

Robert Geisler

University of Opole

Abstract

Silesian national or ethnic phenomena appeared as a result of democracy development in Poland at the end of the XX century. That time started processes of development of social and political organizations at local and regional level caused to an evolution of consciousness their members. In the historical context of Silesia, there initiated the public debate on the national/ethnic identity of inhabitants’ in the region. Creation of such identity based on social mobilization proposed by leaders of the organization. The paper analyses increasing Silesian national identity in the postcolonial perspective.

Keywords:

Silesian ethnicity, postcolonialism, regional identity