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Where do Upper and lower Silesians came from?


david885 4 | 22
3 Nov 2012 #1
I've heard somewhere that they resettled from Kresy in today's Belarus and Ukraine mixed with local Germans. Is it true? Please enlighten me if I am wrong.
Grzegorz_ 51 | 6,149
3 Nov 2012 #2
In Lower Silesia population exchange after WW2 was nearly 100%, basically Germans were replaced by Poles, a significiant part of them (just like in other ex-German lands) indeed was resettled from Kresy. Situation in Upper Silesia was much different as parts of it belonged to Poland before WW2, a large part of population in ex-German areas were Slavs (more or less Germanized) or people from mixed families, many of them were Polish enough to pass as Poles when they wanted to stay there after WW2, additionally many Germans were allowed or in some cases even forced to stay there after WW2 to keep all the heavy industry operating. So in result a significiant part of population in Upper Silesia are "natives", some of them regard themselves as Poles, some as Germans, others primarly as Silesians.
Babinich 1 | 455
4 Nov 2012 #3
General info...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silesia
OP david885 4 | 22
4 Nov 2012 #4
Grzegorz_
Interesting, thanks. Much of upper Silesia is today mixed territory of Poles from East driven out of their ancestral homes from Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine, mixed together with local Germans, Poles and Silesians that were not driven out (authocthons) by Soviets. Am I correct?
sobieski 106 | 2,118
4 Nov 2012 #5
basically Germans were replaced by Poles

The German population was deported from their ancestral homelands.
Grzegorz_ 51 | 6,149
4 Nov 2012 #6
Much of upper Silesia is today mixed territory of Poles from East driven out of their ancestral homes from Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine, mixed together with local Germans, Poles and Silesians that were not driven out (authocthons) by Soviets. Am I correct?

Generally yes, although I don't think these days many over there identify themselves as some "ex-Kresy" people, grandchildren of people, who came there in late 40's rather see themselves as locals now, additionaly many people came there from all over Poland in 60's or 70's when more workers were needed to increase industrial production, at the same time many Germans were leaving as commie authorities became more lideral on giving them passports.

The German population was deported from their ancestral homelands.

That's pretty much what I wrote. Do you want to add something ? You seem to feel a need to provide us with additional comments on this issue.


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