Czechs and Poles in Těšín Silesia

by Jan Hejret

CZECHS AND POLES
IN TĚŠÍN SILESIA.

 

BY

 

J. HEJRET

 

Published by the Foreigners’ Office
— PRAGUE 1919. —
Printed by ”Politika” in Prague, Václavské sz. No. 21.

JOHN HEJRET:

Czechs and Poles in Těšín Silesia.

The war has raised the question of Těšín (Germ. Teschen, Pol. Cieszyn) Silesia and thereby the problem of Czech constitutional law. Germans refer to the fact, that formerly the principalities of Osvětim (Ausschwitz) and Zátor belonged to the Czech crown and they demand their restoration to Silesia, or at least that of the town of Biala with the surrounding German communities to our Silesia. (Cp. essay „Das Deutschtum in den Westbeskiden und die Herzogtümer Ausschwitz und Zator“ by Prof. Dr. Gerhard Seeliger in Dr. A. Pettermanns Mitteilungen aus Justus Perthes Geographischer Anstalt, 1916, Leipzig). In this spirit the councils of the towns of Biala, Bílsko, Těšín and Opava (Troppau) have made their declarations.

The Galician Poles did not loose time. The town Osvětim first protested on February 14th 1917 as well as the towns immediately interested Andrychów, Kęty, Wadowice, Zátor and Żywiec likewise the district of Biala, Wadowice and Żywiec and the Poles from the town of Biala the local administration of which is German just as that of Bílsko (Bielitz). The representatives of these districts and towns formed a special committee against German covetousness. The committee, then, expressed their demand for the adjoinment of Těšín to Galicia and presented a memorandum to that effect to the „Koło polskie“ (Polish Club), the minister for Galicia and to the standing committee of the Galician diet. At the instigation and expense of the Committee the author Dr. F. Koneczny wrote a pamphlet: "Oświęcimskie niemieckie czy też Cieszyńskie Polskie?” (Osvětim German or else Těšín Polish? Cracow, 1917). The author repudiates German claims to the principalities of Osvětim and Zátor based upon the Czech constitution to which the Germans suddenly are referring: “We answer the design of the Germans to cut off the Osvětim and Zátor regions from Galicia by a project of uniting Těšín Silesia with Galicia; it will not be a ”robbery” of Silesia, for Silesia is our Polish land with the exclusion of the Czech piece to the South-West, which we shall settle ourselves with the Czech without any superarbitration. We make legitimate claims to Těšín not according to paper or parchment, but according to vital right since it is our Polish country and Polish it has been from the beginning up to the present day. It is its historical justification.” And the ”Koło polskie” of the Diet in Cracow at Whitsuntide 1917 declared for the unity of all countries inhabited by Poles, which opinion has been shared by the Polish deputies of Silesia, their three political parties and the press.

What does history tell us about Těšín Silesia? Already the Moravian empire in Rostislav’s and Svatopluk’s days in the 9th century}} comprised also Slovakia, the Těšín and Cracow territories, whereto Christ’s doctrine spread which was due to the work of our patriarch St. Methodius. Although the Magyars destroyed the Moravian empire during the reign of Boleslav I. and II. the Czech state extends in the 10th century again over this territory as far as the sources of the Bug and Stryi towards Red Russia. In the early years of the 11th century the great Czech empire falls to pieces and Boleslav the Brave, son of the Bohemian Doubravka, builds up again a Czech-and-Polish empire occupying Cracow in 999 and Prague in 1003 intending to make the latter his residential city. In consequence of the discord of his sons, however, the Polish empire falls in 1026. The king of Hungary Stephen conquered also our Slovakia which has been under the Magyars ever since then. Břetislav I., prince of Bohemia, during the Polish disorders of those times captured in 1038 Cracow, ravaged Vratislav (Breslau) and Hnězdno (Gnesen) not until 1041 being threatened by the German Emperor Henry III. with a campaign in his own country renounced Poland, retaining Silesia. Not until 1054 did he leave Silesia to the Poles for an annual tribute of which later on Břetislav II. made a present to the prince subsequently to the Polish ruler Boleslav the Crooked-mouthed. In the 11th and 12th centuries we witness Czech-and-Polish conflicts during which Germans make their influence felt in the dissensions between the Slav princes as well as the members of the royal family of Polish Piastides. German colonisation intrudes into the Czech and Polish lands. Since 1163 Silesia presents itself as an individual unit with princes of her own and independent of Poland. In the 13th century the king of Bohemia Venceslas I. hastens to render Silesia assistance against the Tartars and in 1291 the prince of Těšín-Osvětim Měšek of the house of Piast places himself at Olomouc (Olmütz) of his own accord under the protection of Venceslas II. king of Bohemia. The independent principality of Těšín with Osvětim and Zátor becomes a vassal of the Czech crown. As Venceslas, ally Měšek fights against his Polish rival Vladislas Lokietek, when the Bohemians occupied Cracow and Poland Minor. The king espoused Elisabeth named Rejčka, daughter of the Polish king Przemyslaw and has himself crowned king of Poland in order to bring about order in Poland. His son Venceslas III. husband of the beautiful but poor princess Viola of Těšín, unites the Bohemian, Polish and Hungarian empires but he was assassinated at Olomouc (Olmütz) in 1306 being the last of the house of Přemysl.

The riches of the Czech crown, splendour of the royal residence at Prague, Czech power and fame and respect abroad, the high standard of Czech culture and civilisation: this all influenced the princes of Silesia who were happy to bask in the sunshine of Czech power and glory, nay, even to be councillors to the Czech throne and see their lands flourishing at the same time.

At the beginning of the 14^th century (1327—1329) almost all Silesian Princes became vassals of the Czech king John of Luxemburg. In the dispute for the Polish throne peace was signed at Trenčín in 1335 according to which the Polish king Kazimír definitely renounced Silesia and king of Bohemia John of Luxemburg gave up his rights to the Polish crown. Charles IV. incorporated Silesia in 1348 for all future times in the Czech crown. Henceforth especially the Silesian princes and Estates were members of the general diet of the lands of the Czech crown at Prague. Těšín country became the most Czech Silesian principality and retained this character as a vassal of the Czech crown up to modern times.

The Czechs assist in the Polish victory gained over the German Crusaders (Teutonic Order) at Grunwald in 1410. In this way the German progress was stopped; Hussitism too had shaken Czech countries, especially towns, German advance and strengthened the Czechs and the Poles. The Bohemian language as a state language reigned since that time in Těšín Silesia almost till the end of the 18^th century; at the Polish court also and in Poland it was popular so that the writer Górnicki writes in his book ”Dworzanin polski” (”The Polish Courtier”) in 1565: ”Our Pole though he has never been in Bohemia and but crossed the boundary of Silesia, will not speak other language than Czech.”

The Czech nation received a blow at the battle of the White Mountain from which it has never recovered. Silesians fought then side by side with the Moravians near Hvězda. Another calamity came in 1742 when the Czech crown loses the richest part of Silesia and Kladsko (Glatz) to the Prussians.

What was the situation in Silesia at the dawn of the modern times? Just as the Těšín region was in the course of centuries connected during its whole existence and development with the Czech people, so the Těšín Poles learn since 1848 from the Czechs be it reading-rooms libraries the awakening of the people as it has been depicted by the national-revivalist of the Polish people in the Těšín region Paul Stalmach in his ”Memoirs” that the Galician Polish intelligence then used to say: ”The Silesians are no Poles, in Silesia there are no Poles”. And on the other hand a Silesian speaking our language looked upon a Pole as a foreigner.

Popiolek writes in his work „Dzieje Śląska Austryackiego“ (”A History of Austrian Silesia”) that there was no Polish literary activity before the second half of the 19^th century in Austrian Silesia. Only henceforward the Poles begin to follow the example of the Germans and Czechs. And Prof. Londzin (”Sprawozdanie direkcji polskiego gimnazjum”, Těšín 1901) confirms that in the 16., 17. and 18^thcenturies up to 1848 the Czech language was the language of instruction at the elementary schools in Těšín (”Twierdzienie to nie da się niczym popreć”.—This statement cannot be by no means denied). The last of the house of Silesian Piastides, the dowager princess Elisabeth Lucrece (died 1653) left behind Czech prayer-books preserved in the Šeršník Museum at Těšín. Her documents were written in Czech. The first German school in the Těšín region came into existence in 1777 in Těšín. Only since 1850 the Czech language has been systematically suppressed in all Těšín schools and Polish schools are founded in which German is simultaneously taught. It was officially declared that beside Germans there are only Poles in the Těšín country! Since the time of Josef II. a tendency has been manifest to form one Austrian German nation by means of German schools. Alike the bishopric of Vratislav (Breslau) in the catholic churches as well as the church of Augsburg systematically expel the Czech language in Těšín Silesia. The Poles also had Czech hymn-books till 1870, so had the Protestants of the Augsburg Confession the Czech hymn-book by Třanovský up to 1865. The Poles had it simply translated and kept the Czech tunes. George Třanovský born at Těšín, a personal friend of Komenský (Comenius) was a schoolmaster at Prague, preacher in Palacký’s district, at Valašské Meziříčí, afterward at Bílsko (Bielitz) in the Těšín district whence he took refuge to Slovakia during the fiercest counter-reformation, where he died in 1637. Kollár has justly called Třanovský the ”Czechoslovakian Luther”. It was the same with the Czech Catholic songs. The Těšín country as well as Slovakia gave shelter to Czech exiles. From the Těšín country Protestants used to come towards the close of the 17th century, through the pass of Jablunkov to Slovaks to attend divine service; military guards endeavoured to prevent this. In Těšín was erected one of the Protestant ”churches of grace” in 1707 in conformity with an agreement with Charles XII. of Sweden. Protestant students from Bohemia, Moravia and Slovakia attended Protestant grammar school at Těšín in the past century up to 1873 when the government combined the Protestant and Catholic grammar-school of that place. In 1858—1869 the headmaster of the Protestant grammar-school was John Kalinčák a Slovakian writer. In 1870 the Slovakian national revivalist and leader of the people Michael Miroslav Hodža died there in exile who worked in Kollár’s spirit for the Czechoslovakian union and strove to bring about a revival of the Protestant rites of the old Czech Brethren.

During the new constitutional epoch when since 1861 we are opposing along with Poles an artificial German majority in the diet of Opava (Troppau) till by jointly retiring from the same in March 1914, we furnished proof that we are desirous of equality of rights in Silesia for Poles too; this has been declared by our members of Parliament in a memorandum presented to the sovereign on our entering the Reichsrat in 1879 where it is stated explicitly that we desire the same rights for both the Czech and Polish languages which the German language enjoys. We have issued conjointly a special declaration concerning the elections in the country and the census, and recently we have founded in Polská Ostrava on 24. october 1917 the ”League of Slav Communities in Silesia” with our member of parliament the local mayor J. Popp at the head in defence of common economical interests particularly with regard to food supply against mutual violation. This almost paternal care for the Poles of Těšín is an eloquent proof of how the Czechs as representatives of the lands of the Czech crown are fondly attached to Silesia. The Galician Poles did not trouble about their countrymen in that country as they wished perhaps to avoid making enemies of the Germans and Government and defended the ”autonomy” for which they have majority in Galicia. We assisted the Těšín Poles also in establishing the Raiffeisen loaning banks (principal Zíka). Since 1850 the life and soul of the Těšín Polish clubs was a Czech patriot, a local physician and professor Joseph Fischer, who was also put up as a candidate for Parliament. Silesian Poles had in us the most faithful, allies and supported us faithfully especially in the diet in 1871 for the royal proclamation (rescript) addressed to the Bohemian diet in Hohenwart’s days, in 1897 they manifested conjointly with Czech M. Ps. of Silesia their loyalty to the Czech constitution during the debate on the German motion concerning the establishment of German state-language. The Polish M. P. Swieźy said at that time: ”The Poles in Těšín Silesia feel thoroughly convinced that all the barbarity in the country would be abolished by the granting and execution of the Czech constitutional laws.” Similarly the Polish leader Dr. Michejda, spoke to the same effect whereupon the Slav M. Ps. left the diet. The Polish people too welcomed this declaration.

Polish influx in the Těšín region has increased since 1880 mainly owing to the arrival of Galician Polish labourers, from 1880 till 1890 it amounted to 20 thousands according to Jarosz’s estimate. I cannot enter into a detailed discussion of this question. In 1900 21·7% inhabitants in the Karvín mine (Těšín Silesia) were natives of Galicia. In october 1917 the ”Dziennik Cieszyński” stated that about 60 per cent of the people in the communities of the Czech-and-Polish disputable territory come from Galicia. By this influx Czech villages have been formerly inundated. Because in 1910 there were in the whole of Silesia 74.145 inhabitants not belonging to Silesia, chiefly from Galicia and a few from Moravia, further 11.669 belonging to foreign states (Germany and the Kingdom of Poland), the total thus amounting to 76 thousands and by deducting the Ruthenians and Moravians we can say that about 50 thousands Poles not belonging to Silesia were living in 1910 in the Těšín region. In the Opava (Troppau) region there are only 1.374 scattered Polish workmen. Subtracting these 50 thousands Poles from the total of Těšín Poles we see that Těšín Poles do not constitute a majority but they are in a minority, though the greatest minority. There were namely in the Těšín Silesia in 1910: Czechs 115.604 (27·1%), Poles 233.850 (54·8%), Germans 76.916 (18%); in whole Silesia: Czechs 180.347 (24·3%), Poles 235·224 (31·7%), Germans 325.524 (43·9%).

Neither do the Polish Galician immigrants consider themselves Poles. The Writer Jarosz (”Ślązk.” p. 165) says that a Polish ”chłop” (peasant) unaware of his nationality does not know on his arrival in Silesia to which nationality he belongs and the Polish people of Silesia resolutely object to their being called Poles for they say: ”My Ślązacy” (We Silesians). Nor do the country people feel themselves Poles (Ludność wiejska na Śląsku cieszyńskim nie czuje się polską p. 169). The Galician Polish newspapers complain of the Polish immigrants whose children attend German schools thus corroborating the ”deutschfreundlich Ślązaks” who wrested a mandate from the Poles for the Těšín electoral district both for the Reichsrat and for the land diet (teacher Koždoň who issues an Antipolish paper ”Ślązak”; hence his adherents are called „Koždoňovci“). We do not appeal to them for good faith against the Poles, however, the Poles have likewise no right whatever to reckon them at their side against us.

We do not refuse national schools to the Poles from other countries seeking work in Těšín Silesia and in Moravia (in 1910 there lived in Moravia 14.924 Poles, from these 12.845 in the district of Moravská Ostrava (Mährisch-Ostrau), but we cannot allow them to decide to which state Těšín Silesia would belong where they are guests living there for the most part only for the time being just as the Poles would not suffer the Germans in the Cracow region or the Silesian Germans to decide about the annexion of the Western Cracowia to another state or country or half a million of Germans from Warsaw about the annexion to Prussia. If the people of Těšín Silesia had to vote about the separation of the Těšín country from Silesia and its incorporation in Poland the voting would prove against Poland. Its opponents would be not only Czechs and Germans, the majority of the immigrated Galicians Poles and Ruthenians, but even ”Ślązaks” from the native Poles (who have already signed protests against the incorporation in Galicia) and many others who see their economic requirements best assured in the form existing hitherto and turn a deaf ear do Galicia-Poland, for they have fled from there in search of their daily bread as analphabets to Silesia and Moravia. What a bitter feeling for a man! Neither is a partial division of the Těšín country possible even if the Czechs and Poles would come to an agreement, because the communities are mixed in consequence of the Galician influx sometimes even four languages prevailing. The Poles of Silesia are aware though having been connected with the Czech crown for centuries, that we did not deprive them of their nationality, on the contrary, we have contributed to their national revival and protection against Germans and always striven at the Silesian diet and in the parliament of Vienna for equality of the rights of the Poles in the Těšín region.

If the Poles point out in the building up their state, the circumstance that the town of Wilno is a centre of Polish culture and if they on those grounds make a claim that Lithuania should be united with Poland, how much more justified is our demand that Těšín region should continue to constitute a part of the Czech crown. If Galicia too is a geographical conception to the Poles, so that they want to annect Ruthenians aud the White Russians alike in Lithuania, how can they suddenly oppose us in Těšín Silesia? If the Poles are enthusiastic for a Polish king (even the social-democrats of Cracow) how can they fail to recognise the royal oaths and treaties and the Czech constitution which their ancestors respected and even the Prussian conqueror Frederick the Great when in 1743 he demanded from the Czech diet the document ceding Silesia to him and emperor Francis Joseph granted in 1858, as ruling king of Bohemia, his uncle archduke Albrecht and his heirs Těšín Silesia as a fief of the Czech crown. But the Galician Poles do not insist upon the incorporation in Poland of the inhabitants of the mountains Orava and Spiš in Northern Hungary where they amalgamated, as it were, with Slovaks living like brothers with them. Perhaps they do not wish to provoke the Magyars who do not even accord these mountain-people elementary schools where their mother-tongue is taught? Mr. E. Kolodziejczyk in 1916 in ”Świat słowiański” (”The Slav world”) estimates the number of Poles in Northern Hungary at 125.000. According to magyar statistic there were 65.000 ”alien” souls—i. e. of alien nationality viz. Slovak-and-Polish mountaineers 65.000, in Spiš 5629, Šariš 6312, Orava 16.120, Zemplín 7410.^[1]

The importance of Těšín Silesia from the point of view of commerce and industry is obvious both on account of the richness of the country (coal, wood etc.)—and international communication. A double line Košice-Bohumín (Oderberg) via Těšín Silesia-Slovakia will unite Berlin-Constantinople to the Bagdad line-Persia and the far East, eventually Palestine-Egypt. A four lined track will lead from Vienna Přerov-Bohumín (Těšín Silesia)-Cracow-Lemberg-Kiev, eventually Bohumín-Granica-Warsaw-Petrograd or to the Siberian railway. Equally significant is the Těšín region with regard to Donau-Oder canal (a link Přerov-Pardubice-to Elbe), further to the Oder-Vistula canal (Cracow-Warsaw-Gdansk) where the Poles want their state to have an access to the Baltic sea and from the Silesian boundary to the canal via Cracow to the river San and Dniester in Easter Galicia by which line the Northern and Baltic Sea will be united to the Black sea. The Poles are aware of this and so the committee of the diet and the national bank of Galicia bought out this year the coal mine district of Western Galicia from the Prussian capitalists. The committee of the Galician diet values the quantity of coal there at 6½ milliards tons (1 ton = 2205 pounds). In the district of Wadowic the initial production amounts to 10—12 milions q. The initial extraction of coal in Ostrava-Karvín mine should amount to about 80 millions q and the production of coke more than 19 mil. q.

In this manner the Poles gained mines in the district of Biala, Wadowice and Chřanov where foreign capital already domineered and gained also mining ground in the districts of Cracow and Podgor. This explains that the Germans endeavour to incorporate parts of these rich districts in the Těšín region, whereby they would grow stronger economically (supply also Vienna with coal for industry and households) and also nationally in maintaining their predominance and in starting a new propaganda against Cracow. The Germans are represented for Biala at the Galician diet. The extraction of coal from Ostrava-Karvín exceeds half of the total output in Austria. By the opening of new mines started in the Cracow district the influx of Galician Poles to the Těšín Silesia would decrease. The Poles maintain the district of Cracow suffices for 2 thousands years. About our Ostrava-Karvín mine Dr. Jos. Paters supposes the veins known so far assure our mining operations for a period extending over some generations. The production of the Ostrava mines is not likely to increase whereas the Eastern country of Karvín (Těšín Silesia) keeps extending its boundarylines towards the South and East and is sure to increase: therein is the future of our mining enterprises.

By the loss of the most beautiful part of Silesia constituting two thirds of the whole district, the pearl of the Czech crown, our economy has been impoverished whereas Prussia benefited for her industrial growth. By the loss even of Těšín Silesia Czechoslovakia would be paralysed and our Opava (Troppau) Silesia lost. The actual Silesia forms a natural whole even from the political economy standpoint. Opava (Troppau) Silesia is an agricultural country the importance of which has been best shown during the war whereas Těšín Silesia has an industrial character so that they well harmonise.

We must not forget the importance of the Karvín (Těšín) mine for the Bohemian industry and for the future industry in Slovakia which is as yet in its infancy but which has brilliant prospects here since there is an advantageous railway and Danube communication. Thereby new vistas have been opened up regarding the Czechoslovakian problem and the importance of Silesia from an international point of view, whereas up to now the Těšín contest was regarded in Prague as local struggle for some villages. The population of Těšín is connected with the Bohemian educational and economical life having been united with it in the course of 1000 years since the moment when at the Těšín well according to the legend Čech, Lech and Rus stopped and a round church was founded by the local castle, the chapel of St. Venceslas which resembles that of the Holy Cross in the Street of Karolina Světlá that of St. Martin in Vyšehrad or that of St. George on the hill Říp.

In the Polish-German conflict concerning the Těšín Silesia and Zátor region we have favoured neither the cause of the Poles nor that of Germans, advocating the existing situation. We desire neither the Osvětim-Zátor region nor the dismemberment of Těšín Silesia and its incorporation in Poland. Czech meetings in the Opava (Troppau) region on 17. June and 23. September and in Polská Ostrava on 7. October 1917 acclaimed the manifestation in favour of the constitution made by all Czech M. Ps. at Reichsrat of 30. Mai 1917 and declared themselves in favour of the integrity of Silesia and inseparability of Těšín Silesia. The Czech M. Ps. for Těšín Pavlelok did likewise in his speech on 19. October 1917. This is the attitude of the Czechoslovakian people which does not wrong nor threaten anybody. We must not abandon Těšín Silesia: on it depends alike the fall and prosperity of Opava (Troppau) Silesia with it the fate of Opava Silesia is intimately connected.

Translated by Otakar Vočadlo.

NOTE.

This sketch was written before the
revolutionary change had been
effected in Bohemia, (on Oct. 28. 1918)
and this very circumstance far
from diminishing its value
gives it an additional interest
considerably increasing, as it were,
its argumentative force.

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1. Nowadays the Poles have changed their tactics laying claim to these regions from the time when they were united to the Czechoslovakian Republic.