Background:

Until the end of World War I, the town of Cieszyn / Těšín was part of Austro-Hungarian Silesia. After two years of dispute between Poland and Czechoslovakia, Český Těšín was awarded to the territory of what is now called the Czech Republic, while Cieszyn is a part of Poland. Even today, the state border divides the two towns and the region.

On the Western part (Czech Republic) there is still a lively Polish ethnic minority of approximately 40 000 people, which speaks Czech and Polish as well as the local dialect.

Description and aims of the project:

This project seeks to analyse the language and law situation of the Polish minority in the Region of Czeski Cieszyn/Český Těšín with the collaboration of researchers, experts and civil representatives of the area.

The project was structured in the following sections:

1. Meetings with partners in both of the Regions participating in this project: Těšín/Cieszyn and South Tyrol.
2. Written report on the language and law situation in the Region of Těšín/Cieszyn, exchange of experiences in the field of plurilingualism
3. Planning of common projects
4. Photo documentation
5. Presentation of the project results in Bolzano

Project collaborators:

Claudia Richter

Paulina Magdalena Borowska

Karina Zabielska

Partners:

University of Ostrava
Euroregion Těšín /Silesia

Financed by:

Autonomous Region Trentino-South Tyrol

last update 26.10.2007