2,057 research outputs found
Poland and the Silesians : Minority rights à la carte?
No full textThe Silesians are an ethnic or national group that coalesced in the nineteenth century. During the subsequent century, they survived repeated divisions of their historical region of Upper Silesia among the nation-states of Czechoslovakia (or today its western half, that is, the Czech Republic), Germany, and Poland, which entailed Czechization, Germanization, and Polonization, respectively. The ideal of ethnolinguistic homogeneity, a typical goal of Central European nationalism, was achieved in post-war Poland. After the end of communism (1989) and the country‟s accession to the European Union (2004), this ideal is still aspired to, though it appears to stand in direct conflict with the values of democracy and rule of law. The Silesians are the largest minority in today‟s Poland and Silesian speakers are the second largest speech community in this country after Polish-speakers. Despite the Silesians‟ wish to be recognized as a minority, expressed clearly in their grassroots initiatives and in the Polish censuses of 2002 and 2011, Poland neither recognizes them nor their language. This inflexible attitude may amount to a breach of the spirit (if not the letter) of the Council of Europe‟s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages, both of which Poland signed and ratified. The case of the Silesians is a litmus test of the quality of Polish democracy. In order to resolve the debacle, the article proposes a genuine dialogue between representatives of Silesian organizations and the Polish administration under the guidance of observers and facilitators from the Council of Europe and appropriate international non-governmental organizations.Peer reviewe
"Monarchy as it should be"? : British perceptions of Poland-Lithuania in the long seventeenth century
No full textEarly modern Poland-Lithuania figured significantly in the political perceptions of Europeans in the long seventeenth century – not only due to its considerable size and enormous commercial and military resources, but also, and just as importantly, due to its exceptional religious and political situation. This interest in Poland-Lithuania was shared by many Britons. However, a detailed examination of how Britons perceived Poland-Lithuania at that time and how they treated Poland-Lithuania in their political debates has never been undertaken.
This thesis utilises a wide range of the previously neglected source material and considers the patterns of transmission of information to determine Britons’ awareness of Poland-Lithuania and their employment of the Polish-Lithuanian example in the British political discourse during the seventeenth century. It looks at a variety of geographical and historical information, English and Latin descriptions of Poland-Lithuania’s physical topography and boundaries, and its ethnic and cultural make-up presented in histories, atlases and maps, to establish what, where and who Poland-Lithuania was for Britons. Poland-Lithuania’s political framework, with its composite structure and unique relationship between the crown and nobility, elicited a spectrum of reactions, and so this thesis evaluates the role that both criticism and praise of Poland-Lithuania played in British constitutional debates.
Consequently, the study argues that Britons’ perceptions of Poland-Lithuania were characterised by great plasticity. It claims that Britons’ impressions of the country were shaped by multiple – real or imagined - borders, whether cultural, economic or political, but also that Britons were affected by the exposure to a uniform, idealised historiography of this country. Crucially, the thesis asserts that references to Poland-Lithuania constituted an ingenious ideological and polemical device that was eagerly used throughout the period by Britons of diverse political sympathies. Moreover, through the examination of the kingdom’s geopolitical role, particularly its fluctuating position as a “bulwark of Christendom”, side by side its engagement against Protestants, the thesis challenges the assumption that anti-Catholicism dominated seventeenth-century British perceptions of the world
Special education in Poland (until 1989) – historical perspective
No full textJacek Kulbaka, Special education in Poland (until 1989) – historical perspective. Interdisciplinary Contexts of Special Pedagogy, no. 27, Poznań 2019. Pp. 117–149. Adam Mickiewicz University Press. ISSN 2300-391X. e-ISSN 2658-283X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/ikps.2019.27.06The article is dedicated to presenting the information regarding the origins, organisation and the activity of special schools and institutions in Europe, with the particular focus on Polish territories (from the beginning of the 19th century to the final years of the Polish People’s Republic). The text nature may be included within the framework of inquiries regarding the history of education. Referring to the wide historical context (social, political, economical, legal, outlook and other determinants), the aim of the author of the text was to introduce the accomplishments of particular individuals, and various institutions active for the children with disabilities, in the discussed period.Jacek Kulbaka, Special education in Poland (until 1989) – historical perspective. Interdisciplinary Contexts of Special Pedagogy, no. 27, Poznań 2019. Pp. 117–149. Adam Mickiewicz University Press. ISSN 2300-391X. e-ISSN 2658-283X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14746/ikps.2019.27.06The article is dedicated to presenting the information regarding the origins, organisation and the activity of special schools and institutions in Europe, with the particular focus on Polish territories (from the beginning of the 19th century to the final years of the Polish People’s Republic). The text nature may be included within the framework of inquiries regarding the history of education. Referring to the wide historical context (social, political, economical, legal, outlook and other determinants), the aim of the author of the text was to introduce the accomplishments of particular individuals, and various institutions active for the children with disabilities, in the discussed period
The Presence of the Adam Mickiewicz Institute in Asia
No full textThe article gives an account of the process of building Polish cultural presence in Asia by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, a Polish national institution subordinate to the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of the Republic of Poland. The author summarizes activities and tasks completed by the Institute in Asia up to now within the scope of the specially dedicated Project Asia, as well as provides information on the structure, resources, and strategy of the Project. Different approaches to the issue of promoting Polish culture abroad are described in relation to the Institute’s past and present experiences, especially bigger projects, such as EXPO 2010 in Shanghai or the Cultural Programme of the Polish EU Presidency in 2011. Specific examples of the Institute’s co-operation with Asian partners are invoked to illustrate the ways in which local organizations, communities, and individuals can be engaged in the process of building better awareness and understanding of Polish culture in the region
The euro at ten: the next global currency?
No full textOver the first ten years of its existence, the euro has proved to be more than a powerful symbol of collective identity. It has provided price stability to previously inflation-prone countries; it has offered a shelter against currency crises; and it has by and large been conducive to budgetary discipline. The eurozone has attracted five new members in addition to the initial eleven, and many countries in Europe wish to adopt it. The euro has also been successful internationally. Even though research presented in this volume confirms that it has not rivaled the dollar's world currency status, it has certainly become a strong regional currency in Europe and the Mediterranean region. Some countries in the region have de facto adopted it, several peg to it, and many have become at least partially euroized.
However, the euro's impressive first decade is likely to be followed by a much more difficult period. The present financial crisis is posing at least two important challenges: real economic adjustment within the euro area and maintenance of fiscal and financial stability without a central government authority capable of taking appropriate financial and fiscal decisions in difficult times.
This book is the product of a joint conference held in 2008 by the Peterson Institute for International Economics and Bruegel. It is edited by Bruegel Director Jean Pisani-Ferry and then-PIEE Deputy Director and current Bruegel board member Adam Posen. The papers and remarks in this volume demonstrate that the euro has proved to be attractive as a fair weather currency for countries and investors well beyond its borders. But it remains to be seen whether it is equipped to also succeed as a stormy weather currency.
Contributors: JoaquÃn Almunia, Maria Celina Arraes, Leszek Balcerowicz, C. Fred Bergsten, Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, Kristin J. Forbes, Linda S. Goldberg, C. Randall Henning, Mohsin S. Khan, Antonio de Lecea, Erkki Liikanen, Philippe Martin, Thomas Mayer, André Sapir, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, Lawrence H. Summers, and György Szapáry.
Funkcjonowanie nazw dawnych zwyczajów gospodarskich we współczesnym języku mieszkańców Kawczyna (gm. Drawsko, pow. czarnkowsko-trzcianecki) – pierzak, dożynki, szczeblik
No full textThe article analyzes changes over time (temporal variation) in the name of three old farming habits: pierzak, dożynki and szczeblik. The author analyzed the materials obtained today in terms of generational diversity and compared them with archival data – Adam Tomaszewski and Atlas of the language and folk culture of Greater Poland. The analyzes showed that the generational differentiation is insignificant among the surveyed informants, while the chronological changes of the surveyed names show a varying degree of transformation.The article analyzes changes over time (temporal variation) in the name of three old farming habits: pierzak, dożynki and szczeblik. The author analyzed the materials obtained today in terms of generational diversity and compared them with archival data – Adam Tomaszewski and Atlas of the language and folk culture of Greater Poland. The analyzes showed that the generational differentiation is insignificant among the surveyed informants, while the chronological changes of the surveyed names show a varying degree of transformation
The creative achievements by Adam Cieslak (1955-2008)
No full textAutor w artykule ukazuje naukową twórczość mgra Adama Cieślaka (1955-2008), wicedyrektora Archiwum Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego w Krakowie (Polska).The author in the article presents the scholarly achievements done by Adam Cieslak (1955-2008) M.A., the vice-chief of the Jagiellonian University Archives in Cracow (Poland)
The seals of Adam Sędziwój Czarnkowski, the general starost of Grand Poland
No full textAdam Sędziwój Czarnkowski descended from an old noble family with origins in Grand Poland that can be traced back to at least the first half of the fourteenth century. He belonged to the younger family line started by Sędziwój Czarnkowski, the castellan of Przemęt (his brother, Maciej, is considered to be the progenitor of the older line), a son of Sędziwój, the voivode of the Poznań, and a grandson of Jan, the castellan of Gniezno. Adam was a grandson of Sędziwój and a son of Wojciech Sędziwój Czarnkowski, the general starost of Grand Poland, and Jadwiga Sierpska from Gulczewo of the Prawdzic coat-of-arms, the daughter of the voivode of Rawa. As a reward for his contribution to the wars with Russia, he was appointed the starost of Pyzdry by King Stefan Batory in 1579. At the same time, he inherited the title of the commander of the Knights of Saint John in Poznań (komandor poznańskich joannitów) from his father. During the reign of king Sigismunt III, he was a supporter of the king. It was during that time that his career proceeded quickly: in 1593 he became the general starost of Grand Poland, and in 1606 he was appointed the voivode of Łęczyca. Not all of Adam Sędziwój Czarnkowski's seals survived to this day, but those remaining allow the analysis of the sigillographic collection of one of the oligarchs of Grand Poland. This collection, however, is specific. It seems to be unusually numerous when compared to the seal collections that belonged to other, even the richest, noblemen. That is because Czarnkowski's collection included official seals necessary to carry out the duties of the general starost and other, lower posts, e.g. those related to governing a castle court and office (urząd grodzki), as well as personal seals, which can be divided into several sub-categories. The collection grew mostly because Czarnkowski held the office of the general starost of Grand Poland and this required using seven, out of nine, known types of Czarnkowski's seals. It shows to what a great extent the seal collections of noblemen were influenced by the offices they held. It also allows the author to state that a seal collection of a nobleman reflected his social status and the amount of offices he held. The images and inscriptions on Czarnkowski's seals were part of the communication system present in Poland at the time. The words inscribed in the seals not only allowed the identification of an official but also his competence. This became particularly important after the judicial reform (reforma sądownictwa grodzkiego) in Grand Poland, when the competence of the deputy starost of Kalisz and Poznań covered only selected districts. However, it was the coat-of-arms that was the main medium for conveying information and that allowed the transferring of quite complex messages. Because Czarnkowski's seals functioned on the verge of the private and public spheres, they not only provide a lot of information about the history of the starost office, but through their images they also give us an insight into the world of ideology of the nobility and its related symbols. In this case, the coat-of-arms on Adam Sędziwój Czarnkowski's seals helped encode the legend of this version of the Nałęcz coat-of-arms that was used by his family. Its design emerged probably around the first half of the sixteenth century and had something to do with the case of forgeries (czarnkowskie falsyfikaty). However, the images on the seal can be also interpreted as referring to the aspirations of the magnate who, according to a legend, had royal ancestors and began to think of himself as a prince as well.</span
Europejski Fundusz Społeczny jako instrument aktywizacji zawodowej osób niepełnosprawnych w Polsce w latach 2004-2006
No full textThe European Social Fund is one of the instruments used to prevent the unemployment of people with disabilities in Poland. The Author of the paper assesses the degree to which in 2004–2006 Poland made use of the ESF financial resources under ‘Measure 1.4’ of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development. It is EFS funds and other EU resources that may, at least partially, prevent numerous problems. This may be achieved by the organization of vocational training and psychology workshops for people with disabilities and for those who collaborate with them.The European Social Fund is one of the instruments used to prevent the unemployment of people with disabilities in Poland. The Author of the paper assesses the degree to which in 2004–2006 Poland made use of the ESF financial resources under ‘Measure 1.4’ of the Sectoral Operational Programme for Human Resources Development. It is EFS funds and other EU resources that may, at least partially, prevent numerous problems. This may be achieved by the organization of vocational training and psychology workshops for people with disabilities and for those who collaborate with them
Adam Reinhold Schiewe---A Cross-Border Man of Faith: A Baptist Trailblazer in Estonia, Poland, Ukraine, Germany, and Russia
No full textThis study aimed at compiling a biography of the preacher Adam Reinhold Schiewe (1843–1930). Schiewe ministered in the territories of present-day Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Russia, and Estonia. His historical significance lies primarily in the formal founding of the first Baptist congregation in Estonia. Schiewe wrote memoirs of his life and is featured in a large number of fragmentary, at times even contradictory, sources. The author pointed out the inaccuracies found therein and reconstructed a plausible biography. The study was originally written in Estonian and was supported by a single scholarship from the ESF programme DoRa activity 8
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