Józef Kożdoń

Josef Koždoň (Polish: Józef Kożdoń; * September 8, 1873; † December 7, 1949 ) was a politician ostschlesischer and longtime mayor of Czech Cieszyn ( Český Těšín ).

The head teacher in 1909 elected to the State Parliament in Opava, representing the Silesian People's Party ( Śląska partia Ludowa ), which strongly made ​​in the Duchy of Teschen, which belonged until 1918 to Austrian Silesia for autonomy. The Protestant, pro-German and Slavic Schlonsaken opposed the appropriation by Czechs and especially by the immigrant from Galicia, Poland, under which nationalists were particularly active.

After the end of the monarchy, the region was now usually referred to as Olsagebiet, claimed by both new nation-states, Czechoslovakia, and the Second Polish Republic. The Schlonsaken caught in the crossfire, was where also fought militarily soon. The political movement of the " Schlonsaken " under Josef Koždoň directed decidedly against Poland. Josef Koždoň was arrested on 30 November 1918 and interned for four weeks in the Krakow Military Prison, later his wife, and other activists. After his release, he tried from Ostrava to lead the "Silesian People's Party " and the approximately 100,000 Schlonsaken and advertise at the Paris negotiations for the country of Teschen autonomy. This, however, was divided along the Olsa, just like the city.

From 1923 to 1938 was mayor of Koždoň Czech Teschen. The regional impact of the Silesians in 1928 decreased, as their territory was annexed to Moravia, was while protesting with the motto " the Silesia Silesia ". By dividing and assimilation particularly on the Polish side identified themselves in Census 1930 only about 25,000 people as Silesian.

The Munich Agreement took Poland to the beginning of October 1938 to annex the Czech part of the Olsagebietes. As early as 1918 the oppressed the Poles schlonsakische organizations. Josef Koždoň retired to Opava, which was now in the Sudetenland, which was connected to the German Empire, like a year later all Teschen. Hopes for autonomy remain unfulfilled, because German Empire occupied the government. Josef Koždoň resigned and stayed after the war, when the division was restored in Opava, where he died in 1949 and was buried. At the cemetery in Czech Cieszyn a symbolic grave of honor was erected.