Silesians
As Silesia (Polish: Ślązacy; Silesian: Schläsinger; schlonsakisch: Ślůnzoki; Czech: Slezané ) is a person of German, Polish or Czech nationality denotes that originates Silesia and the former Austrian Silesia from the region.
General
According to the 1939 census lived in Silesia ( without Upper Silesia ) about 4.6 million inhabitants. German Silesians formed until 1945, the majority of the population in Silesia. After the westward shift of Poland and the subsequent expulsion and resettlement of populations they are today in Silesia present as German minority in Poland. 92% of the 152,900 Germans living in Poland living in Silesia.
By 1950, 3.6 million displaced Silesians inclusion in the Federal Republic and the German Democratic Republic have been found. Of these, two-thirds lived in the Federal Republic and a third in the GDR. In the 1970 census, was asked for the last time after the forced migrant status. Then, in 1970, among others lived in North Rhine-Westphalia million, 600,000 in Lower Saxony, Bavaria and Hessen 460,000 200,000 displaced Silesians and their descendants. Country team performance organized Silesians in the Federal Republic are members of the country team Silesia and the country team in the Upper Silesians, Silesians from the formerly belonging to the Czechoslovak Silesia organize themselves within the Sudeten Germans. In the GDR, the Silesians were not allowed to organize.
More Silesians came after 1950 as emigrants or after 1990 as ethnic Germans to Germany.
To the west of the Oder- Neisse border in the room Görlitz in Germany, they represent the majority. They are also as displaced persons in the Diaspora.
From 1922 to 1939, separated from the German Reich Upper Silesia as Autonomous Silesian Voivodeship was the Its Polish part of Silesia. Following a referendum in 1922 only a few German Silesians have remained in Upper Silesia. According to the 1931 census, the population was 1.5335 million there, it gave 92.3 % of the population Schlonsakisch as their first language, Polish and Silesian dialects of Polish as a second language and 7 % German as their native language.
Czech Silesia live mainly in Czech Silesia. The proportion of Silesians in the total population of the Czech Republic is approximately three to five percent.
Czech minorities were also received in Wartenberg, chasing, Glatz and between Leobschutz and Ratibor. Some Czechs arrived as religious refugees from Bohemia to Silesia and were mostly settled in colonies. These were distributed to one part in 1945 or had to move as so-called repatriates in Czechoslovakia.
Languages
Silesians speak or spoke German, including the Silesian dialects, Polish and Silesian- Polish dialect, as well as Czech and Czech-Polish Lachish as transitional dialect.
Silesians as a nationality
In Poland there is a group of Silesians who feel neither the German nor the Polish nationality belonging. This was particularly in the 2002 census rendering than 173,200 citizens disclosures for the first time the unrecognized term as Silesian nationality. In the census of 2011 reported a total of 817,000 citizens to be Silesian nationality or / and to be Silesians. 140 895 people ( about 92 % of the total) reported in 2002 in the provinces of Opole, Lower Silesia and Silesia the German nationality on. 2011, there were 26,000 people in Poland, who described themselves as exclusively German, the 23,000 primary and 61,000 secondary to the up - saw it as a German - in addition to any other nationality. As with other national minorities of persons of Silesians, depending on the type of question have different scope ( " mainly Silesians " or think " well Silesia " Polish Silesian master or understand German Silesia or master ).