Poles in Breslau (until 1939)
Mediathek Sorted
Nucleus of the Polish intelligentsia
The Friedrich Wilhelm University in Silesia played an important role in the process of creating a Polish intelligentsia. It was founded in 1811 and, for several generations, attracted young Poles from Wielkopolska, Upper Silesia and Pomerania (at some point they even accounted for a third of all matriculated students). Wrocław University was closer to their family homes that the one in the capital Berlin. They began their studies with the aim of gaining a diploma that would offer them the chance of a career in administration, in education or in the liberal professions (they counted the most bourgeois and representatives of the lower nobility amongst their number). This is reflected in the areas of study they chose: medicine, law and economics were very popular, followed by philology and theology.
From the outset, Polish students, just like other students, established various organisations. 1818 saw the founding of the “Polonia” organisation whose members made it their goal to fight for an independent Poland, true to the motto “Freedom and Fatherland”. The youths later took part in the November Uprising of 1830/31, without any form of repression. Polish students could also be found in the rebellion parties of 1863. Adam Asnyk, Jan Kasprowicz and Wojciech Korfanty were just some of the students at the university at the end of the 19th century.
Other organisations that brought together young people of Polish heritage were founded at Wrocław University in the first half of the 19th century. The Literary and Slavic Society was founded in 1836. The Czech philologist and anatomist Johannes Evangelist Purkine (1787-1869) was elected President. Membership required an interest in Polish history and culture and the preparation of talks. These talks formed the basis for discussion within the forum of the society.
The Chair for Slavic Language and Literature was established in Wrocław in 1841 as a result of the liberal policies of King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. Polish language courses have been taught at the University since 1812. The royal decree declared that it had been established to
"give young people of Polish heritage studying at the local university the opportunity to improve their abilities in their mother tongue" (cited from Teresa Kulak, Historia Wrocławia ..., p. 188).
In the 1860s, Wojciech Cybulski, who had taken part in the November Uprising (his successor, Władysław Nehring, headed up the courses on Polish Literature until 1907), held the chair.
Polish students from various partitioned territories were also active and founded their own organisations in the second half of the 19th century. In 1863, students from Upper Silesia founded the Association of Polish Upper Silesians. Its aim was to improve the knowledge of the Polish language, history and culture. In 1868, students from Wielkopolska and Pomerania founded the Circle or Wrocław Academics of Polish Nationality.
The period of anti-Polish German policies in the second half of the 1880s also had an impact on the Polish organisations. Despite all the prohibitions, Polish organisations were reborn. In the end, after yet another anti-Polish decree, it was decided to establish secret organisations.
