German and Polish impact Kashubians

kaszub griffin canadian flag

german ostsiedlung in kashubia initiated pomeranian dukes , focussed on towns, whereas of countryside remained kashubian. exception german settled vistula delta (vistula germans), coastal regions, , vistula valley. following centuries of interaction between local german , kashubian population, aleksander hilferding (1862) , alfons parczewski (1896) confirmed progressive language shift in kashubian population slavonic vernacular local german dialect (low german ostpommersch, low german low prussian, or high german).

on other hand, pomerelia since middle ages assigned kuyavian diocese of leslau , retained polish church language. slovincians in 1534 adopted lutheranism after protestant reformation had reached duchy of pomerania, while kashubes in pomerelia remained roman catholic. prussian parliament (landtag) in königsberg changed official church language polish german in 1843. decision repealed.

in 19th century kashubian activist florian ceynowa undertook efforts identify kashubian language, , culture , traditions. awakened kashubian self-identity, thereby opposing both germanisation , prussian authority, , polish nobility , clergy. believed in separate kashubian identity , strove russian-led pan-slavic federacy, considered poles born brothers . ceynowa attempted take prussian garrison in preussisch stargard (starogard gdański) during 1846 (see greater poland uprising), operation failed when 100 combatants, armed scythes, decided abandon site before attack carried out. later kashubian activists rejected idea of separate kashub nation , considered unique branch of polish nation, manifested in words of kashubian journalist , activist hieronim derdowski: there no cassubia without polonia, , no poland without cassubia (nie ma kaszeb bez polonii bez kaszeb polsci ). society of young kashubians (towarzystwo młodokaszubskie) has decided follow in way, , while sought create strong kashubian identity, @ same time regarded kashubians 1 branch, of many, of great polish nation .

the leader of movement aleksander majkowski, doctor educated in chełmno society of educational in chełmno. in 1912 founded society of young kashubians , started newspaper gryf. kashubs voted polish lists in elections, strengthened representation of poles in pomerania region. between 1855 , 1900, 100,000 kashubs emigrated united states, canada, brazil, new zealand, , australia in socalled kashubian diaspora, largely economic reasons. in 1899 scholar stefan ramult named winona, minnesota kashubian capital of america on account of kashubian community s size within city , activity. due catholic faith, kashubians became subject prussia s kulturkampf between 1871 , 1878. kashubians faced germanification efforts, including evangelical lutheran clergy. these efforts successful in lauenburg (lębork) , leba (Łeba), local population used gothic alphabet. while resenting disrespect shown prussian officials , junkers, kashubians lived in peaceful coexistence local german population until world war ii, although during interbellum, kashubian ties poland either overemphasized or neglected polish , german authors, respectively, in arguments regarding polish corridor.

during second world war, kashubs considered nazis being either of german stock or extraction , or inclined toward germanness , capable of germanisation , , classified third category of deutsche volksliste (german ethnic classification list) if ties polish nation dissolved. however, kashubians suspected support polish cause, particularly higher education, arrested , executed, main place of executions being piaśnica (gross plassnitz), 12,000 executed. german administrator of area albert forster considered kashubians of low value , didn t support attempts create kashubian nationality. kashubians organized anti-nazi resistance groups, gryf kaszubski (later gryf pomorski), , exiled zwiazek pomorski in great britain.

when integrated poland, envisioning kashubian autonomy faced communist regime striving ethnic homogeneity , presenting kashubian culture merely folklore. kashubians sent silesian mines, met silesians facing similar problems. lech bądkowski kashubian opposition became first spokesperson of solidarność.