Český Těšín
Encyclopedia : E : ES : ESK : Český Těšín
| Statistics | |
|---|---|
 Divided city. Cieszyn (left), Olza (centre) and Český Těšín (right). | |
| Area: | 33.8 km² |
| Location: | |
| Population: | 26,173 (2003) |
| Map | |
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History
Until 1918 it was called Saska Kępa (local dialect: Sasko Kympa, German: Sachsenberg) and was a suburb of the town of Cieszyn (German: Teschen) in the Duchy of Cieszyn, within Cieszyn Silesia in Austria-Hungary. Following the fall of the dual monarchy, the Polish and Czechoslovak local councils agreed on a partition of the area running along ethnic lines, however that treatment wasn't fully accepted by government of Prague. In 1919, with Poland fighting on its eastern frontiers, Czechoslovakia (fighting in Slovakia against Red Hungarian Army), driven chiefly by economic aims and accordingly with purpose from 31.10.1918 to gover all area of Duchy of Cieszyn and after French permission to annex all past Bohemia Crown lands,() [darski.generacja.org.pl, Kwestia Zaolzia i Śląska] invaded the area up to the Olza river (which included the suburb), later agreeing to hold a plebiscite. However, in 1920, with Poland engaged in the Polish-Soviet war - Czechoslovakia ally, Czechoslovakia annexed the area. This action was formalized at the Treaty of Versailles, thus leaving a sizeable Polish minority on the Czech side. In 1938, following the Munich agreement which allowed Germany to annex the Sudetenland, Poland coerced Czechoslovakia to surrender Český Těšín, by issuing an ultimatum to that effect September 30, which was accepted by Czechoslovakia on the first of October. Following negotiations with Czech authorities, who were given an additional 24 hours to evacuate the area, Polish troops and authorities entered it on October 2, 1938, and the territory was annexed to Poland.Igor Lukes, Erik Goldstein, "The Munich Crisis, 1938: Prelude to World War II" , 1999, ISBN 0714649953, [page 66-67, viewable via Google Book search] After the German invasion of Poland, in 1939, the entire territory was annexed by Germany. During the World War II it was a part of Germany. The area was divided along the previous 1920 border again in 1945, and the Communist Government of Poland returned the disputed area to Czechoslovakia. Before the war there was a sizeable Jewish minority in the town, about 1500 in Cieszyn and 1300 in Český Těšín [link]. Almost all of them were killed by Nazis in the concentration camps. Today only one synagogue is still standing in the town (today, it is a Polish cultural centre). Jewish cemetery in Český Těšín is abandoned (see the photos below). Even more sizeable German community fled to Germany after the war. There are no Jewish and German communities in the town today.
The town today
Today Poles comprise a minority in Český Těšín, with about 15% of town's population, although the real number is a little higher. This number is historically lowering because of continuing assimilation. There are no ethnic tensions between Czechs and Poles, signs of xenophobia or ethnic hatred are not known. In the past they were rather rare. The town is an important Polish culture center of Zaolzie. There are Polish elementary school [link] and gymnasium [link] in the town. Theatre of Český Těšín [link] [link] has a Polish and Czech actor groups. The plays are in Polish and Czech language. Some of the actors in Polish plays are from Cieszyn. The town is a centre of commerce and paper industry.
See also
People
- Ludvík Aškenazy (1921-1986) - writer
- Jaromír Hanzlík - actor
- Norbert Heller
- Jiří Třanovský - protestant scholar and poet
- Viktor Ullmann (1898-1944) - musician
Gallery
References
External links
- () [Official municipal website]
- () [Documents and photographs about situation in Zaolzie in 1938]
- () [History of Cieszyn during the World War II]
- () [History of Český Těšín]
| History of Cieszyn and Těšín |
|
|---|---|
| Cieszyn | Olza | Český Těšín | |
| Zaolzie | Duchy of Cieszyn | Silesia | Upper Silesia | Cieszyn Silesia | |
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