Bilingual place names in Poland

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Bilingual place names in Poland
blue: German,
yellow: Kashubian,
green: Lithuanian,
red: Lemkish,
violet: Belarusian
Polish-German place-name sign in Kossorowitz / Kosorowice in Upper Silesia

A law passed by parliament in 2005 created the possibility of bilingual place names in Poland . It also provides that in areas with national minorities, their mother tongue can be allowed as an auxiliary language when dealing with authorities. According to the Polish Interior Ministry, 17 communities with a German minority had already registered. Seven others are trying to be included in the register. Around 150,000 people of German origin live in Poland , mainly in Silesia . Localities with Belarusian , Lithuanian , Lemk and Kashubian minorities are also trying to make things easier .

Bilingual place names have now also been introduced in the Kashubian communities of Stężyca and Chmielno. The first village was Szymbark, in Kashubian the place name is "Schimbark". However, the permits for these communities have no direct reference to the Minorities Act. The Kashubians are not considered to be either a national or an ethnic minority. Instead, their language has been recognized as a regional language. In all of Poland, 52 municipalities currently meet the requirements for bilingual place names, 27 of which are in the Opole Voivodeship .

Although only names from the period 1933 to 1945 are expressly not allowed, it became apparent that the responsible commission also made arbitrary decisions about the introduction of names in the minority languages. For example, it also prevented the reintroduction of names that were introduced before 1933. This shows a clear tutelage of the minorities, as well as a restriction of the minorities' self-determination rights. At the same time, the current regulations also prevent the introduction of modern and new names or changes to names. This is particularly problematic since newly established places or other newly created topographical objects cannot receive names in the minority languages. This means that the minorities can only maintain their culture and language to a limited extent and are forced to remain in the past. However, living languages ​​are characterized precisely by the fact that they change.

Bilingual municipalities in Poland

Bilingual place-name signs may only be set up in the mentioned municipalities if the German place names / street names have been officially approved in accordance with the ordinance on bilingual place and location names Dwujęzyczne nazewnictwo geograficzne . For this, the municipal council must approve the introduction of the German names and the approvals of the voivode and the Polish Ministry of the Interior (MSWiA) must be available. The community population only needs to be surveyed if the proportion of the German minority in the population is below 20%, but the communities also rely on voluntary surveys with over 20%. So far, the ordinance and thus the right to bilingual place-name signs have gradually been implemented in the municipalities of Radlau / Radłów , Czissek / Cisek , Leschnitz / Leśnica , Tarnau / Tarnów Opolski , Chronstau / Chrząstowice , Stubendorf / Izbicko , Guttentag / Dobrodzień , Himmelwitz / Jemielnica , Kolonowskie / Kolonowskie , Kranowitz / Krzanowice , Ujest / Ujazd , Zülz / Biala , Zębowice / Zębowice , Strzeleczki / Strzeleczki , Komprachcice / Komprachcice , United Doebern / Dobrzeń Wielki , Oberglogau / Głogówek , Gmina Łubniany / Łubniany , Proskau / Prószków , Gogolin / Gogolin , Birawa / Bierawa , Reinschdorf / Reńska Wieś , Turawa / Turawa , Kieferstädtel / Sośnicowice and Lubowitz / Łubowice , a district of Rudnik .

The bilingual place-name signs are like the previous ones in green and labeled in white. Under the Polish place name is the German one in the same font size. In the municipality of Czissek, German-language signs were attached to the old place-name signs. It is unclear whether the affixing of separate signs corresponds to the Polish minority law. German-language place-name signs were allowed since 2005, but until 2008 no authorized municipality had received money from the authorities for the erection of German-language place-name signs. It was not until 2008 that 250,000 zlotys were planned for the production and installation of place-name signs for the first time. Initially it was assumed that the municipality of Radlau / Radłów will put up the first German-language place-name signs in autumn 2008. On September 4, 2008, Lubowitz / Łubowice was the first place to receive German-language place-name signs. On September 12, 2008, the municipality of Radlau / Radłów followed as the first municipality in Poland with the ceremonial unveiling of bilingual place-name signs. On September 15, 2008 German-language place-name signs were set up in the municipality of Czissek / Cisek .

No municipality has yet applied for additional street names in German. However, since the political change in Poland in 1989, there have also been privately financed bilingual welcome boards (and the like).

Such public symbols of bilingualism and the German minority are not without controversy in Poland; But mostly there were threats to destroy (new) German-language signs or inscriptions. In 2004, opponents of the minority laws saw their fears that the minority would undermine the sovereignty of Poland in the Opole region - confirmed when the Starost of Strzelce Opolskie - themselves a member of the minority - replaced the obligatory Polish national coat of arms on its official building with the county coat of arms and a bilingual information sign , which is an offense punishable by up to one year in prison, and even led to a debate on the Sejm and distancing of other minority representatives.

Birawa / Gmina Bierawa community

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since January 10, 2011:

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since May 25, 2011:

Chronstau / Gmina Chrząstowice municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since May 20, 2008:

Colonnowska / Gmina Kolonowskie municipality

Officially bilingual ( German ) since November 14, 2008:

Comprachtschütz / Gmina Komprachcice municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since December 1st, 2009:

Czissek / Gmina Cisek municipality

Officially bilingual ( German ) since October 11, 2007:

Groß Döbern / Gmina Dobrzeń Wielki municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since December 1st, 2009:

Gross Lassowitz / Gmina Lasowice Wielkie community

Officially bilingual ( German ) since August 16, 2010:

Groß Neukirch / Gmina Polska Cerekiew community

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since April 29, 2011:

Community of Gogolin / Gmina Gogolin

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since April 30, 2010:

Guttentag Municipality / Gmina Dobrodzień

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since July 4th, 2008:

Himmelwitz / Gmina Jemielnica community

Officially bilingual ( German ) since November 14, 2008:

Municipality of Kieferstädtel / Gmina Sośnicowice

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since October 10, 2013:

Klein Strehlitz / Gmina Strzeleczki community

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since November 24, 2008:

Kranowitz / Gmina Krzanowice municipality

Officially bilingual ( German ) since November 19, 2008:

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since December 1st, 2009:

Leschnitz / Gmina Leśnica municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since April 11, 2008:

Lugnian / Gmina Łubniany municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since April 30, 2010:

Murow / Gmina Murów municipality

Officially bilingual ( German ) since March 31, 2009:

Municipality of Oberglogau / Gmina Głogówek

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since December 1st, 2009:

Proskau / Gmina Prószków municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since April 30, 2010:

Radlau municipality / Gmina Radłów

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since December 22, 2006:

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since December 29, 2007:

Reinschdorf / Gmina Reńska Wieś municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since January 11, 2011:

Rudnik / Gmina Rudnik community

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since April 11, 2008:

Community of Stubendorf / Gmina Izbicko

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since May 20, 2008:

Tarnau / Gmina Tarnów Opolski municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since April 14, 2008:

Turawa / Gmina Turawa municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since March 8, 2012:

Officially bilingual ( German ) since January 10, 2013:

Municipality of Ujest / Gmina Ujazd

Officially bilingual ( German ) since November 19, 2008:

Municipality of Walzen / Gmina Walce

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since June 3, 2009:

Zembowitz / Gmina Zębowice municipality

Officially bilingual ( German ) since November 19, 2008:

Zülz / Gmina Biała municipality

Officially bilingual ( German language ) since November 24, 2008:

Gmina Chmielno / Gmina Chmielno

Officially bilingual ( Kashubian language ) since December 3, 2007:

Gmina Stężyca / Gmina Stãżëca

Officially bilingual ( Kashubian language ) since November 14, 2007:

Officially bilingual since May 20, 2008:

Gmina Puńsk / Punsko valsčius

Officially bilingual ( Lithuanian language ) since May 20, 2008:

Gmina Gorlice

Officially bilingual ( Lemkish language ) since November 24, 2008:

Gmina Bytów

Officially bilingual ( Kashubian language ) since December 1st, 2009:

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Polish Ministry of Public Administration and Digitization: List of municipalities according to Article 12 of the Act of January 6, 2005 on National and Ethnic Minorities and the Regional Language ( Memento of October 29, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) (PDF; 294 KiB)
  2. ↑ See n-tv : Approach via place-name signs - New Normality. down. on September 15, 2008
  3. ↑ See ZDF-Mittagsmagazin : Page no longer available , search in web archives: Lubowice and Lubowitz - Writing history with Polish-German place-name signs. down. on September 15, 2008@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / mittagsmagazin.zdf.de
  4. ↑ See article in the Schlesisches Wochenblatt ( Memento of March 12, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), ab. on March 17, 2008
  5. ↑ See hotnews.pl
  6. ↑ http://ks.sejm.gov.pl:8009/kad4/075/40753059.htm (link not available)
  7. ↑ See polskieradio.pl
  8. ↑ www.nto.pl "Oderwalde is lawful" (Polish)