Difference between revisions 3519294 and 3909668 on enwiki

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Since medieval times, western [[Poland|Polish lands]] had some Germanic residents, for the first several centuries by invitation. Polish landowners had unproductive land and needed more workers. Germans from the Protestant Low Countries were recruited to reclaim wetlands of northern Poland. Additionally, groups of oppressed Protestants from areas that Catholics had won in southern Germany (eg Wuürttembuerg) migrated in significant numbers. As time progressed the settler came more from neighboring German lands. For quite some time, the Western settlers were given the complete freedom of religion, as a major part of the inducement. These were times of the bloody religious wars in the Western [[Europe]], which however didn't extend to Poland. Poland was the unique example of tolerance, thanks to [[Warsaw Confederation]], that guaranteed the [[religious freedom]] and internal peace.

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For example, in Czarnkow region, settlers were attacked by roving bands of Polish militia.

==Partitions==

The tide turned in the late 1700s when the powerful neighbors carved Poland up in the three [[Partitions of Poland]]. Now the native Poles came under occupation, ruled by a foreigners and the minority Germans began to have the upper hand. The Prussian state determined to become stronger with the acquisition of the additional Polish lands. To ensure continued posses
sion and a secure German presence, settlers were encouraged, German communities were assisted with gifts that built churches, provided bells and various other infrastructure improvements. Most notable was the creation of the canal between [[Bydgoszcz]] (German: ''Bromberg'') near the [[Vistula]] (German: ''Weichsel'') and [[Naklo]] (German: ''Nakel'') on the [[Notec]] (German: ''Netze'') The Prussian bureaurocracy developed into a one machine and the 1800s introduced other machinery that brought about broad social changes as well.

==Napoleon==
[[Napoleon I]]temporarily turned the tables for about eight years, then the situation reversed again. (Add info about Polish involvement, French relations, Germans preventing French shipments on river barges, etc.)
==Prussian times==

After the Napolean era, Prussia again received Great Poland. In total, 5 Prussian Provinces, included large Slavic speaking minorities:
*Great Poland
*West Prussia
*East Prussi
*Pomerania
*Silesia

The autonomy of Great Poland was gradually limited. This naturally created a resistance, which sometimes erupted into uprisings, most notable in 1848, in conjunction with other parts of Germany and Europe.
In 1811, Prussian authorities performed abolition of serfdom, in 1823 it also was perfrormed in Great Poland. The outcome of Prussian reform was, that the group of rich farmers and landlords prospered. 

In the long term the abolition completely reverted the relations in the Polish provinces. Before that, the only Polish group were Nobles, after that time peasants gradually took part in the Polish national movement, under leadership of Polish landlords.

==Germanization and the beginning of ethnic conflict==
German national movement was perceived by Poles as an ally against the great powers. German nationalists believed the Poles defend them from Russian thyranny. However, during revolution 1848, German democrats tried to annex to United Germany, Kurland, East Prussia, West Prussia and most of Great Poland.

After [[1871]], the Prussian state combined the other German states into a German empire, and the Prussian overlords became more and more oppressive, coming to a position that they would always own these lands and that the Polish peoples must become Germanized. German national liberals joined their former enemies from the Prussian court. 

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In general Poland guaranteed German minority national rights. However, many landestates that belong to German landowners were subject of parcelation and were sold to Polish peasants.


==War and atrocities==
World War II brought the brutal repressions of totalitarian German state against Poles. Unspeakable attrocities touched every family in the Western provinces of Great Germany(see [[World War II atrocities in Poland]]).