Galicyjscy uchodźcy wojenni w Żywcu w latach 1914—1915
Galician War Refugees in Żywiec in 1914—1915

Summary/Abstract: The failures of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces, which took place in the first months of the Great War, led to the emergence of the phenomenon of a war refugee. Some of the refugees did not leave the crownland or they stayed at its western end for a longer time. At that time, many refugees arrived in Żywiec. The aim of this paper is to present the process of the influx of refugees to the city. The conducted research allowed to conclude that about 2300 refugees registered in Żywiec in the period from August 1914 to May 1915. This number constituted over 40% of the pre-war inhabitants of the city. It is worth remembering that not all refugees entered the registration book kept by the local magistrate; therefore, this group was even larger in reality. The work focuses on the religious and professional structures of the refugees staying in Żywiec. The process of research of addresses that were provided by refugees who registered in Żywiec showed what kind of help was offered to them by the indigenous inhabitants of the city. The paper also attempts to analyse how Żywiec presented itself in comparison with other cities when it comes to the number of refugees staying in the city.

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