Diaspora Euro-Ślązaków w Niemczech na przykładzie biografii Leona Jończyka – artysty i społecznika z Monachium
The Diaspora of Euro-Silesians in Germany a case study of the biography of Leon Joñczyk – an artist and social activist of Munchen

Summary/Abstract: The aim of the paper is to essay to describe the biography of a person belonging to the European Diaspora of Silesians in Germany, who was connected not only with the Polish culture, but also had his share in the process of transformation of migration societies of the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century. Among the contemporary Silesian Diaspora located on the territory of Germany one can clearly distinguish three areas of the cultural identification of that community. The first group – post-War migrants belonging to the group of the so-called „displaced”, or holding the German citizenship, who had already been able to integrate in Germany and their Silesian character has – to a large extent – sunk in the German culture. The second group are Silesian Poles who – due to economic reasons – left Poland and hid their origin (often in a bashful way), yet who always remained firmly connected to their Polish character. Still, in recent years, it can be observed, there has appeared a third option which allows speaking of Silesians inhabiting Germany as of euro-Silesians. The group do not underline their regional specific character in any decisive manner, they rather try to integrate with the Western society. Among them there are people of art, whose works and activity in the field of culture are most universal as far as their reception in the contemporary global environment is concerned. The people made reference to above belong now to the intellectual elites in their professional communities, but had to cover a long way of building their careers very early so as to achieve professional and social success on the European ground. Within the area of European culture, artists dealing in disciplines such as graphic arts or painting are perceived as peculiar creators, since they are invested with sensitivity that can be attributed to a few only. Their artistic messages, due to the fact that they concern the extra-linguistic sphere, can readily be absorbed by a broad circle of receivers. They are capable of creating masterpieces of supra-regional and supra-national value. Owing to their talents they have succeeded in abandoning the narrowly-conceived Silesian regionalism and entering the realm of European and world art.

• Details
• Contents