Problematyka niemcoznawcza w Bydgoszczy

Abstrakt

Bydgoszcz is one of many cities of the region formerly annexed by Prussia, which history is burdened by the Prussian-German heritage. Its Polish-German past makes it a borderland city. An interest in the Polish-German border area led to establishing of a certain topic of German studies in Poland, understood as striving to explore Germany, its past and present, but also a field of education, interest in the German past of the city, and existence of a center of German studies. During the interwar period, German studies were conducted by the Baltic Institute in Toruń and Poznań University. After World War II, the main research centers involved in German politics and society were the Institute of Western Affairs in Poznań, the Silesian Institute in Opole, and the Baltic Institute in Gdańsk. It would seem obvious that in the time of social and political changes in Poland in 1989/1990, a center for German studies and field of education similar to the ones operating in Gdańsk, Poznań, Cracow and Wrocław would be established in Bydgoszcz. However, it did not happen, which can be described as a wasted opportunity. We also need to mention that Professor Włodzimierz Jastrzębski, a scientist from Bydgoszcz put a lot of effort into establishing a local center for German studies. It resulted in conferences and publications dedicated to the Polish-German border area based on the example of Bydgoszcz. In German studies, Bydgoszcz as a subject of research is an important city that still needs to be explored by researchers. Lack of a center for German studies in Bydgoszcz is a loss that is hard to be made up for. Development of a proper model of memory about the past of Bydgoszcz was a challenge for local German studies.