Prussia, Reich and Mitteleuropa (Middle Europe). The German background of the Act of 5th November 1916

The article discusses the German background of a declaration of Two Emperors of 5th November 1916. The author presents the interactions between the specific political centres in Germany which were a part of the decision-making with regard to the Polish cause. In the article, attention is drawn to the complexity of the process and the lack of unity between the German and Prussian decision makers.

Consistent actions or improvisation? German war plans against Poland during the First World War

The article discusses the issue of German war plans for Poland during the First World War. The author analyses the role and activities of various political centres in Germany pertaining to the Polish cause. The article seeks to assess whether German plans for Poland were as coherent and consistent as they were presented in earlier historiography.

“We enjoy frequenting seasonal resorts” – Polish travels to Prussian and German resorts (1850–1914)

This study examines written sources documenting Polish travels to German resorts from the the mid-19th century until the outbreak of World War I. The topic at hand encompasses multiple disciplines, including literary history and cultural anthropology. Among the resorts popular among Poles in the 19th century, Baden-Baden emerges as the most prominent German spa town which attracted the then elite of Europe. It gained its reputation due to the beneficial climate and hot springs as well as a diverse array of recreational activities. As the political situation deteriorated (the Kulturkampf, Prussian restrictions), Polish trips to German resorts came to be viewed in a political context. As a result, a campaign for boycotting „the baths” was launched in the Polish press. Written sources documenting Polish travels to German and Prussian resorts from the 19th and early 20th centuries provide insight into the historical context of the period, and offer a unique perspective on various political, economic, and social issues.

German state children (Staatskinder) of the Evangelical denomination in the colonisation of the eastern provinces of the Prussian state. The orphanage in Ruchocin/Mielżyn 1899– –1918

The article presents the mechanism of the Prussian authorities using „state children” [Staatskinder] in the process of colonization of the eastern Prussian provinces, and combining charity activity with the program of Germanization of the area in question. The actions taken by the Prussian authorities in the late 19 and the early 20th century were in reaction to the internal migration movements, which directly affected the eastern Prussian provinces, from Berlins perspective negatively influencing their national structure. In 1895, Ernst Hasse presented a plan to colonize the eastern Prussian provinces by bringing „state children”, i.e. orphans and illegitimate children from the metropolitan areas of central and western Germany, and placing them in orphanages established in the East. The article describes, among others, one of such orphanages which operated between 1899 and 1918 and was supervised by the Protestant Association for the Care of Orphans in the Province of Poznań [Evangelischer Verein für Waisenpflege in der Provinz Posen].