Ewangelicy cieszyńscy wobec kwestii odzyskania niepodległości przez Polskę i przyłączenie do niej Śląska Cieszyńskiego w świetle "Posła Ewangelickiego" i "Nowego Czasu"

The Evangelical Church in Cieszyn and the issue of restoring the Polish independence and annexing Śląsk Cieszyński to Poland as presented in "Evangelical Emissary" and "New Time"

Contrary to the rest of Poland, there have existed large groups of Polish Evangelical Church members in Śląsk Cieszyński since the Reformation. During the struggle to join that area to Poland, two Evangelical Church branches were created: the majority voting for the annexation to Poland (its press representative was "Poseł Ewangelicki”) and the minority of Silesian separatists sympathising with the Czechs and Germans (its press representative was ”Nowy Czas”). The article is based on the discussion of the issue between the two periodicals. The division of Silesia in July 1920 made the discussion futile. Bitterly ironical was the fact that on the Czech side there appeared parishes that demanded to be joined with Poland in the most active way, connected with ”Poseł Ewangelicki”, and on the Polish side there were the ones dominated by the Silesians (the "Nowy Czas” supporters) and Germans. As a result, the division was a major defeat of the Polish Evangelical movement and its members. For a number of them. led by the Rev. Franciszek Michejda, the history put them inches from achieving the goal, on the border bridge on Olza.