중동부유럽

Research on western history has been generally held by dividing Europe into east and west. The research deals with the middle part of Europe, which was disregarded under such view. The area is called the Central Europe, a remote region to both east and west Europe. However, the history of this area cannot be abstracted simply. The Central Europe is a component of Europe, a unit as east and west are formed as the center. The area is complex and cannot be simply distinguished by racial and religious standards such as German and Slav, Latin Christianity and Greek Orthodox Church. Even in its socio- economical development stage, it depicts originality as the Central European area. In the middle of the Central Europe, there is a place called Silesia adjacent to Germany and Poland. The area was regarded as a remote region in Germany and Poland just as the Central Europe was in Europe. Silesia became the goal for expansion for each country, and consequently, it became the place for mixed race. From the end of 19th century to mid 20th century, Silesia belonged to German due to German’s Central European policy, and Hitler’s ethnical homogenization project in this area consequently came to an end. Such reaction and revenge towards Germanization led to Polandization in Silesia after the World War II. To the Germans residing there, it meant banishment and oppression. However, during the chaos after the war, natives in Silesia were treated as Germans by the Poles who came from the east part conquered by Russia. Silesia was the land to conquer for Germans and Poles, and simultaneously the gray zone for its dubious identity. Silesia was also a place much German to Poland, and much Polish to Germany. After the war, the exchange of re-Polandization and re-Germanization in this area depicts complex identity. However, it can be said that the problem of identity in Silesia has reached a new stage with the coming of new situation by the collapse of the East European bloc concerning the Central Europe. In this circumstance, Silesia is heading towards a new possibility within the Central Europe, which is east and west as one, not antagonistic relation between Poland and Germany within the previous east and west European division.