A Review of Małgorzata Mastalerz-Krystjańczuk, “Ostatni Mohikanie Pomorza”: Ludność rodzima znad jezior Łebsko i Gardno w publicystyce polskiej lat 1945–1989. Gdańsk; Słupsk: Instytut Kaszubski; Akademia Pomorska w Słupsku, 2019, 452 ss.

Abstract

The collection of articles “The Last Mohicans of Pomerania”: The Indigenous Population of Łebsko and Gardno Lakes in Polish Nonfiction 1945–1989, edited by contemporary Polish historian Małgorzata Mastalerz-Krystjańczuk, includes several dozen articles published in Polish newspapers and magazines from 1945 to 1989 dedicated to the Kashubian ethnographic group of Slovincians who lived in Poland until the 1970s. The post-war nonfiction, written by professional ethnographers, linguists, historians, as well as journalists, travelers and social activists, was intended to acquaint the Polish reader with the specificities of the small indigenous ethnic group of Pomerania, fully incorporated into Poland as a result of the Second World War. An extensive preface by Dr. Mastalerz-Krystjańczuk will allow the reader to learn about the specificities of the inclusion of Slovincians in Polish social and political life, the historical and cultural context in which the texts about Slovincians were created, their thematic content, as well as the role played by censorship on the practice of depicting modern Slovincians. As the materials of the collection show, Slovincians had taken a specific position in Polish scientific and political ethno-classifications. Being German-speaking Lutherans, the Slovincians — due to their Slavic origin and the expected Slavic language practice — had to play the role of an important argument in legitimizing West Pomerania’s inclusion in the imagination of the Polish authorities. The review provides a brief survey of the main themes, images, and stories about Slovincians circulating in numerous articles of this collection.