Search Results - Zaolzie

Zaolzie was made up of the former districts of Tešín and Fryštát and since the 1960 reform of administrative divisions it has been made up of Karviná District and the eastern part of Frýdek-Místek District. It is de facto eastern part of the western portion of Cieszyn Silesia.

Historically, the largest ethnic group inhabiting this area were the Poles.^[1] Under Austrian rule, the Cieszyn area was divided into four districts. One of them, Friedeck, had a mostly Czech population, the other three were mostly inhabited by Poles.^[2] During the 19th century the number of Germans grew. After decline at the end of the 19th century,^[3] at the beginning of the 20th century and later from 1920 to 1938, the Czech population grew significantly (mainly as a result of immigration and the assimilation of locals) and Poles became a minority, which they are to this day. Another significant ethnic group were the Jews, but almost the entire Jewish population was exterminated during World War II.

Initially a part of Great Moravia^[4], from 950 till 1060 under rule of Principality of Bohemia^[5], from 1060 part of Poland, from 1327 the whole area of the Duchy of Cieszyn became an autonomic fiefdom of the Bohemian crown.^[6] Upon the death of Elizabeth Lucretia, its last ruler from the Polish Piast dynasty in 1653, it passed to the Habsburgs together with the rest of the Duchy of Cieszyn.^[7]