German Christian People's Party
Encyclopedia
The German Christian People's Party , originally the Catholic People's Party and the German Catholic People's Party was a Christian political party of the German minority in the Second Polish Republic
. It had its stronghold in Upper Silesia
and was represented in the Silesian Parliament
, the Senate of Poland
and other legislatives.
It was founded by Thomas Szczeponik
in 1922. He served as its chairman until his death in 1927, when he was succeeded by Eduard Pant
. Both Szczeponik and Pant were elected as Senators of Poland.
Herbert Czaja
, who would later became a West German politician and head of the Federation of Expellees
, was a member of the party during the 1930s.
While the party mainly focused on the rights of the German minority in the 1920s, it eventually came to advocate cooperation between Germans and Poles. Eduard Pant and other party members were fierce opponents of the National Socialists in Germany for political and religious reasons.
The party ceased to exist following the German occupation in 1939.
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
. It had its stronghold in Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia
Upper Silesia is the southeastern part of the historical and geographical region of Silesia. Since the 9th century, Upper Silesia has been part of Greater Moravia, the Duchy of Bohemia, the Piast Kingdom of Poland, again of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and the Holy Roman Empire, as well as of...
and was represented in the Silesian Parliament
Silesian Parliament
Silesian Parliament or Silesian Sejm was the governing body of the Silesian Voivodeship , an autonomous voivodeship of the Second Polish Republic between 1920 and 1945. It was elected in democratic elections and had certain influence over the usage of taxes collected in Silesia...
, the Senate of Poland
Senate of Poland
The Senate is the upper house of the Polish parliament, the lower house being the 'Sejm'. The history of the Polish Senate is rich in tradition and stretches back over 500 years, it was one of the first constituent bodies of a bicameral parliament in Europe and existed without hiatus until the...
and other legislatives.
It was founded by Thomas Szczeponik
Thomas Szczeponik
Thomas Szczeponik was a German-Polish Catholic politician....
in 1922. He served as its chairman until his death in 1927, when he was succeeded by Eduard Pant
Eduard Pant
Eduard Pant was a journalist and politician of the Catholic German minority in the Silesian Voivodeship of Poland in the interwar period...
. Both Szczeponik and Pant were elected as Senators of Poland.
Herbert Czaja
Herbert Czaja
Dr. Herbert Czaja was a German Christian Democratic politician and advocate for Germans expelled after World War II...
, who would later became a West German politician and head of the Federation of Expellees
Federation of Expellees
The Federation of Expellees or Bund der Vertriebenen is a non-profit organization formed to represent the interests of Germans who either fled their homes in parts of Central and Eastern Europe, or were expelled following World War II....
, was a member of the party during the 1930s.
While the party mainly focused on the rights of the German minority in the 1920s, it eventually came to advocate cooperation between Germans and Poles. Eduard Pant and other party members were fierce opponents of the National Socialists in Germany for political and religious reasons.
The party ceased to exist following the German occupation in 1939.