The Bielitz-Biała language island or Bielsk language island (German: Bielitz-Bialaer Sprachinsel, Polish: Bielsko-bialska wyspa językowa) was a Silesian German language island within the Polish-speaking areas on the border of Austrian Silesia and Galicia. It existed from the 13th century to approximately 1943 within a region of thirteen towns, most of which fell within the boundaries of modern-day Bielsko-Biała in southern Poland.
Bielsko, which was originally its own city, had the largest German-speaking population in the Duchy of Teschen until after World War Two, when most Germans fled or were expelled by the Soviets under the Potsdam Conference. This deportation is often considered an act of forced Polonization.
Towns
+ Percentage of German speakers (1880–1910) or Germans (1921–1943) Town Name Region 1880 1890 1900 1910 1921 1943 Bielsko (Bielitz) Silesia 86.5 80.7 84.3 84.3 61.9 72 Biała (Biala) Galicia 74.5 74.9 78.2 69.4 27.5 part of Bielsko Wilamowice (Wilmesau) Galicia 67.0 66.0 — — 1.4 74 Aleksandrowice (Alexanderfeld) Silesia 84.4 77.3 87.3 86.2 70.9 part of Bielsko Bystra Śląska (Deutsch Bistrai) Silesia 76.9 73.3 64.2 51.7 45.4 51 Hałcnów (Alzen) Galicia 74.4 77.0 — — 66.3 74 Kamienica (Kamitz) & Olszówka Górna Silesia 90.0 89.5 87.1 92.3 76.4 no data Komorowice Śląskie (Batzdorf) Silesia 54.0 47.5 49.4 75.4 15.5 56 Lipnik (Kunzendorf) & Leszczyny Galicia 67.7 57.0 — — 29.9 46 Międzyrzecze Górne (Ober-Kurzwald) Silesia 62.0 64.8 62.4 66.5 68.7 67 Mikuszowice Śląskie & Olszówka Dolna Silesia 85.9 79.4 83.6 82.9 73.7 no data Stare Bielsko (Alt-Bielitz) Silesia 86.2 84.7 89.4 91.9 81.3 81 Wapienica (Lobnitz) Silesia 90.2 66.1 75.1 77.6 82.3 82
References