The German minority in Upper Silesia: Electoral success and organizational patterns

This article seeks to examine the nature and role of the German minority in the Polish territory of Upper Silesia. The activities of German minority organizations are also examined within the context of the reform of local and regional government in Poland. Some observations are made concerning the internal structures of these organizations, and there is analysis of their performance in the local and regional elections of 1998. The article concludes with an assessment of the future of the minority in general and the various organizations that seek to promote the interests of the German population in Upper Silesia.