"Zugang zum Meer": Die Ostsee in der polnischen Historiografie

Abstract

This article analyses the role of the Baltic in Polish historiography. It is argued that the wide spread opinion that there was no Polish interest in the sea arose when Poland was cut off from the Baltic during the Partitions of Poland at the end of the 18th century. In particular, during the inter-war period and once again after 1945, there was lively Polish historiography on Baltic topics. Shaped by the impact of the political issue of the Polish state’s “access to the sea”, national aspects initially played an important role in Polish historiography on the Baltic. There have, however, also been important Polish contributions to a transnational debate. They may be identified first in the notion of the Baltic catchment area as an integral part of Baltic history, second in the development of economic and cultural history related to the Baltic and third in a broad approach towards regional history of Southern Baltic shore.