The Lesser Poland version of Silesian folk costume Attitudes towards the Cieszyn folk costume displayed by regionalists east of the Biała River in the 21 st century

Abstract

The Cieszyn folk costume, also referred to as the Silesian or the Valachian costume, is an important element of the cultural heritage of Cieszyn Silesia. It has been analysed in many academic and popular publications, both in terms of its material aspect and its role within the society. Thus far, however, authors focused on the region of Cieszyn Silesia in its historical borders, while in the early 20th century the Cieszyn folk costume could also be seen in what is now the Bestwina, Wilamowice and Brzeszcze communes, historically belonging to the region of Lesser Poland. Nowadays, it is worn for church ceremonies, as well as by members of folk dance and song ensembles and Rural Housewives Associations from the area. In some localities, there have been initiatives to replace the Cieszyn folk costume with others, e.g. the so-called lachowski (Lachy) attire, which used to be worn in the region and is associated with the cultural heritage of western Lesser Poland. The aim of this article is to analyse the various attitudes towards the Cieszyn folk costume as part of the heritage of western Lesser Poland. Some see it as a source of pride, others, as unwanted heritage. The analysis is based on interviews with local activists coupled with field observation and examination of photographic documentation available on the Internet.

Keywords

• folk costume
• heritage
• Lesser Poland
• Cieszyn Silesia
• borderlands
• Lutherans