Beata Konopska - Monographic Series No 16
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Influence of the state in 1944-1989 on the polish cartographic publications for general use
This study is an attempt to answer the question: what kind of influence the communist government and its policies had on maps for general use, published between 1944 and 1989 in Poland? The answer to this question is based on the analysis of written and cartographic documents from that period and on the analysis of maps which were then published, with special attention being paid to content distortion and to the fact that the communist authorities considered the content of maps to be a potential threat to national security. The results of this comprehensive analysis helped determine the extent and intensity of the influence of the state on the final form of cartographic publications intended for general use. In addition, these results helped prove that maps for general use, published between 1944 and 1989, are an undisputed historical source documenting that period and not a very credible source of information about geographical environment, particularly its man-made features.
The analyzed period between 1944 and 1989 has been divided into several sub-periods, described in subsequent chapters of this study. The first chapter, entitled Dealing with the past. 1944-1949, covers a short period of relative freedom of cartographic activities, which encouraged the continuation of good practices adopted during the interwar period (1918-39). However, a legal basis was gradually created by the authorities to effectively limit such activities. The second chapter, entitled Key role of the state in shaping the concept of maps for general use. 1950-1963, presents the effects of imposed restrictions and the origin of editorial guidelines for new maps with the so-called “minimal amount of content”. The third chapter, entitled Superficial development of the concept of maps for general use. 1964-1989, covers the period in which the authorities issued further guidelines regarding the preparation of maps for general use. The aim was to distort the geometric properties of maps. The last chapter of this study, entitled Conclusion, contains concluding remarks and presents the social consequences of limited access to detailed, accurate topographic maps which resulted in using only those maps whose final form was decided by the authorities.
Each chapter consists of three parts. The first part, entitled Legal and administrative basis for state interference in cartographic activities, presents the legal basis meticulously created by the authorities – in the context of historical events affecting it, which were taking place in Poland or other countries of the Eastern Bloc. The second part of each of the three chapters, entitled Influence of the state on cartographic institutions and enterprises, presents a multilayered structure of power and authority, created to obscure the truth about decision-making centres whose decisions affected cartographic institutions and enterprises in Poland and caused maps for general use to become less and less informative. Both these parts are an introduction helpful for a better understanding of the last part, entitled State interference in the content of maps for general use, which contains the results of the analysis of maps and archival materials related to cartographic censorship.