RELATIONS BETWEEN THE UKRAINIAN AND GERMAN POPULATIONS OF GALICIA ON THE EVE OF WORLD WAR I (1900–1914)

Abstract

This article examines a poorly studied topic in the history of the German national minority in Ukraine,in particular its relations with the Ukrainian population of Galicia before World War I (hereinafter referred to asWWI). For this purpose, the research primarily deals with the preconditions for the German settlers to come to the Galician lands, briefly describes the first wave of the so-called. Josephine colonization, provides the researchers’ views on the causes and features of this phenomenon. The article also presents intermediate statistics on the number of German settlements and their inhabitants from the time of their coming (1980’s) to the onset of WWII. The author briefly identifies the reasons that had an impact on the German community in Galiciaon the one hand, while laying the foundation for future cooperation between Ukrainians and German settlerson the other.The Springtime of Nations and the Austrian Revolution of 1848 were the first and probably the most determinantin their cooperation, which had a remarkable response in Galicia. In particular, it was the Supreme Ruthenian Council (Holovna Ruska Rada), as the representative body of the Ukrainian national movement, to first address the Galician Germans in a special appeal (declaration) “Ruthenians to German Citizens”, which, in our opinion, was the first act of Ukrainian-German relations. The article also briefly describes the environment in which the German community found itself on the eve of WWI, that is the Polonization of the Galician region resulting from Galicia’s autonomy, as well as growing and radicalizingcompetition between Poles and Ukrainians. The Resultssection states what united German settlers with Ukrainians under Polish rule, gives particular examples of Ukrainian-German cooperation in the field of primary education, mentions outstanding people from among Galician Germans who lived and worked in Galicia.In particular, the ascetic activity of Theodor Zöckler, priest and founder of the orphanage in Stanislav, is considered in details.