Geografia granic i pograniczy w badaniach Łódzkiego Ośrodka Geograficznego

Abstract

The oncoming celebrations of 60 years of geographical academic centre in Łódź provide an opportunity to examine its scientific achievements. One of the most original fields of scientific researches conducted in Łódź is political geography, in particular studies on borders and border regions. This paper outlines the formation of the politicogeographical school of Łódź founded by M. Koter and presents its main research specializations such as studies of historical and contemporary international borders, inner administrative boundaries, special divisions and borderlands. In the course of these studies the notion of ‘administrative landscape’ has been formulated. It denotes genetic and spatial structure of local, state, and ecclesiastic administration as well as all kinds of special divisions of the country. Administrative landscape along with electoral behaviour of the citizens forms political landscape of a region. The author has distinguished a few research currents pursued in the Łódź centre in the field of border and borderland studies. Of particular importance here are studies of administrative division of the country carried out at different levels: regional administrative reform (in 1975 and 1999), municipal structures in the region of Łódź and administrative transformations within the city itself. The second major specialization is geography of relic (historical) borders and their implications for contemporary cultural landscape of Poland. The third specialization is study of international borders worldwide and their classifications. Apart from the studies of borders, the Łódź geographical centre has developed investigations over borderlands and transborder cooperation. This was the theme of a few international conferences on political geography organised by the Department of Political Geography and Regional Studies of the University of Łódź. The output of these investigations has been published in several volumes of the ‘Region and Regionalism’ series.

Niedawno obchodzona 60. rocznica istnienia w Łodzi uniwersyteckiego ośrodka geograficznego skłania do refleksji nad jego dorobkiem naukowym. Jednym z unikalnych w skali kraju nurtów badawczych, rozwijanym w Łodzi, jest geografia polityczna, a w jej ramach studia nad problematyką granic i pograniczy. W artykule przedstawiono zarys kształtowania się łódzkiej szkoły geografii politycznej założonej przez Marka Kotera oraz zaprezentowano zasadnicze nurty badawcze realizowane w ramach tej szkoły, a także poza nią, przez łódzkich geografów w zakresie badań nad historycznymi i współczesnymi granicami międzynarodowymi, wewnątrzkrajowymi granicami administracyjnymi, podziałami specjalnymi, jak również nad ukształtowanymi przez owe granice strefami pograniczy.