Upper Silesia in the twentieth century: A misunderstood region

Upper Silesia in the 20(th) century tends to be represented as a bone of contention between Germans and Poles, the contention focussing on conflicts over the territory and its people. Many observers regard the indigenous Slavonic population of Upper Silesia as passive and criticize their alleged lack of national sentiment. What is overlooked by this argument is the fact that Upper Silesia has been and still is characterized by a strong regional identity which resists being split into either (exclusively) German or Polish allegiance.