The cartographic materials auxiliary in the determination of the borders of Poland during the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920) in the light of archival records

Abstract

The work indicated in Polish literature as the cartographic basis for the negotiations of Polish issues at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920) is Eugeniusz Romer’s Geograficzno-statystyczny atlas Polski (Geographical and Statistical Atlas of Poland). Given the complicated fate of the atlas, the position of its author in the Polish delegation, and the multidisciplinarity and importance of the conference, it is worth considering whether this atlas really played such an important role, or whether this is merely a statement, a repeated assignment of this role, to stave off concealment or lack of knowledge about other cartographic materials developed and used for the same purpose. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to determine the level of use of cartographic documents other than the Geographical and Statistical Atlas of Poland in lobbying and official negotiations of Polish issues before and during the Paris Peace Conference. The research task was associated with an extensive archival query, which confirmed the fact that dozens of maps survived, mainly manuscripts, which were prepared before and during the conference. It should be concluded that the maps of E. Romer’s atlas constituted one set of many equally important cartographic documents which were used by the negotiators at the Paris Peace Conference.

‘Partially compiled’ maps 1:25,000 by Polish Military Geographical Institute (1919–1939)

“…The Paris Peace Conference of 1919 confirmed restitution of the independent Polish Republic in Europe, but the new Polish borders were not fixed until 1922 (B. Konopska 2016). The new state faced an extraordinary challenge of bringing together three provinces that had existed in different administrative, legal and social circumstances under Austrian, German and Russian partitions for the previous 123 years.…”

The methodological problems of creating a digital thematic repository of historical cartographic and textual sources. Case study

“…The official delegates to the conference were Roman Dmowski and Ignacy J. Paderewski, who were supported by specialists from various scientific disciplines, including historians, geographers, geologists, ethnographers and statisticians. Hence, the initial identification of the resource concerned the legacy of these individuals (Konopska, 2016). These materials include important documents to help negotiate the shape of the borders of an independent Poland.…”

Trianon and its aftermath: British geography and the ‘dismemberment’ of Hungary,c.1915-c.1922

“…(Ginsburger, 2016). Cartographer and political geographer Eugeniusz Romer acted similarly in advising the Polish delegation (Seegel, 2018;Konopska, 2016;Labbé, 2018). The three-man British 'geographical section' -Hedley, Wynne, and, until June 1919, Ogilvie -'was able to furnish the delegation and the Congress in general with an ample supply of maps, in which it had the help of a cartographic section R. E. [Royal Engineers] with printing equipment commanded by Major W. Stanford' (Anon., 1920, p. 312: although unattributed, the author was Hinks).…”

“…52, 640), and, less fully, of Eugeniusz Romer and Jovan Cvijić for east central Europe (Seegel, 2018, pp. 44-7, 58;Konopska, 2016;Labbé, 2018;Ginsburger, 2016). Several studies have been published on the role of Hungarian geographers by Hungarian authors (Hajdú, 2000;Krasznai, 2012;Segyevy, 2016), chief among them Ablonczy's biographical monograph on Pál Teleki (Ablonczy, 2007).…”