"By chłop nie był traktowany nadal jak pies…" O stosunku do ludności wiejskiej w XX-leciu międzywojennym w świetle wspomnień chłopskich

Abstract „So that the peasant would no longer be treated like a dog...”. On the attitude towards the rural population during the interwar period in the light of peasant memories The interwar period, thanks to various initiatives for diary competitions, left behind many memories written by peasants. Some of these accounts were published in 1935 as „Peasants’; Diaries” and in 1936 as „Peasants’ Diaries, second series”. A rich source for studying this period is also the four-volume study „The Young Generation of Peasants”, organized and commented by Józef Chałasiński, published in 1938, often containing extensive quotes from the memories of village residents. The information contained in these and similar sources, despite their subjectivity, give an idea of various aspects of life in the countryside, including the attitude towards peasants.According to the memoirs, society was divided into two main groups, standing in opposition to each other: peasants and „non-peasants”. The group of „non-peasants” included officials, clergy, teachers and the landed gentry. The mutual attitude of both groups towards each other was negative, often very hostile and full of prejudice. Peasants remained passive in the face of symptoms of discrimination, and this attitude was a legacy of centuries-old historical events such as the period of serfdom and subsequent political turmoil.Similar events shaped the attitude of other social classes towards peasants. The dismissive attitude towards the peasants resulted from the age-old, superior position of the landed gentry, clergy, intelligentsia and the official class towards the peasants, as well as from the fear of losing authority and the changes taking place in the countryside.In their memoirs, peasants often complained about manifestations of prejudice, especially when it comes to unfair treatment by officials and teachers. In the accounts, these behaviors are often described in contrast, illustrating how peasants were treated and how „non-peasants” were treated.However, the peasants were both discriminated against and discriminated against; also members of their society. This was associated with stratification in terms of wealth, but also with the emergence of individuals who became precursors and leaders in their own environment, especially when it comes to the drive to acquire education, positions in offices, or the desire to follow progress.