Study title

The Study’s subject: The industialization has changed the people’s way of life profoundly. Siemazko’s study makes a contribution to the research of the industrialization-period between the 18th and 19th century from regional perspective. The study’s focus is on the Upper Silesia region, which was one of the key growth drivers of the German economy at that time, as well as the main industry of the region, the iron and steel industry. The researcher’s aim is to consider the technological change more accurately. Here the use of the energy source coal is of particular significance for industrial production, since previously charcoal was used. Territory of investigation: The focus of work is the economic development of the region Upper Silesia. Upper Silesia has been for a long time one of the three most important mining regions of Prussia and later of the German Reich. Thus, this region was beside the Saar and the Ruhr region of central importance for the early phase of industrialization in Germany. Only in the second half of the 19th century Silesia was overtaken by the Ruhr. Already Sidney Pollard has noted that industrialization was a regional phenomenon that took place in smaller, definable regions. Hence the concept of regional industrialization has developed. Various studies have already used this concept as a basis for their own analysis. Important studies are: • Banken, R.: Die Industrialisierung der Saarregion von 1815 bis 1914. 2 Bde. Stuttgart 2000: Franz Steiner Verlag. (The Industrialisation of the Region of the Saar-River 1815-1914) (GESIS Data-Archiv, Cologne. histat. Study-No. 8148. Datafile Version 1.0.0) • Berger, A.: Die Industrialisierung im Hagener Raum zwischen 1815 und 1914. Dortmund 2009. (Industrialization of the region of Hagen in the period between 1815 and 1914) (GESIS Data-Archiv, Cologne. histat. Study-No.8517 Datafile Version 1.0.0) • Kiesewetter, H.: Regionale Industrialisierung in Preußen im 19. Jahrhundert, in: Kaufhold,...