It is with great honour and pleasure that we present to the reader's hands the “Visegrad Atlas” – a monograph presenting the geographical diversity – natural, social and economic – of the four countries forming the Visegrad Group, i.e. Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia (V4). The main aim of the study is to show the diversity of factors that determine the development of this region, as well as an attempt at a comprehensive geographical description of phenomena and processes resulting from the intertwining of historical and contemporary developmental conditions.
Przemysław Śleszyński, Konrad Czapiewski
This overarching goal can be divorced into the following specific:
– scientific goal: synthesis of the achievements and current state of knowledge about the region on natural, cultural, social and economic phenomena and processes affecting the development of the Visegrad Group, i.e. development factors and barriers;
– educational goal: promotion and dissemination of knowledge about the Visegrad Group, including presentation of the achievements, mainly geographical in the Visegrad countries research, and presentation of a wide range of geographical workshops (cartographic and GIS analysis), allowing a better understanding of the natural environment and territorial social and economic systems;
– socio-political objective: strengthening the sense of con- nection and belonging to a community based on the multilateral and complementary objectives of V4 countries;
– socio-economic objective: to strengthen socio-economic development by strengthening cooperation be- tween the Visegrad Group countries.
One of the main reasons for this monograph was the fact that despite three decades of the existence of the Visegrad Group (first the Visegrad Triangle) there was no comprehensive and exhaustive study on the various foundations and development challenges of this geo- graphical area. At the same time, the current epidemic and geopolitical situation in the world indicates that in the future this type of regional cooperation relationships may be much more important than at present and be an effective alternative to global solutions. From the geo- political and military point of view, this results from the need to strengthen cooperation between countries geographically close to each other in the face of various threats, from the economic point of view – because of the desired shortening of supply chains and creation of conditions for self-sufficiency, e.g. food, pharmaceutical, and from the social point of view – because of the need to strengthen interpersonal relations, especially in neigh- bouring regions. In light of this, it seems that the V4 Group has many advantages to meet these conditions, i.e. to become a model area of such cooperation.
In the future, a more profound cooperation of the four Visegrad countries should be facilitated by three funda- mental factors: historical, geographical and future-related. Already in the wave of changes in 1989, these countries (Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary) started discussions on common integration measures. This happened before the European Union was formed, when it was not yet clear how the geopolitical fate of the region would turn out un- der the conditions of the still formally existing Soviet Un- ion. It was therefore not only a political and economic act of a community of interests under the conditions of gradually opening borders, but also a signal of great courage, which at that time could also be read as proof of the great confi- dence of the leaders of the time.
The Visegrad Triangle was born on the 15th February, 1991, in the Hungarian town of Visegrad on the Danube during a meeting of leaders enjoying great authority and public support at that time: the presidents of Poland (Lech Wałęsa) and Czechoslovakia (Václav Havel) and the Prime Minister of Hungary (József Antall). A right and strategic decision was taken on the future integration of these coun- tries into the European Economic Cooperation (EEC) area and the Euro-Atlantic community in general. Based on this agreement, the Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) was born in December 1992, which contributed to the reconstruction of economic ties after the collapse of the Communist Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (GCC). It is noteworthy that this clear signal from the lead- ers of the then three countries, barely liberated from the grip of communism, certainly stimulated the integra- tion of the European Community, whose milestone was the Maastricht Treaty (11th December, 1992), which took place several months after the Visegrad meeting.
The description of the historical factor behind the cre- ation of the Visegrad Triangle would certainly not be complete if we did not mention other deep cultural and civilization traditions of the region. As a result of this and not a different location on the continent, the area was con- fronted with the influence of great powers and cultures, especially the German and Russian elements, and in some periods also the Turkish (Ottoman). In the past, there were strong state organisms here that were capable of long term self-sustaining: especially the Kingdom of Hungary (which peaked in the 14th century) and the Kingdom of Poland, which evolved into the Polish–Lithuanian Com- monwealth (which peaked in the 16th century). It is no co- incidence that these organisms had strong ties with each other, including the royal ones (Wenceslas II was the ruler of Bohemia and Poland at the turn of the 13th and 16th centuries, Louis of Anjoux through a personal union was the common monarch of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Kingdom of Poland in the second half of the 14th cen- tury, and the Jagiellons ruled simultaneously in Poland, Bohemia and Hungary in the 15th and 16th centuries). For more than half a century, there was a multinational and relatively liberal Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1867- 1918), whose ruler was highly respected by society, espe- cially in Austria and Hungary, and the Austrian partition in its last period of existence is considered the least oppres- sive of all three partitioning states in Polish historiography.
These tremendous political and social processes were strongly reflected in the successive phases of historical development because they earned the trust of elites and societies in each other. It is worth noting here that for several hundred years the peoples and nations of the four contemporary V4 countries have rarely (as for European conditions) fallen into mutual conflicts and wars.
As far as geographers were concerned, there were very good international contacts in this area, especially in connection with the cooperation of scholars of different nationalities in the Austrian partition (Vienna, Krakow, Lviv). After World War II, Poland, thanks to the efforts of Prof. Stanisław Leszczycki in particular (1907-1996), be- came a mediator in the exchange of ideas between East and West, organizing many bilateral seminars, of which Polish-British, Polish-Italian, Polish-Czech-Slovak and Polish-Hungarian were particularly lively. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the opening of the borders, this cooperation was revived by a relatively large number of not only joint seminars and publications, but also projects, such as cross-border ones (the well-known Polish-Slovak Infraregtur). Among geographers and economists, cyclical conferences in Polańczyk and Arłamów under the slogan “Central and Eastern Europe” were very popular the last one took place in 2010). On the grounds of previous bi- lateral meetings, the Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences organizes a cyclical conference Warsaw Regional Forum.
Nowadays, in international sociological compa- risons,the societies of the Visegrad countries have a stable high trust in each other. It is also worth noting that the so- cieties of these countries generally support the member- ship of their countries in the European Union very highly.
Such high support for integration is undoubtedly a capital for the future, especially in the times when the world is shaking, not only because of the coronavirus pandemic, but also because of the resounding problems of social stratification, global polarization, great migrations of people (increasingly stimulated by climate change) or ideological and cultural reasons. The increasing rivalry between world powers can be expected, including the further relocation of the economic centre to the Pacific. Thanks to the inexorable demographics, it is not impossible that the Old Continent, as traditionally understood, will weaken and marginalize in its strength and leading role in the world derived from Greek, Roman and Christian (Judeo-Christian) traditions. Let us, therefore, move on to the contemporary factors, conditioned by the geography to which the monograph, to a large extent devoted to the reader, is dedicated.
The main part of the Atlas is 50 synthetic chapters, basically covering most of the issues that contemporary geographical atlases and comprehensive monographs present themselves. The adopted layout is classical: first, general and ordering issues are discussed (location and geographical lands, selected historical conditions, territo- rial administration, naming issues), which allow for better understanding of the content of the following chapters. Next, selected problems of state and environmental pro- tection as well as social and economic issues, including in- frastructure, are discussed. Most attention is paid to various social aspects – from “hard” demography and settlement (including the urban system or systems), through cultural- ethnic diversity and forms of human activity (sport, tour- ism, including pilgrimage). A few of the presented issues are quite pioneering and concern the issues of cyberspace and generally the development of the information society (cryptocurrencies, geolocalization of taken photographs).
Of particular importance is the infrastructure and transport accessibility, to which a total of 6 chapters are devoted. The Visegrad Group is still a neglected area in terms of mutual accessibility and transport and settlement cohesion. The main empirical part is closed by synthetic topics, related to the cooperation of the Visegrad Group countries and their presence in the structures of the European Union. In the end, the sources to individual chapters and the lit- erature on the subject (about 300 items) are listed.
We are aware that the catalogue of developed is- sues is not exhaustive or closed. We have tried to present those issues that are relatively well recognized. It should be strongly emphasized here that the state of research on the geographical conditions of development of the V4 countries in the sense of synthesis of the region is still un- satisfactory. This is a paradox because, in general, the liter- ature on the V4 countries is very rich, especially in economic terms (due, among other things, to CEFTA and the “prolon- gation” of such analyses after the accession of the countries to the European Union in 2004). The natural environment is better recognized, which results from the large and needed EU projects, implemented, among others, employing satel- lite techniques (changes in land cover).
The situation is much worse in the field of socio-eco- nomic research, as the available comparable statistics are usually at the NUTS 3 level (i.e. sub-regions). Least knowl- edge is available about interregional and local (including cross-border) flows. It should be remembered that analyses at the level of whole countries are sometimes very diffi- cult for methodological reasons, because the potential and impact of a country like Poland (38.4 million inhabitants) is challenging to compare with a few times smaller Czechia (10.7 million), Hungary (9.8 million) and especially Slova- kia (5.5 million). Therefore, in the Atlas, it is worth noting those issues that have been presented in a more accurate division than NUTS 3, including municipalities and even statistical regions. Only such a scale allows for the complete comparison of conditions and factors, as well as the state of development of a given phenomenon, for example, de- formations in the age and gender structure of peripheral areas, caused mainly by migration outflows.
In the light of the above, the publishing house can be the prototype and start of further more detailed studies, e.g. a full transnational regional atlas, concerning the form and content of the national atlases. Such atlases are be- ing developed in Europe, the best known example being the cartographic and review publications of the ESPON network. A natural extension of the choice of topics and research conducted could in the future be the Triple Sea Atlas or the Central and Eastern European Atlas, drawing attention to this still underestimated region of the conti- nent with huge problems, e.g. demographic, but also with great endogenous potential, especially in terms of nature.
As editors, we would like to emphasize that the mono- graph was written in the period following the very impor- tant for geographers Jubilee of the Polish Geographical Society (1918-2018) and the Year of Polish Geography 2018. It is worth emphasizing here that the environment of geographers, especially Polish Geographical Society, throughout its history has not only a scientific character, but also a strong civil, social and patriotic tradition. After World War I, Polish geographers made a significant contri- bution to the reconstruction of the society and the integra- tion of the Polish state, divided between the partitioning countries. Maps and other geographical studies created at that time made it possible to define the territory of the country by learning about its natural and socio-economic structures. They also aroused social awareness. The “Geographical-Statistical Atlas of Poland” published as late as 1916 by Prof. Eugeniusz Romer (1871-1954) was the pri- mary source material for determining the state borders af- ter World War I at the Paris Peace Conference (1919-1920).
However, the jubilee of our Society was not only a time of well-deserved pride in the scientific achievements and civic attitudes of Polish geographers, who, according to the words of the Speaker of the Sejm of the Republic of Poland, spoke during a solemn session in the Column Hall of the Sejm in March 2018: “in the last century, regardless of the political situation, they have always been guided by thePolishraisond'etat”,butalsolooktothefutureandtry to formulate an answer to the question of how geography can contribute to the improvement of this world, which, despite enormous technological progress, is struggling with political, social and economic problems that are in- creasingly difficult to solve. At the time of writing these words, the broadly understood political, social and eco- nomic situation after the 2020 pandemic is a great un- known, if it is successfully overcome and no more emerge. Therefore, the Polish raison d'etat is to take care not only of one's own territory and its citizens, but also of regional and European responsibility, so that the contemporary integration of territories and nations, unprecedented in the history of mankind, takes place in a spirit of mutual respect for each other's centuries-old cultures and traditions and is for the benefit of universal human rights – both for individuals and for entire societies.
In this context, geography, as an interdisciplinary and interdisciplinary science, comes in great help because it explains the essence of the functioning of complex natural and socioeconomic systems, situated in a specific time and space, on a different territorial scale. Therefore, the knowl- edge and knowledge of the laws of geography should con- tribute today to development based on the sustainable use of the rich natural and cultural environment and human potential. This “geographical coupling” is also fundamental for the development of territorial awareness and human personality in the spirit of civilizational and civic values based on the place where people live, study and work.
In conclusion, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to the Krakow thanks to whom this work was created and whom they undertook at an unfavourable time of epidemics. A total of 45 scientists from universities and institutes in Poland took part in its realization. These were the Pomeranian Academy in Słupsk, the Polish Academy of Sciences (Stanisław Leszczycki Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Tadeusz Manteuffel Institute of History of the Polish Academy of Sciences), the University of Gdansk, the Jagiellonian University, the University of Lodz, the University of Gdansk, Pedagogical University of Krakow, University of Silesia, University of Warsaw, University of Wrocław and abroad Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra in Slovakia, as well as commercial companies (BiznesAlert.pl, Energetyka24.pl, SoftwareMill). Most of the authors are also active members of the Polish Geographic Society and perform various responsible functions within it.
We would also like to express our heartfelt thanks to the team of cartographers from the Cartographic Department of PTG and the Faculty of Geography and Regional Studies of the University of Warsaw, who par- ticipated in the extremely difficult and time-consuming development of maps.
We would like to thank the Wacław Felczak Institute of Polish-Hungarian Cooperation for financing this undertaking, including undertaking to publish the Atlas in print. In particular, we would like to thank the Director of the Institute, Prof. Maciej Szymanowski, for giving the introductory word to the Atlas, and Ms. Alina Czaj- kowska for her substantial logistical assistance. We are glad that the work prepared can serve the Polish cause and the cause of all four Visegrad Group countries.
We believe that the “Visegrad Atlas” will be a valuable and helpful item, presenting both the potential of the Viseg- rad Group and the scientific potential – in the sense of tools and methods of spatial analysis, as well as the reasonable intellectual satisfaction of the authors, able to work for the development and optimization of various natural and socio-economic structures. The Atlas is addressed primarily to the administration and offices, experts, scientists, stu- dents and pupils and all other people interested in the area of the Visegrad countries, asking for a kind reception and forgiveness of stumbling blocks, which in such an extensive work certainly could not be avoided.
Warsaw, the 10th December, 2020 Przemysław Śleszyński & Konrad Czapiewski