[Polish doctors in Upper Silesia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries (until 1922)]

The Polish professional group of medical doctors in Upper Silesia began to develop in the capitalist society at the 2nd half of the 19th century. The first members of this group immigrated from the Wielko-polska region, and were later on joined by doctors from Upper Silesia. German sources say that the group comprised over 50 doctors at the beginning of the 20th century. Only some 20 of them actively worked for the Polish national movement by 1914, this representing 4% of the German doctors in the Opole regency. Polish doctors were most represented among the Polish intelligentsia in Upper Silesia helping to satisfy the cultural, economic, and political needs of the local Polish population. They were actively present in all movements supporting such activities as elections, culture, singing, and sports. And they suffered punishments of imprisonment, fines, and a ban from working for health care structures. By 1919, this group grew to about 40 members but it was too small to provide sufficient medical care to the Silesian uprisings. The 3rd Silesian Uprising received such support from volunteers, medical students and physicians, who came from other Polish regions making up 60% of the 130-strong group of doctors and medical students providing first aid and other health services to the insurgents. During the Silesian plebiscite, medical doctors were managing 7 out of the 25 departments of the Polish Plebiscite Commissariat in Bytom and 9 out of the 17 County Plebisite Committees. Doctors: Andrzej Mielecki of Katowice and Wincenty Styczyński of Gliwice paid the highest price being murdered by the Germans. In 1922, the Silesian Voivodship (Province) had 50 doctors of Polish nationality and 250 German doctors.