ABSTRACT
The appropriation of the Oder region was accomplished on different planes: individual, social, but also political. In all three cases, local subjects took the space into their possession and encoded this historically legitimised ‘pseudo-ownership’ through the aid of specific practices. The process of shaping a new society is an exceptionally interesting phenomenon and a fascinating area of research, particularly from a sociological viewpoint. Cultural differences led in the initial years to alienation, the accumulation of prejudices and stereotypes, as well as to the establishment of various conflicts and antagonisms. With time, however, the inhabitants got to know each other better while their competitiveness transformed into cooperation. They took from each other mutual habits, customs and useful abilities. Depending on the scale of cultural transformation, deep or shallow acculturation may be differentiated. In ethno-historical research, Posern-Zielinski has noticed tools for grasping the dynamics of the course of acculturation.
