ABSTRACT
In the Hungarian case a more conducive historical background and relaxed cordiality at the official political level encouraged civil interaction. It was reflected in a rapid and broad grass roots development of German minority organs. The German minority had limited access to the education system and career paths and with few exceptions the registration of German associations was refused. The House of German-Polish Cooperation (HDPZ) is representative at the official level of German involvement in Poland. Its perspectives, goals and attitudes reflect to elite, one that performs quasi-diplomatic and educational functions. A paper by the director of the HDPZ, Thaddaeus Schape, tried to stimulate discussion among the German minority, with an implicit goal of activating moderate political forces. German ministerial funding provides economic stimuli to encourage Polish-German contacts on one hand and is a focus of disputes among recipients and sources on the other.
