The paper concerns two significant, non-religious but social functions of Polish Catholic worship centres, namely: patriotic and integrative role. This issue is discussed on the basis of the selected sanctuaries of the eastern borderland of Poland, precisely in the Lublin province. In the past, it was multicultural and multidenominational area and presently it is famous for its rich history and cultural heritage reflected in, among other things, religious centres. The description of the sanctuaries proves their commitment in the political and social life of Poland. The spiritual guardians of the sanctuaries always manifested strong patriotic attitude that corresponded with national events and needs. At various stages of the history, religious centres actively participated in initiatives and the matters of the entire nation. Those traditions survived until today as the current activities of the regional sanctuaries are still closely related to the socio-political situation of the country. But the essential task of the Church is not any longer to urge the Poles to fight for independence, but to work towards mutual knowledge, understanding as well as uniting the local, multi-faith communities.

The aim of the present study was to assess the possibilities of developing the Cittàslow network in the Lublin Province, a peripheral region in Poland, and to determine the status of revitalisation activities in the region. In the study, a socio-economic typology of towns was prepared based on Ward’s agglomerative clustering method. Next, a survey was carried out using a questionnaire addressed to the authorities of the investigated towns. Finally, we conducted a case study of the towns which declared interest in joining the Cittàslow network in the survey. An analysis of revitalisation programmes proposed in those towns was carried out. The present survey shows that the idea of Cittàslow is supported by few towns in the Lublin Province. There is definitely more interest in revitalisation activities. This is mainly due to the fact that revitalisation projects for areas in crisis can be financed by external funds. The conclusions reached in this paper can be of use in planning development and revitalisation measures for small towns, especially in peripheral regions. The Cittàslow network may offer an alternative development path for the towns of the Lublin region. In addition, it may contribute to increasing opportunities for revitalisation.

Roadside memorials are made up of objects, usually flowers, candles and crosses, placed at the roadside to mark the sites of fatal accidents. The paper introduces the potential of Lefebvre's concept of rhythmanalysis and geography of rhythms in exploring roadside memorials. The aim of the paper is to investigate rituals and rhythms at roadside memorials in Poland. Data were collected during two-year field observations of 12 roadside memorials and from 10 semi-structured interviews. Polish roadside memorials are part of widespread rituals which either generate material changes to roadside memorials, like cleaning up works, leaving candles and flowers at memorials or which do not generate such changes, like saying prayers or reminiscing about the deceased. The specifics of roadside memorialisation in Poland are expressed in prayers being said and no personal belongings being left at the sites. We found that the coexistence of individual and social rhythms at roadside memorials was deeply rooted in Catholic liturgy and commonly accepted cemetery rituals in Poland.

In Poland, the majority of roadside memorials erected at the site of fatal accidents are anonymous. The purpose of this article is to explain the reasons for their anonymity. It was assumed that a roadside memorial is anonymous when it is not marked in any way with letters identifying the person who it is devoted to or who erected it (e.g. names or nicknames). Based on six semi-structured interviews, it was concluded that the main reasons for the anonymity of roadside memorials were of social and not private nature. The main reason for the anonymity of roadside memorials is the lack of the need to share information, through an inscription, about the deceased and their death, in a neighbourhood where everybody knew the person and most of the inhabitants have heard about the victim and the circumstances of the accident. Some respondents referred to the general rule of not inscribing roadside memorials, partly resulting from the cult of the dead, strongly rooted in the Polish culture and commonly observed at cemeteries.

AbstractEastern regions of Poland are regarded as areas where numerous unfavourable socio-economic phenomena appear and accumulate. These are the results of historical conditions as well as post-war border localization and various processes, primarily in terms of economy. The consequences of the political transformation of the state in the 1990s and profound social and economic changes in recent decades are also crucial drivers of many disadvantageous changes in the region. The article shows population processes which can be recognized nowadays in Eastern Poland, and the attention of the authors is focused on the peripheral rural areas of the region. General tendencies reported in the text are based on the cases from the Lubelskie Voivodeship where concentration of the demographic and social problems is particularly noticeable. The analyses comprise changes of population growth and its components (natural movement and migration), population structures as well as some characteristics concerning the quality and conditions of inhabitants’ lives. The main causes of negative processes shaping the population, including domestic, regional and micro-regional factors, are also presented. The final part of the article deals with the most important outcomes of population changes which are reflected in the progressing ageing of society, the decline of villages and social infrastructure, among other facts. These unfavourable phenomena are shown in the context of the future development of the region.

The article discusses the rational and responsible shaping of landscapes that takes into account the moral aspects of the relationship between human beings and landscape. This subject matter is presented in the light of two ideas striving to achieve similar goals and similar approaches to achieving them.The first reflection refers to the concept of sustainable development, according to which the management of landscape regarded as part of the environment where people live should seek to ensure the best possible conditions for the existence of contemporary and future generations. Landscape satisfies many material and spiritual needs, thus enhancing the quality of human life. The attainment of a high quality of life by people is the fundamental objective of sustainable development.The second point of reference is the teaching of the Catholic Church with regard to the relationship between human beings and the natural environment, as presented in the Encyclical Laudato Si' by Pope Francis. This text presents the Holy Father's stance on the contemporary ecological crisis and its impact on the living conditions and ethical attitudes of people. The Pope observes that the provision of decent living conditions is necessary for every human being to properly exist and develop. Thus Francis indicates the necessity of looking for solutions to the currently common moral dilemmas, including the problem of reconciling environmental protection, including landscape preservation, with human development needs. The reflections in the encyclical are not only a manifestation the Pope's concern for the Earth but they can also provide guidelines and an effective stimulus for shaping sustainable landscape.

Roztocze possesses considerable cultural assets, conducive to developing tourism. Among them all, the sacred ones are especially significant because they are traces and witnesses of the former multicultural and multireligious character of the region. They are also excellent premises for advancing religious tourism. But there are some barriers that confine opportunities to develop that kind of tourist movement in Roztocze. First of all, is the general weak state of the tourism infrastructure. Besides that, there is an evident lack of professional promotion and elaborated offering of products of religious tourism. It seems that this form of tourism is not emphasized strongly enough in regional and local development strategies.

ABSTRACT This paper presents a method of development concerning maps of changes in the population distribution in Poland after the Second World War (1946–2012). The phenomenon is presented by means of isolinear maps based of the population density index. The resulting maps illustrate the population distribution in intervals of approximately 10 years. Moreover, the changes themselves are presented in balance maps corresponding to periods between the selected dates. The maps highlight spatial changes in the population distribution in Poland. The key task was to develop a method of preparing maps providing an objective and comparable image of the population distribution. This was obtained by means of the isoline method with the application of a multipoint representation of administrative units (basic fields) differing in terms of area and shape. Comparability was also achieved through the appropriate preparation of standardised map legends (colour scales and isoline interval). The maps were prepared in scales of 1:8,000,000 (state maps) and 1:400,000 (change/balance maps).

The article discuss a thesis stating that the most credible “markers” of peripherality constitute indicators referring to demographic changes, particularly depopulation related to migration, the resulting decrease in the size of population, and consequently changes in the population density. Such an assumption is based on the commonly acknowledged fact that the most intensive depopulation occurs in areas distinguished by low quality and level of life resulting from restricted accessibility and a low level of socio-economic development. The presented hypothesis is verified by analysis of maps presenting demographic changes in Poland after World War II.

Digital Repository of Scientific Institutes (RCIN) was established and is being developed mainly as an outcome of two projects acquired and jointly accomplished by a group of Polish scientific institutes.

In the paper, issues of a multitude of functions of sacred places in Lviv are considered. The problem is presented on the example of selected religious sites that were established in distinct periods of the development of the city and refers to different religious denominations. At present, various functions are mixing in the sacred complexes of Lviv. The author tries to formulate some general conclusions concerning their contemporary role and leading types of activity. These findings are based, most of all, on analyses of the facts related to the history of Lviv, circumstances of its foundation, various transformations, and modern functions of the selected sites.

Population factors are the most important elements of the socio-economic development of regions. Contemporary structure of population in Eastern Poland is the result of post-war changes, mainly in the field of natural growth and migration. The goals of this article are to assess the present trends of population change in the regions of Eastern Poland and to identify the areas that are characterized by negative effects of selected phenomena. It is also an important research issue to identify the main causes of negative processes shaping the population.

Artykuł dotyczy możliwości rozwoju jednej z coraz bardziej popularnych form turystyki, mianowicie turystyki religijnej na terenach wiejskich województwa lubelskiego. Region posiada bogate walory sakralne, sprzyjające istnieniu tego rodzaju ruchu turystycznego. Dzięki posiadanym atrakcjom, a także zapewnieniu odpowiedniej jakości infrastruktury i usług turystycznych, turystyka sakralna ma szansę przyczynić się do zróżnicowania działalności gospodarczej na obszarach wiejskich regionu lubelskiego i podnieść poziom życia jego mieszkańców.