Continuity and change – one hundred years of the Polish countryside – a multidimensional scientific dialogue

Abstract

2018 marked the centenary of Poland’s independence. On this occasion the Institute of Rural and Agricultural Development of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IRWiR PAN) attempted a synthetic academic presentation of Polish rural areas and the evolution of agriculture throughout the century, the evolution mechanisms, regularities and effects, which were analysed from a long-term perspective. These major analyses focused on the rural community, rural culture and the rural economy and spatial aspects. Hitherto, the results of studies pointed to some common features of “rural studies”, which bring together researchers operating in different scientific disciplines. The most important is the interdisciplinary nature of the studies, which makes it possible to look at rural issues and communities from a broad perspective.