Press cartography in the Polish People's Republic (1945-1989)

W artykule omówiono tematykę i grafikę map w większych gazetach centralnych na tle warunków funkcjonowania polskiej prasy w czterdziestopięcioletnim okresie od zakończenia drugiej wojny światowej do 1989 roku.After WW II Polish press cartography could develop spontaneously and multidirectionally only for a short period of time. During that time it followed the example of pre-war press. Communist authorities intended to subordinate the press completely - they finally achieved that goal after falsified elections of 1947. For the next decades the press was controlled practically by a one party - Polish United Workers' Party (PZPR). Press illustrations (photographs, maps, diagrams, also for propaganda use) were initially (in the forties) provided by two agencies. From 1951, after a further reorganization there remained only one - Central Agency of Photography (CAF). Newspaper publishers, especially of national papers, often had their own artists, who drew maps and other illustrations. Party and state authorities not only restricted the flow of information, but also affected its character. As early as in the late firties information was being controlled and selected; international news (in the wake of Cold War) as well as domestic - e.g. concerning industry. Maps published in central dailies to a large extent reflected the topics of publications as well as features of infornational policy and propaganda of the time. They were mainly reference maps presenting international affairs. Their number grew during the times of political changes (e.g. decolonization of Africa) military conflicts (e.g. in Korea, China, Indochina, Middle East, Latin America) and during the periods when the attention of society was to be diverted from domestic and local affairs (e.g. in the seventies and eighties). Percentage of maps dealing with domestic and local (the place of publication) issues was significantly lower than those on international affairs; it also varied in different periods. It was relatively high in the first post-war decade, because of the publication of many plans and town-planer concepts of reconstruction of ruined cities, especially the capital. Plans of new investments in industry and agriculture were also common at that time. The number of maps and plans of new instruments rose again in the seventies, during the time of economic prosperity and the later "propaganda of success". The number of communication maps also went up, mainly in connection with new investments and changes in the organization of traffic. In order to "strengthen people's faith in the Party and Authorities" newspapers organized picnics, which were preceded by the publication of plans and traffic schemes. The decline of economy in the late seventies brought on the general strike of 1980, the rise of Solidarity and the end of Party's monopole in information policy. After the Martial Law has been introduced on 13th December 1981, all dailies except Trybuna Ludu and Żołnierz Wolności were closed. After the suspension of the Matial Law the press continued to write more about foreign than domestic affairs, with the percentage of reference and locator maps reaching 80% in some years. The political changes after 1989, which resulted in the abolishing of censorship and the end of Party's and State informational monopole also transformed press. Thw range of maps became significantly wider, their number grew and their graphic design improved. Introduction of computer technology into editing was also significant for press cartography