▁until ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁Later , ▁the ▁province ▁was ▁split ▁into ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁provinces ▁of ▁Upper ▁and ▁Lower ▁S iles ia . ▁O wing ▁to ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁education , ▁a ▁reb irth ▁of ▁Polish ▁culture ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁second ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 8 0 0 s ▁in ▁S iles ia , ▁which ▁was ▁connected ▁with ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁a ▁Polish ▁national ▁movement ▁of ▁a ▁clearly ▁Catholic ▁character . ▁At ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century , ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁S iles ians ▁were ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Polish ▁nation ▁was ▁not ▁question ed . ▁The ▁language ▁and ▁culture ▁of ▁the ▁self - dec la red ▁Polish ▁S iles ians ▁were ▁put ▁under ▁the ▁pressure ▁of ▁the ▁Pr uss ian ▁Kultur k ampf ▁policies , ▁which ▁attempted ▁to ▁German ize ▁them ▁in ▁culture ▁and ▁language . ▁The ▁process ▁of ▁German isation ▁was ▁never ▁completely ▁successful . ▁The ▁cultural ▁distance ▁of ▁Upper ▁S iles ians ▁from ▁the ▁German ▁population ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Polish ▁national ▁aw aren ess ▁at ▁the ▁turn ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁and ▁tw enti eth ▁centuries , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁the ▁pro - Pol ish ▁movements ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁World ▁War ▁I . ▁ ▁After ▁the ▁S iles ian ▁U pr is ings , ▁the ▁eastern ▁minor , ▁but ▁rich er , ▁part ▁of ▁Upper ▁S iles ia ▁became ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁newly ▁restored ▁Poland ; ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁that ▁had ▁been ▁ruled ▁by ▁the