“The Railway in Hands – the Country in Hands”. The state with regard to the railway (on the Polish land)

The words which are the motto of the conference were supposed to be said by Józef Piłsudski. In the interwar period (and probably much later) they were still true. Monitoring contemporary relations between rail communications in Poland and the state, a question about the evolution of relations between this means of transport, recruit’s means of transport, military equipment, the structure holding the state together and the states authorities arises. During over 170 years of their coexistence these relations were subject to transform. At the same time it seems that a lot of issues connected with this sphere of railway existence still need urgent and extensive historical research.
In order to answer the question about the relations between the state and the railway, the Museum of Rybnik and the Faculty of Business, Finance and Administration of the University of Economics in Katowice invite everyone interested to the next scientific conference as part of which they encourage them to provide answers e.g. for the following issues:

- the relations between the state, its authorities and also the local authorities and the railway
- the states’ investment policy
- the state’s financial policy with regard to the railway
- the railway as a factor deliberately influencing the state’s economic life by the specific state’s policy
- tables of fares: an integration role of the state, but also the state as a factor shaping the tables of fares
- private or state railway
- views of the political parties on the role and significance of the railway
- a railman: an official, a state or an enterprise worker
- a passenger: a superfluous addition to good transport or a necessary element of the railway functioning – the state perspective

Of course these issues do not exhaust the subjects that can be taken up.
Participation in the conference is free (the organizers do not cover travelling and accommodation costs in Rybnik). A reviewed publication is expected to be published after the conference.
Articles have to be sent to the secretary of the conference till 31st March 2017.
Registrations for the conference, which must be sent till 31st August 2016, should contain the subject, contact details and an abstract.