Guarantee of Religious Practices as a Part of the Cultural Security of Polish-Speaking Catholics Living in Germany

Abstract

The paper deals with three problematic threads, i.e.: defining cultural security, the issue of legal guarantees due to a national minority in a foreign country, and the results of a research conducted among the Polish community in Germany. Field research was conducted using a technique of questionnaire interviews in the community associated with two Polish diaspora organizations: Polish Catholic Mission in Hamburg and Gazeta Polska ("Polish Newspaper") in Hamburg. The aim of the discussion is to answer the following question: do Polish-speaking Catholics, representing the national minority in Germany, perceive threats to their own religious practices? The results of the research have highlighted the perspective of representatives with extreme and moderate views on the right to manifest religious identity in Germany.