Endlich ta wolność… czyli o początkach mniejszości niemieckiej w województwie opolskim w latach dziewięćdziesiątych XX wieku

The article is devoted to the problems of institutionalisation of the German minority in the Opolskie Province between 1989 and 1990. It indicates the peculiarity of this group in this area. Based on interviews conducted among the founding members, chairmen and active members of the German Friendship Circles (DFKs) in the Opolskie Province who led socio-cultural and political activity, particularly in the early 1990s, the authors analyse and show the twists and turns of the processes of creating and functioning 15 DFKs in this province. They focus on the socio-political context of establishing the organisations, motives for joining them, intra- and extra-group contacts, religious issues, minority-majority relations and language issues.