The abolition of traditional territorial divisions in 1789 was an indirect reason for the rise of new regions comprising adjacent departments. The phenomenon is exemplified by the notion of Midi, a land in the south of France. The author discusses factors that led to the distinction of the southern departments (Méridionaux): the tradition of political activity in the region; peculiar religious relations; distinctive language and customs.

The special atmosphere of Zakopane was created by successive generations of notable visitors. Each generation became the heir of the previous one, building on its history and tradition. In 1914, the terrors of war arrived in Zakopane with refugees from Krakow and other partitioned parts of Poland, while the statesman Józef Piłsudski, who lived there sporadically between 1901 and 1914, left town. People descended under the Tatra Mountains as if to a “free town of Zakopane”. At that time, the Pronaszko brothers Andrzej and Zbigniew arrived, as well as the artists Leon Chwistek and Leopold Gottlieb, whereas Tymon Niesiołowski, Władysław Skoczylas and Jan Rembowski already lived there. Only Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz was absent, wandering through Russia. Also authors such as Stefan Żeromski, Andrzej Strug, Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer and Jan Kasprowicz found their own pied-à-terre under the Tatra Mountains. Moreover, Zakopane became a convenient place for politicians, initially the National Democratic Party, and later socialists, when they came to the fore. The meeting point in Zakopane was the famous restaurant Na Przełęczy (On the Pass), owned by the kind-hearted Leopolitan, Stanisław Karpowicz, nicknamed Karp (‘the carp’). Karpowicz arrived in Zakopane in 1902 from Lvov, and three year later took over Franciszek Muchowicz’s boarding-house and restaurant located at 40, Krupówki Street. The painter Kazimierz Sichulski, who also fled Lvov because of the war, was a regular guest at Karpowicz’s establishment. Although impoverished, he lived in the so-called ‘Tower’ on the premises. At that time, Ludwik Solski suggested to Karpowicz and Sichulski a new joint venture – making caricatures of Zakopane’s regular visitors. The prelude to the impressive gallery of cartoons by Kazimierz Sichulski was the portrait of the writer Kornel Makuszyński, dated 1909. The signature ‘Sich/09: KAWAL ORD. POLONIA / ASTORIA / RESTAURATA’, suggests that the portrait was executed in Lvov, in the famous restaurant of the Hotel Astoria. The remaining caricatures – in total 49 (not counting the portrait of Makuszynski) appeared in the restaurant On the Pass over a period of three years (1914–1917), creating an orderly and densely hung portrait gallery of various characters, all linked by Zakopane and history. After caricatures of writers – poets, novelists and art critics, and then actors, musicians, artists and architects – the caricatures of Galician politicians and legionaries became increasingly numerous.

The article deals with the problem of the national consciousness of Polish peasants in the Congress Kingdom of Poland in the 19th century. Author's analysis is based on historical research carried out in the last century.