Polityka transportowa władców habsburskich na Śląsku Austriackim w czasach absolutyzmu oświeconego

The purpose of this article is the analysis of the initial stages of modern transportation infrastructure on the strategically exposed area of Austrian Silesia during the reign of Maria Theresa and Joseph II. Following the Silesian wars the initial interest in high-quality road structure between Vienna and the wealthiest Habsburg province, Wroclaw, changed. The new purpose was to link Vienna with the centre of Austrian Silesia, Opava. Due to the geographical location of Austrian Silesia a link between east and west also became a necessity. The primary catalyst for the formation of transportation infrastructure in Austrian Silesia was the addition of Galicia, which resulted from the first partition of Poland. In order to ensure dominion in Austrian Silesia and in Galicia a new Silesio-Galician road from Opava to Bielsko was designed. It was constructed from 1775 until 1780. The reign of Josef II brought about a major change, he commissioned the construction of the strategically advantageous Galician Road, which linked Vienna with Galicia and upper Hungary, due to which the importance of Cieszyn Silesia as a transportation bridge increased even further. In the 80’s and 90’s of the 18th century in Cieszyn Silesia several more roads were built, they were supposed to ease transportation between Moravia, Austrian Silesia, Galicia and upper Hungary.