Discussion Papers 1993. 
Spatial Research and the Social-Political Changes 5-6. p.
5 
PREFACE 
The tradition of fruitful relationship between Polish and Hungarian geographers looks 
back to several decades. In the scope of the scientific co-operation between the two Aca-
demies of Sciences not only mutual study trips of individual researchers are possible but 
the organization of joint conferences as well. Among the latter, the bilateral seminars on 
different topics held every two years gained special importance. 
This volume includes the lectures of the 7th Polish—Hungarian Geographical Seminar 
organized by the Settlement Research Group of the Centre for Regional Studies in Kecs-
kemet, Hungary, between 17-21 September, 1990. The Polish delegation of five re-
searchers, all working at the Warsaw Institute of Geography and Spatial Organization, 
Polish Academy of Sciences, was led by professor Andrzej Stasiak. Hungarian lecturers 
represented different departments of the Centre for Regional Studies; on their behalf 
Gyorgy Enyedi, member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences welcomed the partici-
pants. The three-day professional program was completed by a study trip to Bacs—Kiskun 
county. 
The topic of the seminar was the analysis of social-economical processes making way 
for the systemic change and the evaluation of spatial aspects of the initial steps. The ma-
jority of the lectures dealt with problems on the country level but some experts reported 
on their small-region investigations, and Eastern European countries other than Poland 
and Hungary were also mentioned. Thus the information obtained is variegated and valu-
able: that is the way we identified and interpreted our problems in 1990. 
For the last two years the geographical and political map of Eastern Europe has gone 
through a profound change: the "Iron Curtain" no longer exists; there are no "satellite 
states"; COMECON has been dissolved; federal borders, earlier believed perennial, have 
been re-organized (the unification of Germany, the dissolution of the Soviet Union and 
Jugoslavia or the division of Czechoslovakia may be considered as examples); the process 
of political and economic change in the system has been in progress in each post-socialist 
countries. All this sheds different light on everything discussed during the seminar. Unde-
niable, though, that these lectures document a state that has changed by today, still, they 
are comparable to analyses carried out during the decades of socialism and can serve as 
bases of reference for the interpretation of later changes. These are the reasons why, in 
spite of the changed circumstances, our Institute decided to publish this volume. 
The editor's task was shouldered by a young colleague of our research group. She 
strived to compile the book so that reports by Polish and Hungarian authors are placed in 
parallel to  each other as  much  as possible. Thus different approaches, scientific methods 
and results can be compared. Accordig to their subject matter the eleven papers can be 
arranged round four major topics: 
(1)
General issues of regional policy; 
(2)
Industry and economy in the transitory period; 

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Csatári, Bálint : Preface  In: Spatial Research and the Social-Political Changes. 
Pécs: Centre for Regional Studies, 1993. 5-6. p. 
Discussion Papers. Special 
6 
(3)
The role of the tertiary sector and the services; 
(4)
Changes on the local level; 
Not a single lecture has been "adapted" to time passed; their original texts have been 
retained without any change or supplement. 
This volume is published with the hope that it can promote a better understanding of 
regional development in Eastern Europe and that the interest of others than Polish and 
Hungarian social geographers will also be aroused. 
March, 1993 
Balint Csatari, 
head of the 
Settlement Research Group, 
Centre for Regional Studies, 
Hungarian Academy of Sciences 

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