The Chicago School Through a Polish Lens: Krzysztof Czekaj’s Legacy in Urban Sociology

Abstract This paper honours the late Professor Krzysztof Czekaj (1958–2024), a pioneering figure in Polish urban sociology. Czekaj was the first scholar to extensively explore the Chicago School in Polish, and his seminal 2007 book, The Sociology of the Chicago School and Its Reception in Poland (Czekaj, 2007), meticulously explored the historical context and contributions of this influential school of thought. He critically evaluated its enduring legacy. Maps played a central role in Prof. Czekaj’s work. Inspired by the work of William I. Thomas, Florian Znaniecki, and Jane Addams, Czekaj adopted Chicago School methodologies, particularly the use of maps and personal documents, to investigate crime in Poland, especially in the Silesian region. He placed particular emphasis on periods of economic hardship and social transformation, notably after the collapse of communism in 1989. His research focused on local and urban issues by employing social mapping to examine and address social problems in Poland. Throughout his career, he mentored countless sociology and social work students. His book on the Chicago School (viewed over 7,300 times on Academia.edu) continues to shape the field. This paper explores how the Chicago School tradition informed Czekaj’s work. It will examine how he adapted Chicago School methods (Park, 1915) to the Polish context (Czekaj, 1992, 2007), using archival court documents to map social factors such as alcohol abuse, unemployment, and crime in Silesian cities. These projects resulted in the publication of Atlases of Social Problems for various Silesian cities (1995–2012) and Local Strategies to Solve Social Problems (1997–2015). Both monographic series are collectively known as the Silesian Cities Series. By analysing Czekaj’s work, we gain a valuable Polish perspective on the global history of the Chicago School.