Relations between the army and the society in a Galician garrison at the turn of the 20th century: A case of Tarnów
The article discusses the relationships between the Austrian army and the Polish civilian population in Tarnów, where at the turn of the 20th century was stationed a large garrison. There were two regiments (infantry and cavalry), as well as the brigade headquarters, the recruiting district command, the barracks, and the training and auxiliary infrastructure. Tarnów can be considered a representative example of the Galician garrison towns of similar size. Soldiers of the garrison entered into numerous interactions with the civilians. The military participated in state, military and religious ceremonies. They also organized and participated in the carnival balls. The military orchestra played for the civilians on various occasions. Soldiers and officers had social relationships with the civilians. The presence of the troops in the city also prevented frequent cases of public order violation such as fights, thefts or assaults. Soldiers stirred up various, often contradictory, emotions in their civilian neighbours.