Chorzów Factory case


The Chorzów Factory case was a case heard before the Permanent Court of International Justice in 1927. It was an early authority in international law that established a number of precedents in International Law

Background

In the Upper Silesia plebiscite a majority of 31,864 voters voted to remain in Germany while 10,764 votes were given for Poland. Following three Silesian uprisings, the eastern part of Silesia, including Chorzow and Królewska Huta, was separated from Germany and awarded to Poland in 1922. Migrations of people followed. Because of its strategic value, the case of the nitrogen factory Oberschlesische Stickstoffwerke was argued for years before the Permanent Court of International Justice, finally setting some new legal precedences on what is "just" in international relations.

Significance

The Court held that