[Doctors in Bydgoszcz 1815-1920].
In the second half of the 19th century the number of Polish doctors in Pomerania increased significantly. They constituted a major group among the freelance professions within the Polish intelligentsia. The development of the Polish intelligentsia took place during a period of strong conflict between the two cultures and under increasing German influence. This was especially noticeable in Bydgoszcz which was one of the main centers of German culture in Provinz Posen. The growing wealth of the capitalistic society, as well as the development of medical science, created a greater demand for medical care. Medicine was the most liberated profession, which made it more independent from the German administration and this, in turn, made it more accessible to the Polish community.