Społem

PSS Społem is a Polish consumers' co-operative of local grocery stores, founded in 1868.[1]

During the Partitions of Poland, each of the branches of PSS Społem was formed under different conditions in law, economy and politics. The common character of the consumers' co-operative was patriotism, providing economic and political security against the Partition Powers of the Kingdom of Prussia, Habsburg Austria and the Russian Empire. In 1869, the first consumer co-operatives were established: Merkury in Warsaw, Oszczędność in Radom, and Zgoda in Płock.[2][3] The idea behind the name of the co-operative chain was Stefan Żeromski, who published the first fortnightly journal propagating the need for co-operation, published in 1906.

During the Polish People's Republic, PSS Społem built a number of modernist grocery stores, inter alia in: Spółdzielczy Dom Handlowy Zenit in Katowice (1962), SDH Central in Łódź (1972), SDH Skarbek in Katowice (1975).[4][5]

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