Summary:

The aim of the conducted research was the analysis of the functional transformations of the rural and urban-rural communes in the Sudeten. In the project were indicated the functions of the communes in 1996 and 2005 with the use of the criterion of delimitation taking into account the structure of economy, degree of industrialization and the degree of tourist management. Consideration of the landscape and holiday advantages with the delimitation of commune types depending on economy structure and the degree of industralization allowed to distinguish eight types of communes with highlighting their function. The performed research proved that in 2005 in Sudeten there practically were not any agricultural communes, what was connected with the low quality of agricultural production space of the soils in the mountain areas of the Sudeten. One can say that the changes proceed in the positive direction, and the communes with the dominant agricultural function in 1996 changed in respect of the function into industrial communes in 2005. These are the communes: Jeżów Sudecki, Stara Kamienica and Kłodzko. The system transformation that took place in Poland in the beginning of 1990 caused the slump of many branches of the industry, that was really painfully felt by the Sudeten communes. These effects of industrial changes were noticed in the researches concerning the commune types in 1996. In that time 6 communes were almost without industry and agriculture, not managed touristically, and in2005 (except for the commune Stare Bogaczowice), the communes made the group of industrialized communes. The comparison of commune types in the selected years let us ascertain, that the proceeding functional transformations in the rural and urban-rural regions of Sudeten speak for the improvement of their economic situation.