In my project, I examine the transnational history of Poland in the context of the transformation period before and after the political caesura of 1989. As a case study, I investigate the informal car market, which was closely interwoven with Germany and Austria as well as the post-Soviet space. I speak of "informal" because legal, illegal and semi-legal practices are equally considered. I use criminal court records as my main source, a source that has hardly been used for this period to date.