Austro-Hungary and the Catholic Church in the Kingdom of Poland (August 1914 - August 1915)

• Authors: Gaul J.
• Languages of publication: PL

Abstracts

EN

The entry of Austro-Hungarian armies into the Kingdom of Poland (August 1914) created numerous tasks for the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The key to guaranteeing peace and order in the hinterland lay in attaining a modus vivendi with the population inhabiting the Russian partition area. In order to normalise the situation, the occupation authorities considered it indispensable to establish friendly contacts with the Church hierarchy, and to amicably resolve all emergent problems in order to win over the local clergy, whose members undoubtedly exerted a great impact upon the population. The presented article deals with the policy applied by the Austro-Hungarian authorities towards the Catholic Church in the Kingdom of Poland - assorted plans and their realisation from the outbreak of the war to the establishment of a permanent occupation administration in the summer of 1915. The Austro-Hungarian authorities performed assorted conciliatory gestures towards the Catholic creed and Church in Polish lands. In February 1915 the supreme army command guaranteed full freedom of religious beliefs and conscience; the rights of legally recognised religious associations were to be identical to those enjoyed in the monarchy. It was recommended to support the Catholic creed, to maintain friendly contacts with the clergy, and to stir an awareness of belonging to a Roman Catholic empire. The authorities supported the provision of the Roman Catholic clergy with heretofore revenues - a task entrusted to the military administration. The improvement of relations with the Catholic Church involved also civilian authorities (Leopold Adrian), which attached great importance to the pro-Austrian political stance of the Polish population and Church authorities. Relations with the Catholic clergy in the occupied regions remained unsatisfactory, a situation aggravated by the uncompromising activity of both sides. The pro-reconciliation plans of the supreme Austrian authorities were not fully reflected in the steps made by the local authorities. Up to August 1915 the 'carrot and stick' policy produced extremely limited effects. The fact that it proved impossible to win the co-operation of the bishops and the parish clergy challenged a further successful impact of the Austro-Hungarian authorities upon the Polish population in the Kingdom of Poland and, consequently, reduced chances for an effective solution of the Polish question according to Austrian plans.

Keywords

EN

AUSTRO-HUNGARY; CATHOLIC CHURCH; KINGDOM OF POLAND

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Polska Akademia Nauk. Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla PAN w Warszawie
• Journal: Kwartalnik Historyczny
• Year: 2005
• Volume: 112
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 73-91
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Gaul J.

• J. Gaul, Archiwum Glówne Akt Dawnych, ul. Dluga 7, 00-263 Warszawa, Poland

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

06PLAAAA01583472