Published: 2023-12-20

Local authorities of the Silesian Voivodship and the establishment of the Apostolic Administration in Upper Silesia

Lech Marek Krzyżanowski Logo ORCID

Abstract

The Apostolic Administration for Polish Silesia was established by decree Sanctissimus Dominus noster on 7 November 1922. It covered an area which hitherto was part of the diocese of Wrocław and which was included in the Polish state when the new borders were drawn up after the Silesian uprisings and the plebiscite. Not accepting any continued sovereignty of the diocese of Wrocław over that part of the territory of the Second Polish Republic, the Polish authorities insisted that a new Church administration unit be created there. The authorities disapproved of the discriminatory practices used by Wrocław bishops against the Polish faithful and therefore demanded creation of a separate diocese. When the Apostolic Administration was created instead, they initially adopted a wait-and-see approach. In addition, the new head of the Administration, Fr August Hlond, who was not particularly well known in Upper Silesia then, aroused concern.
His attitude of tolerance towards German Catholics caused controversy in the first period. The controversy
calmed down with time and mutual trust and willingness to cooperate began to prevail, built on the conviction that the Apostolic Administrator’s line of action was right. The structure he administered, to which Cieszyn Silesia was added, was transformed into the Diocese of Katowice after the Concordat was signed in 1925.

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Krzyżanowski, L. M. (2023). Local authorities of the Silesian Voivodship and the establishment of the Apostolic Administration in Upper Silesia. Silesian Historical and Theological Studies, 55(2), 135–148. https://doi.org/10.31261/SSHT.2022.55.2.02

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Vol. 55 No. 2 (2022)
Published: 2023-12-20


ISSN: 0137-3447
eISSN: 2956-6185

Publisher
Instytut Gość Media/Księgarnia św. Jacka

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