Opolskie „przeciwdziałania ofensywie reakcyjnego kleru” w 1958 r.
„Countering the offensive of reactionry clergy” in Opole in 1958

Summary/Abstract: The letter from the Central Committee of Polish United Workers’ Party (Komitet Centralny Polskiej Zjednoczonej Partii Robotniczej – KC PZPR) from July 1958 do its field units “regarding countering the offensive of reactionary clergy” began a new phase in state–Church relations and contributed to the initiation of “purges” within the party. It was the next stage of depart from the course of “political thaw” of October 1956. The authorities of the communist party were deeply concerned of the rise in the religious life of Polish society, and among the members of PZPR in particular. In the article, two documents are presented: the minutes of the extraordinary meeting of the party executive of Voivodeship Committee of PZPR (Komitet Wojewódzki PZPR – KW PZPR) in Opole and secretaries of powiat (district) party committees concerning the letter from KC PZPR regarding countering the offensive of reactionary clergy dated August 5, 1958; and the minutes of the meeting of party executive of KW PZPR in Opole on August 26, 1958, containing the information from Board of Education on preparations to upcoming school year1958/59. Both minutes are a part of archival collection of KW PZPR in Opole stored in State Archive in Opole. The first document is an exemplification of state–Church relations on a local level. Furthermore, it depicts the process of purging the party ranks of so-called“ clericalists”. In turn, the second document concerns the issue of religious instruction and the presence of crosses in schools.

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