Ksiądz Aleksander Zienkiewicz jako rektorArcybiskupiego Wyższego Seminarium Duchownego we Wrocławiu. Lata 1953–1958
Rev. Aleksander Zienkiewicz as Rector of the Archdiocesan Higher Seminary in Wrocław between the years 1953–1958

Summary/Abstract: The Stalinist era was a particularly painful experience for the Church in Poland. Dozens of priests were murdered and hundreds were imprisoned, including Primate Stefan Wyszyński. The activities of the Church were restricted in all areas, and Catholics were deprived of their civil liberties. The situation was no different in the Apostolic Administration of Lower Silesia. Difficult times required an unconventional approach in dealing with state authorities and in managing church institutions. This article aims then to present the life and work of Rev. Aleksander Zienkiewicz as the second Rector of the Archdiocesan Higher Seminary in Wrocław between the years 1953–1958. The author used materials, collected between 2013 and 2016, from the archives of the Archdiocese of Wrocław, available studies, and previously unpublished memoirs of Zienkiewicz’s seminary students. The article discusses the circumstances of Rev. Zienkiewicz’s appointment to the office of rector, his relations with the governors of the Archdiocese of Wrocław (Rev. Kazimierz Lagosz and Bishop Bolesław Kominek), moderators and professors at the Higher Seminary in Wrocław, the organization of the activities of seminary students as well as their intellectual and spiritual formation. The last part presents issues related to physical work the seminary students had to undertake and its significance for their spiritual formation. The summary shows the influence of Rev. Aleksander Zienkiewicz on the activities of this Higher Seminary. This paper was intended to emphasize Rev. Zienkiewicz’s role in the education of priests who became social activists, engaged not only in their pastoral ministry in the Archdiocese of Wrocław, but also in promoting social life in the parish. By highlighting the key role of Rev. Aleksander Zienkiewicz in the management of the Higher Seminary in Wrocław after World War II, the article offers a unique insight into this lesser-known part of the history of the Church in Lower Silesia.

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