Zwischen Anpassung, Widerstand und Dialog. Das Verhältnis von Kirche und Staat im kommunistischen Polen 1945-1989
Between Adaptation, Resistance and Dialogue. The Relationship between Church and State in Communist Poland 1945-1989

Summary/Abstract: Although the Church did not participate in the official roundtables, it played an important role in the conduct of the negotiations that led to the 1989 democratic elections and the non-violent collapse of Polish communism. When discussions at the round table stalled, the groups involved often turned to the bishops and found neutral ground where they could informally discuss their disagreements. Whenever the Church was asked for help, it did not stay in the background. The role played by the Catholic Church in Poland in the bloodless transition from communist totalitarianism to democratic pluralism cannot and should not be underestimated. Perhaps their contribution was even indispensable. But the forms in which it unfolded were far more complex and nuanced than most historians, political scientists and politicians have portrayed it since the glorious year of 1989.

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