Duszpasterstwo wojskowe na obszarze diecezji warmińskiej w pierwszej połowie XIX wieku
Military Chaplaincy in the Diocese of Warmia in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century

Summary/Abstract: The historiography of the Diocese of Warmia has so far lacked a study on military chaplaincy in the first half of the nineteenth century. In order to investigate this issue, an analysis of the documentation stored at the Geheimes Staatsarchiv Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin has been conducted. The results of the study demonstrated that the Catholic military chaplaincy began to recover after the Napoleonic campaign of 1806–1807. In 1810, Catholic priests performed regular ministerial service in four cities. However, in 18 garrisons services were not performed. As a result, soldiers could receive their sacraments in Catholic churches only if they obtained passes. The first legal solutions of 1811 did not provide for the existence of a Catholic chaplaincy during peacetime. Some significant changes occurred in 1832. In the absence of a military chaplain, a clergyman working in a civil parish was to take over his function. By the end of that year, priests from Warmia served regularly in garrisons in Braniewo, Elblag, Klaipeda, Konigsberg, Malbork and Tilsit. Another 15 garrisons were to receive a chaplain. Some of them served in several garrisons. The issue of financing military chaplains remained unresolved for quite a long time. In February 1835, the Minister of War, Job von Witzleben, informed that chaplains recruited from the diocesan clergy received allowances, reimbursement for travel expenses and four thalers for their chaplaincy. However, some military places of worship suffered from a shortage of liturgical equipment.

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