Likwidacja Wileńskiego Seminarium Duchownego w 1945 roku
Liquidation of Vilnius Seminary and displacement to Bialystok in 1945

Summary/Abstract: The seminary in Białystok was formed as a result of a closure of a Seminary in Vilnius, which was founded by the bishop of Vilnius Jerzy Radziwiłł on 11th January 1582. In 1925 the Vilnius Seminary was merged with the Theological Department of Stefan Batory University (USB). In December 1939 USB was liquidated, however the Theological Department acted in secret. After mass arrests of professors and clerical students, in March 1942 bishop Romuald Jałbrzykowski and Rev. Adam Sawicki were imprisoned. A seminary was liquidated and was not reopned until October 1944. Unfortunately, authorities closed the Vilnius Seminary on 20th February 1945. Bishop R. Jałbrzykowski made a decision to move the Seminary to Białystok, where in spring, on the 8th of May 1945 it commenced its activity. A month later an order was given to remove the archbishop R. Jałbrzykowski from Vilnius. He left for Bialystok on 15th July 1945. From here he managed the part of the Vilnius archdiocese which stayed within the Poland’s borders.

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