Życie społeczne parafii luterańskiej w Białymstoku od I do II wojny światowej
Community life of the Lutheran congregation in Białystok from the First to the Second World War

Summary/Abstract: The article completes the picture of the situation of the Lutheran congregation in Białystok in the interwar period. It presents lively educational and cultural activities conducted by the parish, the latter to include: choirs, library, pastoral care, youth groups, military chaplaincy. The article also de-scribes the parish's relationship with the German People's Union in Poland which resulted in bad reputation and troubles for the community in the post-war period, although in fact these relations were limited and terminated quite fast.The issue of personal and national tensions within the congregation - illustrated by the case of division in the years 1931-32 - is also discussed. At that time two separate parish councils functioned that did not recognise and fought each other (one of them even questioned the authority of the Consistory in Warsaw and considered joining the congregation of another church). It even came to an intervention of the state authorities. After the breakout of World War II Podlachian Protestants – officially considered to be Germans – were mostly evacuated to German Reich. Those who remained were mostly exiled by the Soviet to Siberia or Kazakhstan andsome converted to Roman Catholicism. After the war only few remained. The congregation was closed in 1978 but since 2002 it is again active and vital. The article ends a series of four articles summarizing the history of the Lutheran congregation in Białystok.

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