The Piarist Province of Poland during the Second World War (1939–1945)

Abstract

This article presents the history of the Piarist Province of Poland during the Second World War (1939–1945), a subject that has so far been neglected in historiography. After the defeat of Poland in the 1939 campaign, the colleges in Cracow and Rakowice came under German occupation, while those in Lida, Szczuczyn, and Lubieszów were occupied by the Soviets until 1941, when they were taken over by the Germans. The only Piarist house to remain operational during the war, led by the Provincial, Rev. Hieronim Stusiński, was located in Cracow. The Piarists lost access to their schools, where they had fulfilled their educational mission. Despite the difficult conditions of occupation, they continued their pastoral and patriotic activities. Some members sacrificed their lives or were imprisoned. The renovation of the Church of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Cracow, which had begun before the war, was successfully completed. This article presents the Province’s struggle for survival and provides an overview of the personal and material losses suffered by the Order during the Second World War.