Sztum county had a significant Polish-speaking population in the 1830s. In 1834 it outnumbered even the German-speaking population. The state authorities strove to Germanise the religious life of its inhabitants, seeking to expel the Polish language from the Catholic pastoral. The Polish-speaking population distanced themselves from priests who introduced German sermons, songs or prayers. These actions were seen as a reflection of Prussian policy, aiming to Germanise the Prussian province. Some state decision-makers believed that such efforts should primarily accompany the educational processes of children. The Germanisation of the language of prayer was rather slow, probably due to the lack of explicit support for this process by the priests and rulers of the Diocese of Warmia.