The situation in the Masurian diocese of the Evangelical-Augsburg Church in the
light of statistical data from 1956–1959
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Instytut Historii i Stosunków Międzynarodowych
Uniwersytet Warmińsko-Mazurski
Online publication date: 2016-11-23
Publication date: 2016-11-23
KMW 2016;293(3):579-621
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ABSTRACT
Based on static data, changes in the diocese of the Masurian Evangelical-Augsburg Church were caused
by the mass movement of Lutheran people to both German states. The number of faithful in the diocese decreased by 41.8% (from 39,811 to around 23,200), the parish council disintegrated, and the diocese’s income fell
drastically (although the percentage of Church contributions paid by the faithful remained at the previous level).
Along with the faithful, seven priests went to Germany; two state authorities were removed from the Masurian
territories because of their pro-German views. 1959 is also a time of intensified efforts by the state authorities to
procure the rectory and other non-religious buildings from the Church, which greatly undermined the Church’s
pastoral and social work, and undermined the material basis of its existence.