An attempt to grant parish rights to the Catholic pastoral institution in Susz in the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries

Abstract

A contribution to the research on the Prussian religious policy. Attempts to grant the pastoral institution in Susz a legal entity were made as early as in 1868. At that time, efforts were made to allow free circulation of financial resources by the local Catholic mission station. The first priest of Susz, Franz Albert Loeper, who served in the town since 1870, repeated an earlier attempt. An application to obtain parish rights was submitted to the state authorities by proxy of the Bishop of Culm in 1873, unfortunately to no avail. After a few years the process was renewed; before that, representatives of the local Catholic community had been elected. Finally, the state authorities gave a permission to found a mission parish in Susz, which happened in 1920. Apart from the rights to unite worshippers and administer its property as well as the freedom to give sacraments, it did not have full parish rights. Therefore it could not apply for the financial privileges granted by the Prussian state. Subsequent requests to change the legal status of this institution were rejected; the unfavourable response was motivated by, among others, the decreasing number of worshippers. There was a serious fear that it would lead to the Polonization of Susz and the surrounding areas, as well as to the promotion of national identity within the Polish-speaking community. Despite many years of attempts, the legal status of the said parish was not changed. Its function depended on the financial help from the Bishopric of Culm and from Catholic societies and organisations.