Z problematyki badawczej dotyczącej archiwów archidiecezji gdańskiej

Abstract

In the opinion of many people, including Gdansk archidiocese clergymen, archives are treated as peripheral issues. The article, concerning the study of Gdansk archidiocese archives, outlines the history of Church archives in Poland. The first modern diocesan archives date back to 1925 (Poznan);1927 (Przemyśl); 1931 (Lvov); 1937 (Lodz) and 1939 (Kielce). The KUL (Catholic University of Lublin) Centre of Ecclésial Archives, Libraries and Museums, which was founded after World War II, has rendered considerable help in raising the awareness of the significance of the above. After the war modern archives containing documents referring to the Gdansk archidiocese were founded in Pelplin and Włocławek, while The Archives of the Gdansk Archidiocese are just being organized. They possess only very few documents concerning the former Gdansk diocese, dating back to 17th century (up to 19th c.). These are church certificate registers and some other documents issued by the oldest parish churches (from 1824 onwards). Among the 20th century documents are: records of Gdansk bishops, the Gdansk Diocesan Curia, also parish registers, documents issued by monastic congregations, catholic schools, churchyards; documents relating to church court cases betw. 1950-1957; reports of pastoral work, minutes of inspections, personal records, dispensations and reports of miscellaneous pastoral campaigns.