The Roman Catholic Clergy’s Activity In Sobriety Movement In Pomerania before 1920

Z powodu dramatycznej plagi pijaństwa na terenach zaboru pruskiego już w latach 30. XIX w. podjęto akcję promocji trzeźwości i towarzystw trzeźwościowych. Zapoczątkowany wtedy ruch rozrastał się mimo trudności związanych z Wiosną Ludów, wojną 1870, Kulturkampfem i Hakatą. Zaangażowany był w ten ruch Kościół katolicki. Szczególny czas rozwoju tych dzieł przypadł na okres po odzyskaniu niepodległości w 1918 r. W artykule zaprezentowane są źródła i rozwój ruchu trzeźwościowego na Pomorzu, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem działalności i wpływu na życie społeczne Bractw Trzeźwościowych. Dzięki zaangażowaniu duchowieństwa katolickiego działały one w 233 parafiach (na 274) w diecezji chełmińskiej. Wielość grup i różnorodność ich członków wskazuje, jak wielki miały one wpływ na świadomość społeczną.Due to the dramatic plague of drunkenness in the Prussian partition there had been attempts to promote sobriety and the idea of sobriety societies already in the thirties of the XIX century. The Prussian government in the days of Frederick William III partnered with the American government asking them to send sobriety promoters to the Prussian state. Just after 1842, when the circular appeared in the Poznan Archdiocese to ask priests to pay attention to the danger of drunkenness and alcoholism, brought by the overuse of „hot drinks” (high grade), the clergy engaged in work in the field of sobriety. Since that moment a significant development of sobriety societies had taken place. However that growth was tempered by political events of 1848 (Springtime of Nations), then the war of 1870 and the period of the Kulturkampf and Hakata when sobriety activities were considered subversive. It was demanded that all public meetings had to be held in German (The Muzzle Law). It should be kept in mind that after partitioning there was no native Polish government on Polish territories which is why the Catholic Church, which retained its administration, led in the anti‑alcoholic action. Whereas the time after regaining independence by the Polish Republic was connected with an explosion of new sobriety brotherhoods and organisations in the Polish Pomerania and the Diocese of Chelmno. That was the period of increased activity and a multitude of forms promoting the sobriety which affected the public consciousness of the threat of drunkenness and alcoholism. This paper is an attempt to show the development of anti‑alcoholic thought and the origins and growth of sobriety movement in Pomerania. The tradition of overuse of alcohol in Poland having the origins in the past centuries cannot be ignored though. Despite the lack of comprehensive historical studies on the fight against alcoholism, both for the whole of Poland and Pomerania in the discussed post‑partitioning and interwar period, there is a number of scientific reviews and many studies of historical source character. The aim of this paper is therefore to study in particular anti‑alcoholic activities, institutions and individuals to whom we owe the creation and operation of not only the famous Brotherhoods of Sobriety, but also the great impact of sobriety movement on the society. The basic research issues concerning the creation and functioning are reflected in pastoral letters of Chelmno bishops. Starting from 1837, throughout the whole period of the partition and the time of the Second Republic, the track of those matters can be kept in the pastoral letters. Within the Chelmno Diocese, which included 27 vicariates, there was no vicariate without Brotherhood of Sobriety. The Diocese of Chelmno, consisting of 274 parishes, was taking pride in 233 Brotherhoods of Sobriety. The multitude of sobriety organizations and the people from different social strata involved in their activities is a confirmation of the fact, that the mass movement of sobriety in XIX century and up to 1920 helped to change public consciousness of the interwar period. These changes of consciousness and collective experience gained, had on impact on the fact that in the years after 1920 the Poles turned out to be able to use the opportunity, develop and defend the regained statehood. For the coordination of sobriety activities in the Diocese in 1929 the Chelmno bishop established the General Secretariat. The new Statute of Brotherhoods and Temperance Brotherhoods Union was also arranged and approved on Nov. 5, 1931 and the bishop himself led all of the Chelmno Diocese’s Temperance Brotherhoods. It’s worth of special emphasis. Nowadays it’s hard to find such an example. It’s a great confirmation of the catholic clergy’s involvement in the fight with drunkenness and alcoholism