Znak
Encyclopedia
Znak was an association of lay
Catholics
in Poland
, active between 1956 and 1976. It was the only Catholic organisation that was tolerated by the PZPR Communist party and supported the Catholic hierarchy.
It was created as one of several smaller groups that sprung up after dissolution of the communist
-controlled association PAX of Bolesław Piasecki in 1956. It was granted with several seats in the Polish Sejm
and was intended as a link between the Catholic Church and the state. As such it was allowed to cooperate with various Western European catholic movements, among them the German section of the International Catholic Peace Movement Pax Christi
.
It was composed of the members of Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej
(Club of Catholic Inteligentsia) and journalists of Tygodnik Powszechny
newspaper. Among the most prominent members of Znak were:
During the March 1968 anti-Semitic and anti-inteligentsia campaign of Władysław Gomułka, Znak was the only political organisation in Sejm
to protest against it. In 1976 member of Znak, Stanisław Stomma, the single Znak member of the Sejm, was, through abstaining from voting, one of only two Members of Parliament not to approve the amendment of Polish constitution underlining the “leading role” of the communist party and the “eternal friendship” with the USSR. As a reprisal the Znak was disbanded.
A remainder of the group existed until 1980 when it was renamed to Polski Związek Katolicko-Społeczny, which like the Znak had representatives in the Sejm and continues today as a Catholic charity organisation. It was notable for its opposition to martial law in Poland
. http://www.pzks.org.pl/?dzial=11&watek=2&czcionka=11
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
Catholics
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, active between 1956 and 1976. It was the only Catholic organisation that was tolerated by the PZPR Communist party and supported the Catholic hierarchy.
It was created as one of several smaller groups that sprung up after dissolution of the communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
-controlled association PAX of Bolesław Piasecki in 1956. It was granted with several seats in the Polish Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
and was intended as a link between the Catholic Church and the state. As such it was allowed to cooperate with various Western European catholic movements, among them the German section of the International Catholic Peace Movement Pax Christi
Pax Christi
-History:Pax Christi was established in France in 1945 as a reconciliation work between the French and the Germans after the Second World War. In 2007, it existed in more than 60 countries...
.
It was composed of the members of Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej
Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej
Klub Inteligencji Katolickiej is a Polish organization grouping Catholic intellectuals. KIK is organized into a series of local chapters ....
(Club of Catholic Inteligentsia) and journalists of Tygodnik Powszechny
Tygodnik Powszechny
Tygodnik Powszechny is a Polish Roman Catholic weekly magazine, focusing on social and cultural issues. Established in 1945 under the auspices of Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, Jerzy Turowicz was its editor-in-chief until his death in 1999. He was succeeded by priest Adam Boniecki.-History:The...
newspaper. Among the most prominent members of Znak were:
- Tadeusz MazowieckiTadeusz MazowieckiTadeusz Mazowiecki is a Polish author, journalist, philanthropist and Christian-democratic politician, formerly one of the leaders of the Solidarity movement, and the first non-communist prime minister in Central and Eastern Europe after World War II.-Biography:Mazowiecki comes from a Polish...
- Jerzy ZawieyskiJerzy ZawieyskiJerzy Zawieyski, born Henryk Nowicki, was a Polish playwright, prose writer, Catholic political activist and amateur stage actor...
- Stefan KisielewskiStefan KisielewskiStefan Kisielewski , nicknames Kisiel, Julia Hołyńska, Teodor Klon, Tomasz Staliński, was a Polish writer, publicist, composer and politician, and one of the members of Znak, one of the founders of the UPR, the polish libertarian and conservative political party.Kisielewski was born to a Polish...
- Stanisław Stomma
- Wanda Pieniężna
- Janusz Zabłocki
- Jerzy ZawieyskiJerzy ZawieyskiJerzy Zawieyski, born Henryk Nowicki, was a Polish playwright, prose writer, Catholic political activist and amateur stage actor...
During the March 1968 anti-Semitic and anti-inteligentsia campaign of Władysław Gomułka, Znak was the only political organisation in Sejm
Sejm
The Sejm is the lower house of the Polish parliament. The Sejm is made up of 460 deputies, or Poseł in Polish . It is elected by universal ballot and is presided over by a speaker called the Marshal of the Sejm ....
to protest against it. In 1976 member of Znak, Stanisław Stomma, the single Znak member of the Sejm, was, through abstaining from voting, one of only two Members of Parliament not to approve the amendment of Polish constitution underlining the “leading role” of the communist party and the “eternal friendship” with the USSR. As a reprisal the Znak was disbanded.
A remainder of the group existed until 1980 when it was renamed to Polski Związek Katolicko-Społeczny, which like the Znak had representatives in the Sejm and continues today as a Catholic charity organisation. It was notable for its opposition to martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland
Martial law in Poland refers to the period of time from December 13, 1981 to July 22, 1983, when the authoritarian government of the People's Republic of Poland drastically restricted normal life by introducing martial law in an attempt to crush political opposition to it. Thousands of opposition...
. http://www.pzks.org.pl/?dzial=11&watek=2&czcionka=11
Further reading
- Maciej Łętowski, Ruch i koło poselskie Znak 1957-1976, Katowice: Wydawnictwo Unia, ISBN 83-86250-10-0