„Collegium Marianum” – Gimnazjum i Niższe Seminarium Duchowne xx. Pallotynów w Wadowicach na Kopcu w latach 1909-1962

Abstract

On June 11, 1909 Rev. Alojzy Majewski (1869-1947), the founder of the Polish Province of the Society for Catholic Apostolate (the Pallotines) signed a contract concerning the purchase of a house in Wadowice na Kopcu and established a grammar-school for boys there, naming it "The Pallotines’ Collegium Marianum” The First and Second World Wars inhibited a further development of the grammar-school. During World War I many professors and pupils were called up to the armies of the states that had partitioned Poland. Some of them died in the war. During World War II the Natzi authorities imposed a complete ban on the scientific and educational activities. As soon as the war was ended in 1945 the Pallotine authorities immediately did capital repairs of the damaged buildings and notified the Cracow School Superintendent’s Office that the grammar-school would be opened for the school year 1945/46. Since the state authorities started persecuting the school, in his letter of November 22, 1948, Cardinal Adam Sapieha, the Archbishop of Cracow, ordered the grammar-school to be converted into a Lower Seminary. „Collegium Marianum” was twice closed in the time of the Polish People’s Republic: for the first time on July 3rd, 1952 (and four years later it was reestablished); and for the second time on July 25, 1962. It has not been reactivated till now.