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134:, and pursued plans to replace Polish clergy with German ones. Bolesław Kumor claims he provided Forster with housing when the Nazi official first arrived in the city, and Forster in return supported Splett politically; as a result Splett enjoyed full support from the Nazi party. Forster praised Splett's work for Nazis saying, "This is my man, I can fully rely on his work"
291:, emphasized Splett's merits regarding pastoral care in occupied Poland. Adamski pointed out that Splett acted under massive pressure from the Gestapo and that the Nazis attempted to make the bishop appear as the initiator of their anti-Polish policy. Despite the pressure of Polish authorities, all Catholic priests interrogated as witnesses made exculpatory testimonies.
229:. Peter Raina points out that the priests Splett sought to protect were mostly of German ethnicity and not Polish. Schenk stresses that Splett did not collaborate but bowed to the murderous pressure of the Nazis, while Peter Raina disputes that he was under any pressure or danger, and states that Splett's actions were done in full awareness.
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Historian Peter Raina states that the trial was fair and Splett was allowed to defend himself freely and without any difficulties nor obstructions and extensively. For Raina it was not a show trial, and the guilt of Splett was evident; he would get the same verdict if placed under trial at
Nuremberg.
270:
Stefan
Samerski reports that throughout custody Hlond pretended Pope Pius XII had disbanded Splett, which was not the case. Hlond criticised Splett's refusal to resign as the Catholic Church in Poland was in conflict with communist authorities; Splett's decision gave ammunition against the Church. He
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Miejsca walk i męczeństwa w województwie bydgoskim 1939–1945 – Page 28 Zygmunt Drwęcki – 1969 Splett nie tylko nie przeciwdziałał eksterminacji księży polskich, lecz politykę tę popierał. Znana jest jego wypowiedź, że „księża polscy nie są żadnymi apostołami, lecz zdrajcami" („Polnische
Prister sind
282:
Robert Żurek, deputy director of the Polish Center of
Historical Research in Berlin, regards this as a show trial and part of the anti-catholic policy of the Polish government after World War II. Its aim was to portray the papal policy as anti-Polish, since the Vatican had entrusted a Polish diocese
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Splett held the position as Bishop of Danzig also after the German annexation of the Free City during World War II. On 4 September, Splett issued a letter to churches where he praised the German invasion of Poland and Nazi annexation of the city, and recommended his flock to pray for God's blessing
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seven of the twelve Polish priests and four German priests of his diocese were murdered,. Under his reign Polish priesthood was oppressed and prayers and Masses under his direction praised Hitler. He also issued a ban against use of the Polish language in churches. When he banned confessions in
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accepted his explanation. Besides banning the Polish language, Splett ordered removal of Polish signs and names in cemeteries from monuments and graves and in all churches under his jurisdiction. When a family asked him to save three imprisoned Polish priests in
Stuthoff camp he told them that
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Polish in May 1940, the
Vatican intervened and ordered that the ban be lifted. Not only did Splett defend his ban, he argued it was to "protect" people making the confessions. After this argument he tried to claim that confessions in Polish are used for "nationalistic means". Eventually the
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in 1938. While the Nazis, who ruled the Free State of Danzig since 1933, tried to install their own candidate Paul Schütz as successor of Bishop O'Rourke, Splett was appointed as bishop by the pope. Splett also refused to appoint Schütz as vicar general as demanded by the local Nazis. Zofia
330:. Upon his return he sought contact and worked with the "Bund der Danziger", an organization of Germans formerly living in Gdansk that demanded annexation of the Polish city as well as "evacuation of Poles from our homeland". A publication Splett was engaged with in West Germany was
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Bohdan Pietka states that Splett through his obedient and servile attitude towards Nazis not only led to the destruction of Polish religious life in the city but also by his indifferent attitude contributed to brutal extermination of Polish clergy and plunder of Polish churches.
338:), in which Splett published in 1958 that the German right to Polish territories is supported by the pope himself. According to German historian Dieter Schenk, both 'Bund der Danziger and "Unser Danzig" served as shelter for many former Nazi activists and officials post war.
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requested Splett to resign from his position, which Splett refused to do. On 9 August Splett was arrested by Polish officials and put on trial for collaboration and oppression of the Polish People. The trial involved 36 people out of which 22 were priests and 4 nuns
539:
dr
Aleksandra Kmak-Pamirska Przemiany obrazu biskupa Carla Marii Spletta w pamięci historycznej w Polsce i w Niemczech na przestrzeni lat, w: Letnia Szkoła Historii Najnowszej 2012, wyd. przez Kamil Dworaczek, Łukasz Kamiński, Warszawa 2013, str. 184–196,
212:
According to Dieter Schenk, on 5 September 1939 Splett protested against the arrest of
Catholic priests and in February 1940 Splett sent a list of Catholic priests who were victims of persecution after the German invasion of Poland to the
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on 25 March 1945, but soon released. He continued administering to the remaining
Catholic inhabitants, who had not escaped, as well as the newly arriving Polish settlers.. In the beginning of August 1945 Polish Cardinal
239:
to all churches in his diocese. In the letter he listed efforts made by him to pursue
Germanization of Polish territories and boasted that by doing this he "fulfilled to no end his duty as a German bishop."
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Obchody milenijne 1966 roku: w świetle dokumentów Ministrerstaw Spraw Wewnętrznych Wanda Chudzik Oficyna Wydawnicza Rytm, 1998 "Były biskup Splett nazwał wówczas polskich księży więzionych w Stutthofie
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Organizacje ziomkowskie w NRF w latach 1945–1967: ze szczególnym uwzglednieniem Ziomkowstwa Prus Zachodnich, Zwiazku Gdańszczan i Ziomkowstwa Wisły-Warty Rafał Fuks Wydawn. Poznańskie, 1968, page 21
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on 6 December 1939 agreed to the Nazi demands. His appointment was protested by the Polish Government in Exile as a violation of a concordat signed with Rome. Splett had close relations to Nazi
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Kościół katolicki na ziemiach polskich w latach okupacji hitlerowskiej – Page 299 Zenon Fijałkowski – 1983 W czasie procesu Spletta złożyło zeznania 36 osób, w tym 22 księży i 2 zakonnice.
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According to Samerski, several parishes were seized and after Splett initially refused to prohibit the usage of Polish in his diocese another six Priests were arrested by the
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In October 1942 Splett wrote to Field Marshal Goering a letter in which he declared himself a "German bishop" and stated his willingness and dedication to the spread of
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Professor Jerzy Serczyk writes that due to Splett's anti-Polish actions during the war there was hardly any disapproval in Polish society towards sentencing Splett
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Więź – Volume 35, Issues 1–4 – Page 117 1992 "cytat z wypowiedzi niemieckiego biskupa gdańskiego Karla Spletta: „Księża polscy nie są apostołami, lecz zdrajcami".
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Polish officials were however not actually interested in the background of Splett's actions. The real intention of the trial was to justify the termination of the
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51:, is controversial. After World War II he was put on trial and imprisoned in Poland for his alleged collaboration with the Nazi regime, and later deported to
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Wierni Bogu i ojczyźnie: duchowiénstwo katolickie w walce o niepodległość Polski w II wojnie światowej Stanisław Podlewski page 161 Novum, 1971
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Czasy współczesne 1914–1992 – Volume 8 – Page 440 Bolesław Kumor – 2001 W takich okolicznościach bp Splett przy poparciu namiestnika Forstera
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allowed his emigration to West Germany. He remained official Bishop of Danzig until his death in 1964 and was active in pastoral care for the
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Jan Zaryn writes that although the attack on Splett were often insulting, they were not without merit due to his servile attitude toward the
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Splett himself on 20 April 1939 ordered churches to ring bells celebrating Hitler's 50th birthday as well as ordering prayers on his behalf.
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Bohdan Piętka: Piotr Semków, "Polityka Trzeciej Rzeszy wobec ludności polskiej na terenie byłego Wolnego Miasta Gdańsk w latach 1939–1945
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Germans from the East: A Study of Their Migration, Resettlement and Subsequent Group History, Since 1945 H.W. Schoenberg page 186, 2012
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On 8 October 1940 the Nazi Gauleiter Albert Forster praised Splett stating that he "continues to fulfill all my wishes and orders".
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Czesław Madajczyk. Polityka III Rzeszy w okupowanej Polsce pages 177–212 volume 2, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warszawa, 1970
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Hitlers Mann in Danzig: Albert Forster und die NS-Verbrechen in Danzig-Westpreußen Dietz, 2000 Dieter Schenk, page 192
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Das Bistum Danzig in Lebensbildern: Ordinarien, Weihbischöfe, Generalvikare, apostolische Visitatoren 1922/25 bis 2000
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Czasy współczesne 1914–1992, Volume 8 Bolesław Kumor Redakcja Wydawnictw Katolickiego Uniwersytetu Lubelskiego, 2001
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172:. The Polish bishop Wojciech Okoniewski was forced to flee in the face of the Nazi invasion and his auxiliary
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Churches and Religion in the Second World War. Jan Bank, Lieve Gevers, Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016 Chapter 4
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The administrative position of the bishop of Gdańsk was held by lesser church officials. He was succeeded by
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Kościół a władza w Polsce (1945–1950) Jan Żaryn, Towarzystwo im. Stanisława ze Skarbimierza, page 1997 1997
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Zwischen Nationalismus und Versöhnung – Die Kirchen und die deutsch-polnischen Beziehungen 1945 – 1956
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Suplement 1 Stanisław Gierszewski, Zbigniew Nowak Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, 1992 – 367, page 291
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to a "German chauvinist". Żurek stresses that in a statement of 16 January 1946 even the Polish
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Polityka Watykanu wobec Polski 1939–1945 Zofia Waszkiewicz page 171 Państ. Wydaw. Naukowe, 1980
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of Danzig (elevated to diocese in 1925). He was further promoted to cathedral capitular of
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by the Polish authorities and to segregate the Polish Catholic Church from the Vatican.
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Waszkiewicz claims he was supported by Nazi Forster who became his protector.
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in 1935. According to Czesław Madajczyk, Splett had close relations with Nazi
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was sentenced to eight years in prison on 1 February 1946 and imprisoned at
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Stefan Samerski (1995). "Splett, Carl Maria". In Bautz, Traugott (ed.).
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Rocznik gdański, Tom 66 Zakład Narodowy im. Ossolińskich, 2006-page 188
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Rocznik Gdański, Volume 59, page 157 Gdańskie Towarzystwo Naukowe, 1999
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on Adolf Hitler. Immediately after the invasion, the Nazi gauleiter
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was interned by Nazis. The Vatican had its doubts, but Pope
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diocese where he took office from December 1939. After the
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Zasłużył na karę" Peter Raina Tygodnik Powszechny 42/2000
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Reorganization of occupied dioceses during World War II
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