DANZICA (GDANSK, DANZIC), DIOCESE OF - Founded in 1925, immediately subject to the Apostolic See. First bishop: Edward O'Rourke. Eugene III, in a letter of 1148 marking the boundaries of the diocese of Włocławek (Władysławia or Kujavia), mentions in the latter «castrum Gedanum in Pomerania». D. was the seat of the archdeaconry of Pomerania in the diocese of Włocławek until 1818. From 1818 to 1824 it was the seat of the apostolic vicariate of Pomerania. In 1824, by the bull De salute animarum of Pius VII, the archdeaconry of Pomerania was incorporated into the diocese of Chelmno (Culma). Since 1945 it has been an apostolic administration.

Area, sq. km. 1,926; pop. 275,000 of whom: Catholics 265,000; parishes 56; churches, 85. Diocesan priests 61; regular priests 40, religious sisters 94; priests of other dioceses 46; seminarians, 17. Religious houses: male 8, female 18 (1948).

Notable churches: St. John's of 1214; the Dominicans' of 1226; St. Catherine's of 1227-29; that of Our Lady of 1343-1503: a royal chapel founded by the Polish king Jan Sobieski in 1681. In D. were born: Jan Dantyszek (Dantiscus, 1485-1548), bishop of Warmia; Jan Heveliusz (1611-87), astronomer. At Oliwa is found the Cistercian abbey founded in 1173.

D., the main port at the mouth of the Vistula (Wisla), belonged to Poland from the 11th century. In 1308, after the massacre carried out by the Teutonic Order of the Crutched Friars, in which 10,000 inhabitants perished, the city passed under their dominion; it returned to Poland from 1454: after the second partition of Poland in 1793, it passed to Prussia. Erected as a free state with a small surrounding territory by the League of Nations in 1919-20 and incorporated into Germany in 1939, it returned to Poland in 1945.

Bibliography14 works

BIBL.: M. Balinski i T. Lipiński, Starożyna Polska, I, ivi 1844, pp. 675-709; A. Theiner, Veteran monumenta Poloniae et Lituaniae, I, Roma 1860, pp. 272-73; J. Dlugosz, Opera omnia, Cracovia 1867, II, p. 485; III, pp. 96, 181, 218, 410, 509, 521; A. Bielowski, Monumenta Poloniae historica, II, Leopoli 1872, p. 13; Słownik Geograficzny Królestwa Polskiego, II, ivi 1884, pp. 513-32; M. Walicki i J. Starzyński, Dzieje Sztuki Polskiej, Varsovia 1936, p. 74; H. de Monfort, Dantzig port de Pologne, Parigi 1939, pp. 5-64; M. Pirożynski, Statystyka Kościoła Katolickiego w Polsce, in Homo Dei, Breslavia 1946, pp. 80-82, 464-67, 578-79; Seminaria Duchowne w Polsce, ivi 1948, p. 84; X. M. Nowodworski, in Encyklopedia Kościelna, IV, 64-65; XX, 396-414; S. Orgelbranda, Encyklopedia Powszechna, XI, 772-78; XVI, 859-60.

Adamo Macielinski

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Gdańsk (Danzig), Diocese of

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