Protestant Reformation Map

[BohemianBrother]

What you’re seeing as ‘Poland’ looks to me more like Lithuania (of that period). And, in the late 1500s, Calvinism took root there.

Poland’s borders were actually further East than today. The areas around Lublin and Sandomierz were almost in the middle of Poland in those times.

Poland was a little late to the whole business Counter-Reformation, so for some time it became a safe haven for religious refugees coming from the Holy Roman Empire, and particularly from the lands under Habsburg rule. Especially Bohemia was a hotbed for the Reformed, as Lutheranism was distinctly Germanic.

Interestingly, Unitarianism has its origins in Southern Polish Reformed Protestantism. This also caused a split within the Reformed churches of Poland, which then helped the Counter-reformers easily gain upper hand in Poland and eroded the Protestant side.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

Poland was a little late to the whole business Counter-Reformation, so for some time it became a safe haven for religious refugees coming from the Holy Roman Empire, and particularly from the lands under Habsburg rule. Especially Bohemia was a hotbed for the Reformed, as Lutheranism was distinctly Germanic.

Interestingly, Unitarianism has its origins in Southern Polish Reformed Protestantism. This also caused a split within the Reformed churches of Poland, which then helped the Counter-reformers easily gain upper hand in Poland and eroded the Protestant side.

I’m pretty sure Poland has always been extraordinarily tolerant of any and all religions, at least as far as a European Catholic country goes. To my knowledge, there is no stigma whatsoever attached to being a Polish Protestant, Jehovah’s Witness (they have them), or even Muslim (small Tatar community near Bialystok, been there for centuries) — it then becomes simply a case of “they have a different faith than we do”, end of story. Sadly, you do run into anti-Semitism here and there, and there have not been a lot of professing, publicly known Jews since WWII and the Holocaust. (I say “professing” and “publicly known” since some Jews quietly ceased identifying as such, as a survival mechanism among other reasons.)

 

[BohemianBrother]

I wouldn’t say there is a stigma attached to having a different religion in Poland, but that Catholicism simply became a matter of national pride. After the few usual restrictions in the 17th century (no mixed marriages, no civil offices for Protestants, etc.), the Reformed nobles converted to Catholicism for personal gain and the ordinary people followed suit. There was a lot more positive motivation than negative for conversion. Especially because of the fractured nature of the Polish Reformed churches (yes, there were multiple back then).

Poland was remarkably tolerant, from the alliance with the pagan Lithuanians, to supporting the Hussites, to being a safe haven for the Jewish diaspora for a long time. Yes, some few incidents happened, but nothing on the level of Western European religious wars and persecution. And now Polish Catholicism is the strongest in Europe. That’s some food for thought.

 

[Erundil]

from the alliance with the pagan Lithuanians, to supporting the Hussites, to being a safe haven for the Jewish diaspora for a long time.

There is even a tiny old Muslim community that existed for centuries here! Their presence on Polish territory dates back to the 14th century, when Tatars settled in places like Bohoniki village or near Białystok along with building first mosques in this part of Europe!

EDIT: I’m seeing it has been mentioned few post earlier, nevermind then!

And now Polish Catholicism is the strongest in Europe. That’s some food for thought.

Being Polish, I’d say yes, but at the same time the modern materialistic/atheistic pressure from the West (and influence of the internet) is so unbelievable strong. And that is among almost all generations. But — weirdly — when those ideas become stronger, Catholicism somehow becomes stronger too (at least in my parish and from what I hear from my friends, both young and old).

 

[Erundil]

and there have not been a lot of professing, publicly known Jews since WWII and the Holocaust. (I say “professing” and “publicly known” since some Jews quietly ceased identifying as such, as a survival mechanism among other reasons.)

Well, if you go to the synagogue in Poland, you will certainly see many professing Jews

Many public figures after the war as well as contemporary well-known and always respected public people were never ashamed to admit their roots or religion (Tuwim, Tyrmand, Brzechwa, Wildstein, Lem, just to name a few). I’d say since the 90s there is a true revival of religious and cultural life of the Jews here.

Sadly, you do run into anti-Semitism here and there

You as American rarely have the correct knowledge of what is happening here. I’d not say statements like this so lightly.

 

[HomeschoolDad]

HomeschoolDad:

and there have not been a lot of professing, publicly known Jews since WWII and the Holocaust. (I say “professing” and “publicly known” since some Jews quietly ceased identifying as such, as a survival mechanism among other reasons.)

Well, if you go to the synagogue in Poland, you will certainly see many professing Jews

And while I would like to see them, along with every other human creature, be professing Catholics, I must say that this pleases me. The peaceful coexistence of Jews and Catholics in Poland prior to the 20th century is one of the bright spots in recent European history.

HomeschoolDad:

Sadly, you do run into anti-Semitism here and there

You as American rarely have the correct knowledge of what is happening here. I’d not say statements like this so lightly.

Please understand that I am intimately acquainted with Poland — I married a Polish woman, native-born, and my son is a citizen of Rzeczpospolita Polska. I do know that some Poles remain, to a greater or lesser degree, anti-Semitic. This is more common among the elderly. The most noxious, toxic, rankest anti-Semite I have ever met was an elderly Polish man. My wife told me that he was not to be challenged on this, not that he was right, but according to her, “some people of his generation are just like that”.