Protestanci na Mazurach. Historia i literatura. Studia

Abstract

On June 23, 2016, the National Scientific Conference “The History, Culture and Writings of Protestants in Masuria: From the 16th to the 21st century” was organized in Ełk. The organizers of this event were: The Department of Philological Research “East-West”, the Faculty of Philology at the University of Białystok, and the Parish of Divine Love in Ełk – belonging to the Evangelical-Methodist Church, the Historical Museum in Ełk and the Scientific Association “Oikoumene”. The initiator of the project and the chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Conference was Professor Jarosław Ławski (DPhR “East-West”). The second chair was Fr. Dariusz Zuber from the Parish of Divine Love in Ełk. The Committee included Monika Jurkowska, MA, from the University of Białystok, Grzegorz Czerwiński, PhD, from the Department of Philological Research “East-West”, dr habil. Anna Janicka from the Faculty of Philology UofB, Wojciech Kalinowski, PhD, from the “Oikoumene” Scientific Association, and Michał Siedlecki, PhD, from the Scientific Department of Łukasz Górnicki’s Library in Podlasie, Białystok. It is worth to mentioning the origin of the Conference mostly because it had a very unusual genesis. Unlike other scientific meetings which focus on recognized literary work, an outstanding creator, a problem, a phenomenon, or a literary age, the Conference in Ełk had a patron, whose book was only published in 2016. Moreover, the patron is known to at most a small group of researchers and people passionate about history. I mean here Edward Małłek (1907-1995), the first post-World War II Pastor of the Parish of Divine Love in Ełk. The book in question is: Where is my Homeland? Memoirs (Gdzie jest moja Ojczyzna? Wspomnienia), introduction and edition of the volume by Jarosław Ławski, preface by Dariusz Zuber (The Scientific Publishing Series “Colloquia Orientalia Bialostocensia”, Białystok – Ełk 2016). The pretext for organizing the Conference was not only the publication of the diary, which is so important to the history of Ełk, but also that 2016 marks the 70th anniversary of the foundation of the Parish of Divine Love. What is also worth mentioning is that it is in the walls belonging to the Parish of the Methodist Church at ul. Słowackiego 26 where the debates took place. The Scientific Committee of the Conference included: Prof. dr habil. Zbigniew Chojnowski (UWM in Olsztyn), Fr. Bishop Edward Puślecki, PhD, (the Evangelical Methodist Church in Poland), Director of the Historical Museum in Ełk, Kazimierz Bogusz, Łukasz Zabielski, PhD, Head of the Scientific Department of the Łukasz Górnicki’s Library in Podlasie, Białystok, and Stefan Marcinkiewicz, PhD, (UWM In Olsztyn). The Honorary Patrons were as follows: Tomasz Andrukiewicz, The Mayor of Ełk; Professor Bogusław Nowowiejski, the Dean of the Faculty of Philology at the University of Białystok and Fr. Patrick Streiff, PhD, the Bishop of the Evangelical Methodist Church for Central and Southern Europe. The opening ceremony of the Conference began with Prof. Jarosław Ławski, who greeted the Guests. Then Fr. Dariusz Zuber and director Kazimierz Bogusz presented the purpose and the idea of the Conference. Artur Urbański, the Vice Mayor of Ełk, also gave a speech. A great surprise for all gathered in the church was the appearance of Andrzej Małłek and Jadwiga Siewierska-Małłek, the children of Edward Małłek, who shared the memories of their father with the audience. The ceremonial opening of the Conference was made by Prof. Zbigniew Chojnowski, who also chaired the first part of plenary proceedings. After the scientific part of the Conference, the participants and the inhabitants of Ełk had the pleasure of listening to a very interesting concert entitled “Piano Meditations in the Church of Divine Love, performed by Prof. Robert Marata. The papers presented in this session are published in this volume. The studies were divided into three groups: 1. Devoted to the figure of pastor Edward Małłek; 2. Devoted to the history of the Masurian population after 1945; 3. Analyzing the language, culture and literature of Masurians from the 16th century to the present. The book appears as the 27th volume of the Scientific Publishing Series “Colloquia Orientalia Bialostocensia”. It was issued with financial support from the Faculty of Philology of the University of Białystok and the Historical Museum in Ełk. It is also the second volume of a new cycle of interdisciplinary publications entitled “Masurian Studies”. Another Conference about Masuria is scheduled for 2018.