Pastor Teodor Zirkwitz (1863-1943). Życie i działalność w Białymstoku w latach 1903-1938

Abstract

The 100th anniversary of the consecration of the Evangelic temple of St. John the Baptist, which was celebrated in 2013 , provides a good pretext for remembering the biography of pastor Teodor Zirkwitz. The future pastor was bom on the 20th of March 1863 in Wiskitki, near Żyrardów, in the family of pastor Rudolf Zirkwitz. In 1882, he completed the 2nd Philological Gymnasium in Warsaw, and entered the Faculty of Theology at the University of Dorpat (Tartu) . He received his diploma in 1891 , and at the beginning of the following year started to work as a priest in Włocławek. In the same year, he was transferred to Władysławowo, and in the years 1897-1903, he held the post of administrator of the Neudorf (Mościce) parish in the Grodno Governorate. Finally, in 1 903, he was appointed a parson of the Białystok parish, and he held that post till 1938. To the new parish, he introduced energy and vitality thus far unseen. In 1903, his efforts resulted in the possibility of delivering sermons in Polish and German. As early as in 1904, he stated to struggle for the construction of a new parish church, which he managed to get to a happy ending in 1912. He reformed the structure of the parochia} education; he organised the Young Believers Society of the Parish, and the Society for the Provision of Help to the Poor of the Evangelical Parish; in a house that he purchased in 1913 in the nearest neighbourhood of the church, he located an orphanage and an old people's home. In 1915, he was elected the vice president of the Citizens' Committee, which saved him from deportation. During the German occupation (1915-1919) , a cheap canteen, store, orphanage, poorhouse, and library operated under his auspices. In the interwar period, he did not hide his pro-Polish attitude, which earned him aversion from the part of the congregation that were of German origin. In spite of numerous conflicts between the pastor and the believers, rev. Zirkwitz ceaselessly engaged in various activities for the community and the people of Białystok. He continually ran the orphanage and poorhouse, which were moved to a new building in Podleśna Street in 1929. Together with the Evangelical Lutheran Relief Committee, he organised numerous fairs, festivals and community events in order to collect funds for helping the poor. He continually presided the parochia} system of education, at the same time teaching at Białystok secondary schools. He tried to reactivate the "Concordia'' choir, who had performed for nearly half a century. Alongside, he actively participated in and supported a variety of patriotic and nationalist initiatives, working for numerous committees that organised the celebrations of the May 3'd Constitution Day, or the National Independence Day (11th November), or even the birthday and name-day of Marshall J. Piłsudski. He took part in the editorial works on the first historical monograph of Białystok; he also tried to organisea museum of the history of the city. He supported the activities undertaken to help the unemployed, disabled soldiers, the poor, and flood victims. He was awarded a number of times, including the Gold Cross of Merit that he received from the president. In November 1937, he submitted his resignation from the duties, which were taken over by his thus far assistant rev. Benna Kraeter. He yet stayed in the parish till July 1938, and then he left Białystok. He died on the 3rd of March 1943 in Gdańsk-Wrzeszcz, at the age of 80.