• OUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA: st Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionOUR LADY of CZĘSTOCHOWA
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
link to OUR LADY of PERPETUAL HELP in SŁOMCZYN infoSITE LOGO

Roman Catholic
St Sigismund parish
05-507 Słomczyn
85 Wiślana Str.
Konstancin deanery
Warsaw archdiocese, Poland

  • St SIGISMUND: St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
  • St SIGISMUND: XIX c., feretory, St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland; source: own collectionSt SIGISMUND
    XIX c., feretory
    St Sigismund parish church, Słomczyn, Poland
    source: own collection
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Martyrology of the clergy — Poland

XX century (1914 – 1989)

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  • KNITTER Paul, source: www.gdanskstrefa.com, own collection; CLICK TO ZOOM AND DISPLAY INFOKNITTER Paul
    source: www.gdanskstrefa.com
    own collection

surname

KNITTER

forename(s)

Paul (pl. Paweł)

function

diocesan priest

creed

Latin (Roman Catholic) Church RCmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2014.09.21]

diocese / province

Gdańsk diocesemore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2017.01.21]

Apostolic Administration of Free City of Gdańskmore on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2017.01.21]

Culm (Chełmno) diocesemore on
pl.wikipedia.org
[access: 2012.11.23]

nationality

German

date and place
of death

10.04.1945

Elblągtoday: Elbląg city pov., Warmia–Masuria voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.04.12]

details of death

Gdańsk was captured by the Russians on 11.03.1945. Mass rapes of women by Russian soldiers ensued, arrests and deportation to Russian slave labour concentration camps followed, and after 05.1945 and the formal end of World War II, deportations of Germans to the West begun. This is how World War II ended for the people of Gdańsk, started with the German and Russian invasion of Poland in 09.1939.

In 01.1945 did not decide to follow the evacuation orders issued by the German military authorities and remained in his parish.

In 04.1945 detained by the Russians and sent to a camp near Elbląg, c. 25 km from Nowy Dwór Gdański, where was allegedly forced to do slave labor. Was supposed to die there („to be tortured to death”).

According to some sources, was „stoned to death in the forest” — apparently out of revenge for causing the execution of someone by acting as a court translator/interpreter in Nowy Dwór Gdański.

cause of death

murder

perpetrators

Russians

date and place
of birth

20.06.1890

Chojnicetoday: Chojnice urban gm., Chojnice pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.09.02]

presbyter (holy orders)
ordination

25.03.1915

positions held

1939 – 1945

parish priest — Nowy Dwór Gdańskitoday: Nowy Dwór Gdański gm., Nowy Dwór Gdański pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2024.01.19]
⋄ Transfiguration of the Lord RC parish

1927 – 1939

parish priest — Pogorzała Wieśtoday: Miłoradz gm., Malbork pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2024.01.19]
⋄ St Nicholas the Bishop and Confessor RC parish — according to some sources in 1933‑1942; completed the construction of the Christ the King filial church in Piekło village (knew Polish, preached in it, was considered favorable to Poles)

vicar — GdańskWrzeszcz borough
today: Gdańsk city pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland

more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.01.28]
⋄ Sacred Heart of Jesus RC parish

vicar — GdańskŚródmieście district
today: Gdańsk city pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland

more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2022.02.24]
⋄ St Brigitte RC parish

c. 1920

vicar — Chełmnotoday: Chełmno urban gm., Chełmno pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.25]
⋄ Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary RC parish ⋄ Chełmnotoday: Chełmno urban gm., Chełmno pov., Kuyavia–Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.25]
RC deanery

vicar — Gniewtoday: Gniew gm., Tczew pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.29]
⋄ St Nicholas the Bishop and Martyr RC parish ⋄ Gniewtoday: Gniew gm., Tczew pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.07.29]
RC deanery

c. 1915

student — Pelplintoday: Pelplin gm., Tczew pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.05.06]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Theological Seminary

c. 1914

student — Bonntoday: Bonn urban dist., North Rhine–Westphalia state, Germany
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2020.10.21]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Frederick William Rhenish University

1911 – 1914

student — Pelplintoday: Pelplin gm., Tczew pov., Pomerania voiv., Poland
more on
en.wikipedia.org
[access: 2021.05.06]
⋄ philosophy and theology, Theological Seminary

murder sites
camp 
(+ prisoner no)

Mass rapes in 1945: During capture in 1944‑1945 of pre‑war German territories and territories incorporated into Germany in 1939 after German invasion of Poland Russian soldiers committed mass, often multiple, rapes on mainly German, but also Polish, women. Up to 2 mln women might have been violated, from 8 to 80 or more years old. Many were murdered as a consequence. Rapes were prob. tolerated if not encouraged by Russian military and civilian NKVD commanders. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.03.01]
)

Ribbentrop‑Molotov: Genocidal Russian‑German alliance pact between Russian leader Joseph Stalin and German leader Adolf Hitler signed on 23.08.1939 in Moscow by respective foreign ministers, Mr. Vyacheslav Molotov for Russia and Joachim von Ribbentrop for Germany. The pact sanctioned and was the direct cause of joint Russian and German invasion of Poland and the outbreak of the World War II in 09.1939. In a political sense, the pact was an attempt to restore the status quo ante before 1914, with one exception, namely the „commercial” exchange of the so‑called „Kingdom of Poland”, which in 1914 was part of the Russian Empire, fore Eastern Galicia (today's western Ukraine), in 1914 belonging to the Austro‑Hungarian Empire. Galicia, including Lviv, was to be taken over by the Russians, the „Kingdom of Poland” — under the name of the General Governorate — Germany. The resultant „war was one of the greatest calamities and dramas of humanity in history, for two atheistic and anti‑Christian ideologies — national and international socialism — rejected God and His fifth Decalogue commandment: Thou shall not kill!” (Abp Stanislav Gądecki, 01.09.2019). The decisions taken — backed up by the betrayal of the formal allies of Poland, France and Germany, which on 12.09.1939, at a joint conference in Abbeville, decided not to provide aid to attacked Poland and not to take military action against Germany (a clear breach of treaty obligations with Poland) — were on 28.09.1939 slightly altered and made more precise when a treaty on „German‑Russian boundaries and friendship” was agreed by the same murderous signatories. One of its findings was establishment of spheres of influence in Central and Eastern Europe and in consequence IV partition of Poland. In one of its secret annexes agreed, that: „the Signatories will not tolerate on its respective territories any Polish propaganda that affects the territory of the other Side. On their respective territories they will suppress all such propaganda and inform each other of the measures taken to accomplish it”. The agreements resulted in a series of meeting between two genocidal organization representing both sides — German Gestapo and Russian NKVD when coordination of efforts to exterminate Polish intelligentsia and Polish leading classes (in Germany called «Intelligenzaktion», in Russia took the form of Katyń massacres) where discussed. Resulted in deaths of hundreds of thousands of Polish intelligentsia, including thousands of priests presented here, and tens of millions of ordinary people,. The results of this Russian‑German pact lasted till 1989 and are still in evidence even today. (more on: en.wikipedia.orgClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2015.09.30]
)

Pius XI's encyclicals: Facing the creation of two totalitarian systems in Europe, which seemed to compete with each other, though there were more similarities than contradictions between them, Pope Pius XI issued in 03.1937 (within 5 days) two encyclicals. In the „Mit brennender Sorge” (Eng. „With Burning Concern”) published on 14.03.1938, condemned the national socialism prevailing in Germany. The Pope wrote: „Whoever, following the old Germanic‑pre‑Christian beliefs, puts various impersonal fate in the place of a personal God, denies the wisdom of God and Providence […], whoever exalts earthly values: race or nation, or state, or state system, representatives of state power or other fundamental values of human society, […] and makes them the highest standard of all values, including religious ones, and idolizes them, this one […] is far from true faith in God and from a worldview corresponding to such faith”. On 19.03.1937, published „Divini Redemptoris” (Eng. „Divine Redeemer”), in which criticized Russian communism, dialectical materialism and the class struggle theory. The Pope wrote: „Communism deprives man of freedom, and therefore the spiritual basis of all life norms. It deprives the human person of all his dignity and any moral support with which he could resist the onslaught of blind passions […] This is the new gospel that Bolshevik and godless communism preaches as a message of salvation and redemption of humanity”… Pius XI demanded that the established human law be subjected to the natural law of God , recommended the implementation of the ideal of a Christian state and society, and called on Catholics to resist. Two years later, National Socialist Germany and Communist Russia came together and started World War II. (more on: www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28]
, www.vatican.vaClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2023.05.28]
)

sources

personal:
gmina.sztum.plClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2024.01.19]

bibliographical:
Biographical dictionary of priests of the Chełmno diocese ordained in the years 1821‑1920”, Henry Mross, Pelplin, 1995
original images:
www.gdanskstrefa.comClick to attempt to display webpage
[access: 2024.01.19]

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