Akcje władz bezpieczeństwa przeciwko środowisku luterańskiemu na Mazurach i Warmii w latach 1947-1956

The communist regime after 1947 tried to divide the Lutheran community in Warmia and Mazury. This was to be achieved by arousing suspicion that the members of that Church were spies on behalf of various Western countries, especially the Scandinavian ones, as the Lutheran Church in Poland maintained vivid contacts with them. At the same time the Lutheran community was seen as pro-German and the clergy were accused of collaboration with the Germans in the times of World War II. They were blamed for the failure of the forced polonisation of the German population, which decided to stay in Poland after the war. In effect two Lutheran priests and several laymen were arrested. The authorities failed to prove the accusations of espionage and the priests and laymen were not sentenced, but they were not fully acquitted before 1957.