Religious motifs in village schools’ chronicles in the years 1945–1958 (examples from Kociewie and Żuławy)

Abstract

The post-war chronicles from village schools in Kociewie and Żuławy over the period 1945–1958 are only slightly saturated with religious motifs which in the school chronicles are usually present in the entries related to schools’ celebrations of holidays, Christmas in particular. The rest of school activity areas specified in the chronicles relate to religious dimension of life in the countryside at that time to a lesser extent. In the documents drawn up by school staff in the years 1945–1957 the secularization of post-war education is reflected. The linguistic analysis allows to  observe that the then authorities were trying to fulfill the emptiness after the spiritual life had been weeded out with new symbols and rituals. We can also see that in the village schools a ‘new secular tradition’ was coming to life together with a new language established for that tradition.