123–137 Kichera
Paginae Historiae / ročník 33 / 2025 / číslo 2 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.71832/n75r-9d39
Between clientelism and interests: local elites and church conflicts in Subcarpathian Rus in 1919–1924
In the interwar period, during the time of Czechoslovakia in Subcarpathian Rus, there were significant disputes over the ownership of church property. The relations between the Greek Catholics and the Orthodox were particularly heated. The active growth in the number of Orthodox was accompanied by conflicts with Greek Catholics, as the Orthodox were supplemented by Greek Catholics who converted to other religions. In some places, almost entire villages were converted, leading to conflict with the minority of Greek Catholics in such a village. As a result, local authorities were forced to make sometimes very unpopular decisions in favor of one or the other religious community, or both at the same time. This study aims to try to explore the causes and content of the conflicts between Greek Catholics and Orthodox in the light of archival documents.
Keywords: archival documents, Czechoslovakia, Subcarpathian Rus, Greek Catholics, conflict, Orthodox
Mezi klientelismem a zájmy: místní elity a církevní konflikty na Podkarpatské Rusi v letech 1919–1924
V meziválečném období v době Československa na Podkarpatské Rusi docházelo k významným sporům o vlastnictví církevního majetku. Zvláště vyhrocené byly vztahy mezi řeckokatolíky a pravoslavnými. Aktivní nárůst počtu pravoslavných byl doprovázen konflikty s řeckokatolíky, protože pravoslavní byli doplňováni řeckokatolíky, kteří konvertovali k jinému náboženství. Na některých místech byly překřtěny téměř celé vesnice, což vedlo ke konfliktu s menšinou řeckokatolíků v takové vesnici. V důsledku toho byly místní úřady nuceny podle toho činit někdy velmi nepopulární rozhodnutí ve prospěch jedné nebo druhé náboženské komunity, případně obou najednou. Cílem této studie je pokusit se prozkoumat příčiny a obsah konfliktů mezi řeckými katolíky a pravoslavnými ve světle archivních dokumentů.
Klíčová slova: archivní dokumenty, Československo, Podkarpatska Rus, řeckokatolíci, konflikt, pravoslaví
Zveřejněno: 19. 12. 2025
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Reference
1 Anton Papp (1867–1945) Greek Catholic bishop 1912–1924 Born in modern Hungary, he completed his secondary studies in Uzhhorod and Levoča (today‘s Slovakia). The first year of his theological studies began in Uzhhorod and ended in Budapest. He did not support changes to the Julian calendar. Sunday readings and teaching of illiterates in the vernacular language were carried out in parishes. Under Bishop Anton, there was an attempt to use the diocese as an instrument of the modernization policy of the Hungarian government, through the so-called ‘reform of the alphabet’ – the conversion of the Cyrillic alphabet into the Hungarian Latin alphabet, as well as the reform of the calendar and service books, which was not carried out during his reign. With the change in borders from 1919, the Czechoslovak authorities began to seek to,3 remove Bishop Anton Papp from office. Even at the level of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, they only stated that the authorities there suspected Anton Papp of having connections with Budapest, but no evidence could be found. He died on 24 December 1945 in Miskolc.
2 Národní archiv (henceforth NA), Ministerstvo školství, Praha (henceforth MŠ), čj. 38206/1920. Memorandum o domnělém pronásledování řecko-katolické církve na P. Rusi, box 796.
3 Нариси історії Закарпаття, (1918–1945), відп. ред. і кер. авт. колективу І. М. Гранчак, Ужгород : Закарпаття, 1995, 663 с., т. 2, с. 438 / Essays on the History of Transcarpathia, (1918–1945), ed. and lead author I. M. Granchak, Uzhhorod: Transcarpathia, 1995, 663 p.,
vol. 2, p. 438.
4 NA, MŠ, čj. 6766/1920. Církevní poměry v Podk. Rusi, box 796.
5 Висіцька, Т. Християнство на Закарпатті: документальне дослідження становлення та розвитку (ХІV–ХVІ ст.) / Таміла Висіцька [Текст]. Ужгород : Видавництво Олександри Гаркуші, 2012, с. 490 / Vysitka, Tamila: Christianity in Transcarpathia: a documentary study of its formation and development (14th–16th centuries) / Tamila Vysitka [Text]. Uzhhorod: Oleksandra Garkusha Publishing House, 2012, p. 490.
6 Archiv Ministerstva zahraničních věcí (henceforth AMZV), II. sekce, sign. 225 dův./1921. Stížnost papežského stolce ohledné utlačování církve katolické, box 62.
7 AMZV, IІI. sekce, čj. 212646/1923. Pravoslavná církev čsl v RČS. Organisace, box 60.
8 NA, MŠ, čj. 101.790/1924 Náboženské spory mezi řeckovýchodnimí a řecko-katolíky, box 3822.
9 Antonín Rozsypal (1866–1937), Czech government official of Austria-Hungary and Czechoslovakia. He served for a long time in Subcarpathian Rus. In 1923 he was appointed vice-governor of Subcarpathian Rus. After the administrative-territorial reform of 1928, he became the provincial president responsible for the administration of the „Subcarpathian Land“. Governor of Subcarpathian Rus (16 June 1933 – 15 February 1935). He tried to prevent the autonomy of the region, and did much for the economic and social development of the region.
10 Jozef Pešek (1872–1924), Czech teacher, journalist, editor and official of Czech education in Subcarpathian Rus. In September 1919 he was appointed head of the Czechoslovak educational administration in Subcarpathian Rus and held this position until his death. He was a supporter of the populist Ukrainian orientation in school education, appointing emigrants from Halych to local schools and positions. This was the reason why Rusophiles accused him of provoking a linguistic conflict in the region.
11 – i.e. forced, given the circumstances.
12 NA, MŠ, čj. 101.790/1924. Náboženské spory mezi řeckovýchodnimí a řecko-katolíky, box 3822.
13 “…the Orthodox Priests support this communist movement”
14 NA, MŠ, čj. II-4137/24. Bolševická agitace komunistických poslanců a jejich podpora pravoslaví v Dubrovce, box 3883.
15 NA, MŠ, čj. 86243/24. Podk. Rus, pravoslavné hnutí, křivdy činěné řec. kat. církvi, box 3883.
16 „…emissaries from Moscow.“ See: NA, MŠ, čj. 86243/24. Podk. Rus, pravoslavné hnutí, křivdy činěné řec. kat. církvi, box 3883.
17 Dionýz Njarady (1874–1940), bishop of the Križevci Diocese of the Croatian Greek Catholic Church (May 1, 1920–April 14, 1940). He was ordained on 1 January 1899. Ordained as bishop on 9 January 1915. Apostolic Administrator of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Presov (27. Oktober 1922–2. February 1927). Apostolic Administrator of the Greek Catholic Diocese of Mukachevo (3. November 1938–16. March 1939).
18 Francesco Marmaggi (31 August 1870–3 November 1949) was an Italian Roman Catholic cleric, Apostolic Nuncio, among others in Czechoslovakia in 1923–1925, from 1935 Cardinal.
19 “…Orthodox propaganda in these parts is basically nothing more than Bolshevik rusophilism.”
20 «…nurtured or at least not kept within proper and permissible limits by local authorities.» See: NA, MŠ, čj. 86243/24. Podk. Rus, pravoslavné hnutí, křivdy činěné řec. kat. církvi, box 3883.
21 The document is published in the original 1920s text, including the language.
22 Greek-Eastern Church Committee – self-organized individuals, supported by local authorities, who, not having their own church or estates, always claimed the property of the Greek Catholic Church.
23 NA, MŠ, čj. 101.790/1924. Náboženské spory mezi řeckovýchodnimí a řecko-katolíky, box 3822.
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