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It is our pleasure to invite you to the upcoming session of the Interdisciplinary Seminar, hosted by the Robert Zajonc Institute for Social Studies at the University of Warsaw. This time, our guests will be Prof. Volha Charnysh from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Prof. Ricardo Pique from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, who will give a presentation titled “Razing the Church: The Enduring Effect of Nazi Repression in Poland.” We are also pleased to announce that Dr hab. Maciej Potz, Prof. UŁ, from the University of Łódź, will provide commentary on the presentation. Date: Friday, 25 April 2025, Time: 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM CET Location: Zoom (Virtual Meeting): https://uw-edu-pl.zoom.us/j/97204832072?pwd=RAHyQA7yU8ngGka3OJfcz265eMgGCI.1
Abstract: We examine the enduring effects of foreign repression against religious elites on religiosity and nationalism by studying the persecution of the Catholic Church in Nazi-occupied Poland. Using original local-level data and a spatial regression discontinuity design, we establish that religious repression was most severe in the annexed Warthegau region, resulting in the arrest or death of most local priests. We argue that targeting the clergy can have divergent effects on religious participation and attachments to identities the clergy represent. The interruption in the supply of religious services caused by repression may undermine the behavioral norm of regular church attendance. At the same time, by elevating its victims to the status of martyrs for their faith and nation, this form of repression may bolster religious nationalism among their followers. Consistent with the supply channel, church attendance and religious schooling were lower in repressed localities. In line with the martyrdom channel, these areas built more monuments to victimized priests and showed more support for nationalist parties when WWII was politically salient. Our results suggest that foreign repression against religious leaders leaves lasting legacies for political and social behavior. Page of the event at Facebook
