Obraz Polski w dziennikach kardynała Alfreda Baudrillarta

Image of Poland in the Diaries of Cardinal Alfred BaudrillartCardinal Alfred Baudrillart (1859–1942), rector of the Catholic Institute of Paris, publicist, and historian, was one of the most influential dignitaries of the Catholic Church in France during the first half of the twentieth century. In 1935 Pius XI (1922–1939) created him Cardinal Priest. The cardinal had numerous acquaintances among politicians, diplomats, journalists, and intellectuals. He was also involved in French political life and upon numerous occasions acted as a diplomat, known for his sympathy for Poland and the Poles. In the course of the First World War Cardinal Baudrillart became actively involved in undertakings pursued for the sake of the renascence of Polish independence and subsequently maintained contacts with Polish politicians, diplomats, and members of the clergy. During the inter–war period he paid a number of visits in Poland and in 1926 was awarded the Great Cross Polonia Restituta.Baudrillart was an author of a copious diary kept uninterruptedly from 1914 to 1941 and commenting on the current political situation both in France and the world, with many mentions of Poland. To this day, however, Polish researchers have not used these records. The presented article discusses the most prominent motifs of the cardinal’s commentaries regarding Poland and the Poles. It also depicts the evolution of Baudrillart’s views concerning Polish issues and his commitment to pro–Polish activity.