Odwołanie do Boga w przysiędze strażników więziennych w Polsce na przestrzeni wieków

Abstract

Aim: The aim of the study is an attempt to analyse references to God in the oath rote of prison guards from the Middle Ages, through the First Polish Republic, the Kingdom of Poland, the Second Polish Republic, the People's Poland, to the present day. Methods: In order to carry out the investigative research, we chose the method of document analysis. Archival sources stored in state and establishment archives, including personal files of prison guards and legislative sources of various ranks of state authorities were examined. Results: As a result of the study, it was found, among other things, that after the Second World War, when prison staff were linked by the communists to the public security system, the oath was replaced by a vow and took on a completely secular character. Nowadays, it is possible to voluntarily add the words "So help me God" at the end of the rote being recited. Conclusion: Giving the proper importance to the oath of prison officers came only after the democratic changes in Poland. Currently, its taking is accompanied by a solemn ceremony. Taking the oath in a symbolic dimension is an act of joining the ranks of the state formation, whose mission is to honourably serve the society. Originality: The history of the penitentiary system, with few exceptions, is not a primary subject of interest for contemporary researchers. The oath of prison guards from the earliest times to the present day in the Polish lands has not yet been the subject of research, and in the penitentiary literature one searches in vain for wider reports related to the reference to God in the wording of their oaths. Keyword: Reference to God, oath, affirmation, rota, ceremonial, prison guards