Sytuacja finansowa klasztoru Paulinów w Topolnie w latach 1685-1818

Abstract

The monastery of Pauline Fathers in Topolno was sponsored by the parish priest of the Warmia minster Adam Zygmunt Konarski and his brother Andrzej Konarski, Chamberlain or Pomerania. The Pauline Fathers were also providing religious activities in the parish. The basis of the monastery and parish income was the farm in Celestynek, a village donated to the Pauline Fathers in 1638 by the Malbork voivode Samuel Konarski. Among the sources of income were offerings, iura stolae, compensations for the goods confiscated by Prussia, and collection of debts. The biggest part of income was generated by the above mentioned compensations, as well as donations and capital interest. The generated income was spent on taxes, war contributions, maintenance and construction works, art, financial help for the provinces and central management of the monastery, salaries for the monastery Staff, payments for various services, repayments, as well as on simple resources like food and beverages. Majority was spent on constructions, renovations and artistic works, as well as for paying taxes and covering the interest of repayment. The financial situation of the motiastery was unstable and, in generał, expenses exceeded the income. Between 1722 and 1806 the monastery in Topolno received 31 562,26 zloty, and its expenses amounted to 34 925,15 zloty. Thus, the deficit was 3361,19 zloty in total, which prowes how poor the financial situation of the monastery was. One needs to remember, hoverer, that the provided data are approximate, because of the scarceness of the available historical data.