11 Introduction at that time and partially processed, Marian historians in the 20th century, such as Boleslaus Jakimowicz, Juozas Vaišnora, and Zygmunt Proczek, conducted new biographical studies of Fr. Casimir and published various articles related to his person, especially his apostolic and Marian activities. Additionally, various biographical and contributory works depict Fr. Casimir within the context of his era and contribute to a deeper understanding of the Congregation’s history.2 The lack of comprehensive historical studies of the first century of the Marian Order can be attributed to various reasons, perhaps the most significant being the shortage of adequately prepared researchers. Another crucial factor was the tragic fate of Marian archives, which were affected by the suppression of monasteries in the Russian partition in 1864. As a result, many of these archives were plundered and destroyed. The Marian Fathers were the only religious order with all its monasteries in the Russian partition. After the suppression, only the monastery in Marijampole, Lithuania, remained active, where Marian priests from other monasteries were transferred, except those deported to Siberia. Various archival materials were also gathered there. Unfortunately, with the suppression of the last Marian monastery in 1904 and the complete takeover of the monastery buildings by the Soviets in 1940, they were almost entirely lost. Tremendous efforts were made to painstakingly search, collect, and reconstruct the documentation, which led to the reorganization of the archives in Marijampole and Warsaw. During the Nazi occupation, the Marians’ collections suffered destruction once again. During the Warsaw Uprising, the Marian archives stored in the Warsaw Archdiocesan Archive, the Treasury Archive, and the Marian archive in Bielany were destroyed by fire. The collections held in Marijampole also suffered partial damage. After World War II, the Marian Fathers in Poland again began the painstaking search for documents, reconstructing the archives and organizing them in the Marian center in Bielany, Warsaw. However, in 1954, officials from the Security Office (UB — Urząd Bezpieczeństwa) took over the entire Marian monastery in Bielany and secretly transported the religious to Gietrzwałd. All movable and immovable assets were taken from the Marians, and the library and archives were severely damaged. 2 See Bibliography.
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