Abstract

The aspects of systematic theology belonged to the most infl uential subjects from the very first of the protestant theological teaching at a university level in Poland. Th e Faculty of Protestant Theology at the University of Warsaw was founded in 1921, more than 100 years aft er the University itself had been established. Th e fi rst professor of systematic theology at the Faculty was Karol Serini (1875-1931), who was familiar not only with the latest, at those times, movement inside the protestant theology – dialectic school of Karl Barth, but also was a member of the Polish Freemasonry. He died untimely at the age of 56. His successor at the chair was Rudolf Kesselring (1884-1961), former pastor in Lvov. His position was also open-minded and represented a very ecumenical profi le. One of the most important postulates of Kesselring was the unity of the Polish protestant churches. During World War II, the Faculty of Th eology, as well as the whole Warsaw University, was closed by German invaders. Aft er the end of the War activities of the Faculty of Protestant Th eology were revived. Unfortunately, the chair held by Wiktor Niemczyk no longer had the importance it enjoyed in the prewar times. In 1954 the communist government established a small academy (higher school at university level), partly dependent on the authorities of that time, named Christian Academy of Th eology in Warsaw.