Post World War II
He remained in Danzig after the Soviet Union occupied the city in March 1945 and was arrested by the Red Army on 25 March 1945, but soon released. He continued administering to the remaining Danzig inhabitants, who had not escaped the Communist take-over, as well as the newly arriving Polish people. In the beginning of August 1945 Polish Cardinal August Hlond requested Splett to resign from his position, which Splett refused to do. On 9 August Splett was arrested by Polish officials and put on trial for collaboration and oppression of the Polish People. Throughout custody Hlond pretended Pope Pius XII had disbanded Splett, which was not the case. He was sentenced to eight years in prison on 1 February 1946 and imprisoned at Wronki Prison. After his release from prison, Splett was kept under domiciliary arrest at Stary Borek in Southern Poland and at the monastery of Dukla.
In 1956, after protests from West Germany and by the Polish Primas cardinal Stefan Wyszynski, the new Polish government allowed his emigration to West Germany. He remained official Bishop of Danzig until his death in 1964 and was active in the pastoral care for the expelled population of Danzig. He played also an active role in the improvement of the German-Polish relations throughout the Second Vatican Council.
The administrative position of the bishop of Gdańsk was held by lesser church officials. He was succeed by Edmund Nowicki, his coadjutor bishop since 1956.
Splett died in Düsseldorf.
Read more about this topic: Carl Maria Splett
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