The author of the article deals with minor seminaries on the basis of the minor seminary run by Vincentian fathers in Cracow. He pays attention to the historical and social context of these institutions. He shows the influence of these schools on young people and the education process. The author shows that after WWII the approach of Polish authorities towards the Catholic Church changed. He tries to find true reasons for dismantling minor seminaries in Poland. The closure was not driven by the good of the children, but by purely political factors.