On November 4-6, 1993, a nationwide scientific conference was held in Dąbrowa Niemodlińska on the role of monasteries in the medieval culture of Poland, organized by the Institute of History of the Higher Pedagogical School in Opole and the Historical Institute of the University of Wrocław. During the three-day symposium, nearly forty papers were discussed on the creation and shaping of culture by Polish monasteries in the Middle Ages. The speakers touched on a variety of topics, including: the role of the Templars in Poland, the functions of the Pauline Order, Norbertine monasteries in the 14th-15th centuries and the participation of monastic communities in creating culture. The second day of the meeting was dominated by topics related to writing and documents in monasteries. Monastic education, patronage and liturgical music were also discussed. The problem of the appearance of the monastic habit in the Middle Ages was also discussed. The last day of the conference was devoted to the history of monastic architecture and art, where, among others, the latest archaeological and architectural research on monastery buildings. Many discussions focused on issues that are less eagerly discussed, such as internal life in individual convents or the relationship between the monastery and its immediate surroundings. To sum up, the conference provided extensive material on the role of monasteries in the culture of medieval Poland and marked areas for further research and discussion.
