The author undertakes an analysis of the religious situation existing in the Polish State in the years 1918–1989. The political situation had an impact on the religious situation at that time, including the rights and freedoms of churches and religious communities. The Author characterizes in the article three periods in the history of the Republic of Poland: 1) the period of the Second Republic (1918–1939); 2) the period of German and Soviet occupation (1939–1945); 3) the period of the Polish People’s Republic (1945–1989), as well as the basic normative acts dealing with the situation of churches and religious communities.