Conversions to Catholicism in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th and 17th Centuries in the Context of the Development of the Counter-Reformation: a Summary

The main aim of the article is to summarise, but also in some respects to extend, the existing research on the conversion to Catholicism of members of other Christian denominations in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th and 17th centuries. Although we already know a lot about the development of the Reformation and the reaction to it, in the form of the Counter-Reformation on the part of the Catholic Church in Poland and Lithuania, little has been written about the conversions themselves and their reasons. For example, specific conversions of famous people from magnate circles and the wealthy nobility are examined. The focus is mainly on converts from Protestantism, and less often on Orthodox believers. The article tries to apply a wide perspective, thus showing the specificity of the conversions taking place in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in comparison with other European countries.