Between clientelism and interests: local elites and church conflicts in Subcarpathian Rus in 1919–1924

In the interwar period, during the time of Czechoslovakia in Subcarpathian Rus, there were significant disputes over the ownership of church property. The relations between the Greek Catholics and the Orthodox were particularly heated. The active growth in the number of Orthodox was accompanied by conflicts with Greek Catholics, as the Orthodox were supplemented by Greek Catholics who converted to other religions. In some places, almost entire villages were converted, leading to conflict with the minority of Greek Catholics in such a village. As a result, local authorities were forced to make sometimes very unpopular decisions in favor of one or the other religious community, or both at the same time. This study aims to try to explore the causes and content of the conflicts between Greek Catholics and Orthodox in the light of archival documents.