In praise of vital records. A few cases

Abstract

A literary historian finds birth, death, and marriage certificates incredibly useful as primary research sources. Detached as it is, this knowledge serves as a solid basis both for individual biographies and contexts meant to reconstruct a particular historical thread. Personalised documentation is subjective by nature, while the discussed documents tend to contain accurate and unbiased data. The cases discussed herein prove the need to consult both standard documents for personal data and dates of birth/death, as well as the information on occupation, place of birth/residence/death, kinship and affinity, even milieu. Thanks to the discovery of the birth certificate of Maria and Wawrzyniec Puttkamer’s daughter, the Philomaths’ letters of 1823 could be seen in a different light, as could the alleged affair between Maria Puttkamer and Adam Mickiewicz. To explicate and substantiate the personal data included in Maria Konopnicka’s letters and notes, a genealogical reconstruction of her family is in order. Bolesław Leśmian’s vital records revealed hitherto unknown details of his biography (and of people associated with him). A scrutiny of Maria Piotrowicz’s biography, based almost exclusively on certificates, disclosed the legendary story of her life. The above are mere examples of all the cases that can prompt researchers to explore archives in search of fundamental documentation, which can prevent paralogisms and help break the chain of errors with a view to further data mining.