Powojenne losy rękopisów z Kamienia Pomorskiego

Abstract

The Post-War Fate of the Manuscripts from Kamień Pomorski In the 12th c., Kamień Pomorski became the capital of the diocese and the most important religious center in Western Pomerania. For centuries, within the cathedral walls, there was a library created by the canons, which was the foundation of their workshop and everyday pastoral work. In 1818, a significant part of the book collection came to Szczecin, and in 1822 it became the property of St. Mary’s Gymnasium in Szczecin (Marienstiftsgymnasium). As a consequence of World War II – despite efforts to secure the book collections – some of the books from Kamień Pomorski were dispersed among various institutions or were stolen. As a result, under unknown circumstances, they ended up in private hands and later in various libraries in Poland and abroad. The article presents the previously unknown post-war fate of several medieval manuscripts from the cathedral chapter in Kamień Pomorski, the history of which is closely connected to the famous foreign exchange smuggling scandal of the 1960s and 1970s. At the time of confiscation, these manuscripts were the property of Leon Dygas, one of the ten defendants and people sentenced in the trial.