Kingdom Of Poland Research Articles

Multi-analytical study for the art historical science: The mystery of the “Portrait of a young man in a wide-brimmed hat with a feather”

In this work, we performed a comprehensive spectroscopic analysis of the “Portrait of a Young Man in a Wide-Brimmed Hat with a Feather” authored by an unknown artist and housed in the National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus. Previously this portrait was a part of the Myatlev collection (St. Petersburg, Russia). Extensive analysis, including microscopic examination, X-ray radiography, luminescent studies, and complex multi-analytical studies of the chemical composition of art materials allowed us to suggest the dating and attribution of the painting. Laser-induced breakdown spectrometry (LIBS), Fourier transform Infrared spectrometry (FTIR) and Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) were also used. Gold nanoparticles in toluene were used to enhance the signal of Raman scattering, enabling the unambiguous identification of pigments within the painting layers of the historical object.Moreover, we discovered the portrait of another person on the same canvas under the top layer of paint. A comparative analysis of grounds and painting materials did not reveal significant differences in the technological features of both images. Therefore, we can assume that both portraits were created in the same historical period and followed the traditions of the same art school. Lead white, bone black, red, yellow and brown ochres as well as lapis lazuli were identified as the pigments.The results obtained do not contradict to art critics hypothesis that the underlying painting is the portrait of King of Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth11The Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth formally known as the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania was established as a single entity by the Union of Lublin in 1569. It existed until 1795. Wladislaw IV Vasa created in the first half of XVII century. Then, it became the base for a new painting, which might be a self-portrait of the king’s illegitimate son Count Vasenau and was created in the middle of XVII century.

Notarial Inventories as a Source for Researching Landowners’ Book Collections in the Kingdom of Poland (on the Example of Lublin Landed Gentry in the First Half of the 19th Century)

Notarial Inventories as a Source for Researching Landowners’ Book Collections in the Kingdom of Poland (on the Example of Lublin Landed Gentry in the First Half of the 19th Century)

W Galicji i za kordonem. Aktywność polityczna Jana Hupki w czasach Wielkiej Wojny (1914 – 1918). Część I

The article presents the political activity of Jan Hupka – a Galician conservative, a member of the Conservative Club, then of the National Right Party, an advocate of the orientation towards Austria-Hungary, one of the closest associates of Władysław Leopold Jaworski. Jan Hupka’s area of activity included – first of all – activity within the framework of the Supreme National Committee, bringing humanitarian aid to the population of Galicia and the Kingdom of Poland, coordinating relief efforts for war invalids, legion veterans, widows and orphans of legionaries, as well as creating a network of employment offices, hospitals, health care centers, setting up vocational courses, funding relief for the needy. Jan Hupka’s political contacts with representatives of various political options and participation in the Legions’ recruitment campaign were also analyzed. Also shown is Hupka’s attitude towards the hierarchy of the Church, leaders of leading parties and political camps, as well as the events and processes taking place (e.g., the formation of the Legions, the formation and evolution of the orientation towards Austria-Hungary, the November 5 Act, the “oath crisis”, the rule of the Regency Council, etc.). In addition to discussing Hupka’s political activities, an attempt was made to determine the role he played both in Galician politics and in the milieu of Polish activists seeking opportunities for the rebirth of the Polish state based on an orientation toward the central states. The analysis was based on internally diverse source material (e.g., archival documents, the press, memoirs and diaries). Studies (compact works and scientific articles) played only a supporting role.

Starosts in the Principality of Moldavia: A Case Study (1387–1439)

The starosts distinguished themselves among other state officials in the Principality of Moldavia as overseers of the northern counties, on the border with the Kingdom of Poland and the Great Duchy of Lithuania, as well as governors of Putna County, in the south. While this description accurately reflects their duties since the rule of Stephen the Great (1457–1504), it remains to be seen if the same could be said about the previous time periods. The study presents a detailed analysis of the political and administrative role of the starosts in the Principality of Moldavia between the end of the 14th century and the first half of the 15th century, showcasing the political careers of their holders during this period and attempting to pinpoint the exact area of the starosts’ projected territorial power.

К вопросу о предпосылках и осуществлении Польского восстания 1863 г.

The article reviews prerequisites for the uprising in the Kingdom of Poland in 1863 and the practice of carrying out reforms by the Russian government from the standpoint of history of law and state of Russia.

Aspekty prawno-ustrojowe unii troistej. Z dziejów federalizmu w Europie Środkowo-Wschodniej w epoce nowożytnej

The history of European federalism, including associations of union in which the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth participated, has recently become particularly topical. Quite a lot was written about it, in particular the Polish-Lithuanian Union linking the two states over several centuries. Whereas relatively little is known about the history of attempts made in the early modern era to create a power in Central and Eastern Europe based on a union of states that were particularly important in the region at the time. This idea of a union was to unite three states: Poland, Lithuania and Russia, hence the name Triple Union (Pol. unia troista), was first outlined in 1572. It was then renewed at three successive elections until 1587. It was also current during the reign of Sigismund III Vasa, until 1613, when Mikhail Romanov ascended the Moscow throne, starting a new dynasty. With the election of Romanov as Tsar, the project of the Triple Union was abandoned, although Vladislav IV still laid claim to the Moscow throne for a dozen or so years (until 1634), but these claims no longer had any great practical significance and were finally abandoned. Plans for a union advanced by the Polish side often referred to the solutions applied in the earlier acts of union between the Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. This testifies to a strongly developed federalist practice which was characteristic of the Commonwealth, and was at the same time implemented in its own peculiar way. Undoubtedly, the greatest impact on the negotiations was exerted by the Union of Lublin, which at that time was still quite recent. Its provisions, and at the same time the positive effects that is provided for both nations, likely shaped the consciousness of the nobility during the preparation of subsequent diplomatic missions to Moscow. The idea of a Triple Union was undoubtedly one of the boldest political projects of the era. Although it is true, that the concept of the Triple Union remained only in the sphere of projects, it was nevertheless of great importance in the 16th and 17th centuries. However, no dedicated study has yet appeared that would comprehensively present its development, content and significance. This article is an attempt to even partially fill this gap in Polish historiography.

Polityk dwóch epok, taki, jakim (nie) był. Minister Tadeusz Matuszewicz i jego biografia

Tadeusz Matuszewicz was a politician, civil servant, and statesman. He lived at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, taking part in several important events of this period, the most significant of which were participation in the drafting of the Constitution of 3 May 1791 and its adoption, and holding the post of the Minister of Treasury both in the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland. He also took part in the Civil Reform Committee, which prepared changes to the administrative system. The details of Matuszewicz’s biography should therefore illuminate a number of public and legal issues of the era. The reviewed book of Dominika Rychel-Mantur is intended as a biography of Matuszewicz’s public activities. In fact, it only slightly expands the knowledge concerning some aspects of Matuszewicz’s life between 1809 and 1815. Other public activities are either omitted or superficially elaborated. The author did not use the basic archival sources and omitted important pieces of literature on the subject. Many of the findings presented against the source materials used turn out to be untrue due to their misunderstanding or misreading. Unfortunately, Dominika Rychel-Mantur’s book can hardly be regarded as successful.

The attitude of the tsarist authorities towards railway – consequences for the Polish lands (until 1879). Jan Gottlieb Bloch’s “new” perspective

The article presents and analyses Jan Gottlieb Bloch’s views on the influence of tsarist rule on the development of the railway network in the Polish lands under Russian rule1 (up to 1879). The first part of the study is devoted to showing, in general, the tsars’ changing attitude towards the construction of railways in the Russian Empire. The specifics and conditions of railway construction in the Kingdom of Poland are presented. Bloch’s views and research results on the influence of the Russian authorities on the shape of the railway network in the Polish lands are then presented. Iron road projects submitted to the Russian authorities by domestic and foreign entrepreneurs, which did not receive approval, are listed and described. Thus, a picture emerges of “missed opportunities” – railway lines that would have been built had it not been for the specific policy of the Russian authorities. The conclusions of Bloch’s research do not contradict the common view in the literature on the negative influence of the tsarist authorities on the development of railways in the Polish lands under the Russian partition. Bloch’s research, however, goes a step further – it shows a measurable picture of the losses caused by the tsarist policy of a “railway desert”, particularly referring to Polish lands.

Idea krajoznawstwa a kształtowanie tożsamości narodowej młodzieży w królestwie polskim na początku xx wieku

Introduction: At the beginning of the 20th century, the idea of sightseeing as a social movement and a field of study was developing in the Kingdom of Poland. It had a special significance due to the socio-political conditions of the Polish lands. It was an attempt to oppose the russification activities, through activities aimed at preserving heritage and traditions to build and maintain national identity. Research Aim: The aim of the article is to show the idea of sightseeing and the role of the sightseeing movement as a tool for shaping the national identity of adolescents in the Kingdom of Poland at the beginning of the 20th century. Evidence-based Facts: Previous studies on the historical aspects of the sightseeing movement have mainly focused on the evolution of the idea, its origins, examples of practical implementation of activities and representatives of the sightseeing movement. Although some texts have discussed the issue of sightseeing as an educational tool, there has been a lack of in-depth analyses considering the impact of the idea of sightseeing on the shaping of the national identity of adolescents. Summary: The sightseeing activities were seen as a hope for shaping patriotic and civic attitudes. Forms of sightseeing activities at the beginning of the 20th century were regarded as a form of patriotic education. Despite the declarations about the democratic character of the sightseeing movement, it remained an exclusive movement especially for people from non-elite backgrounds and national minority.

“Under the Law and Customs of War”: Treaties and Prisoners of War

The law of war in the Middle Ages extended beyond the considerations of when to initiate a war (the concept of ius belli), the treatment of prisoners, and the permissibility of plunder and destruction. These dimensions were shaped by the contributions of medieval jurists and, significantly, by the influence of Christianity. Despite the concerted efforts to regulate warfare, certain practices persisted, such as the capture of peasants, women, and children – the non-combatants. The expansion of Christianity to the East, particularly to the Baltic Sea region, saw these principles advancing hand in hand, especially through the Teutonic Order and Western nobility. This article endeavors to analyze, primarily drawing from normative sources, the criteria for becoming a prisoner of war during the conflicts involving the Teutonic Order, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and the Kingdom of Poland in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. It explores the process of prisoner distribution and examines the prevailing customs and rules outlined in treaties. Notably, the peace treaties of Salynas (1398), Thorn (1411), Melno (1422), and Brest (1435) highlight evolving formulations in the quest to define who qualified as a “prisoner of war,” the conditions for regaining freedom, and the challenges surrounding the effectiveness of international treaties on the matter of captives.

It Is High Time for Serious Women

Abstract This article aims to highlight aspects of female emancipation in the Kingdom of Poland in the second half of the nineteenth century that gave this movement a specific, national character. The political and economic consequences of the January Uprising (1863–1864) hit the landed gentry particularly hard. As a result, many gentry women faced the necessity of earning a living and this forced a change in their way of life and aspirations. The traditional model for elite women did not match the economic challenges, and with this in mind, the Polish press, especially magazines for female readers, aimed to create a new model of gentry womanhood. Most periodicals agreed that women's emancipation was on a certain level necessary. But to what extent? This question has been a subject of dispute. Some columnists postulated to limit women's professional aspirations to manual occupations in order to preserve the domain of prestigious intellectual labor exclusively for men. This conservative movement succeeded only partially, with some upper-class women devoting themselves to handicrafts while others, against conservatives’ wishes, graduated from universities abroad and obtained qualifications for performing previously male professions. The majority of these educated women combined paid labor with social work. They were strongly influenced by the promoted ideal of a “new Polish woman” who was to be hard working, constantly improving her mental faculties, and engaging in activities that benefitted Polish society and the nation. This model contributed significantly to the formation of a new generation of distinguished female activists.

The influence of Renaissance humanism on the legal ideas of towns-people in the Ruthenian lands of Crown Poland between the fifteenth and the first half of the seventeenth century

Between the fifteenth and the mid-seventeenth century, Renaissance humanism influenced the legal ideas of educated strata in the Kingdom of Poland, including educated burghers. The article examines this process mainly on the example of towns in the Ruthenian lands of the Polish Crown. The result of this influence was several relatively new ideas reflected in legal treatises of this time, written mainly by lawyers from the townspeople, and in other sources: about the clarity and comprehensibility of law for ordinary people, the need to use the vernacular in legal texts, the unconditional supremacy of law, etc. The acquaintance of the townspeople with legal literature contributed to the spread of these ideas.

Diasporas of Ethnic Minorities in the Towns of Tobolsk Governorate in the Late XIX - Early XX Century: Demographic and Social Features

The authors present a comparative description, some socio-demographic features and migration processes of the ethnic groups of the Tobolsk Governorate in order to assess the level of the formation of ethno-confessional communities and diasporas there, to determine strategies for their adaptation and/or integration with local urban society at the turn of the XX century. Special attention is paid to representatives of the Jewish, Polish and German populations. The sources of the study are both the published results of the 1897 First General Census of the Russian Empire for the Tobolsk Governorate and census forms. Using the comprehensive analysis of personal data, there was obtained a sample based on the criterion of native language (Polish, Jewish, German) which included 308 Germans, 1840 Poles and 1876 Jews. The authors come to the conclusion that the number of local natives, the registered population, the structure of their families, and the religious buildings indicate the presence of Jewish and Polish diasporas in Tobolsk, a Jewish community in Yalutorovsk, and a Polish community in Ishim. At the same time, it was established that the German population in the towns was sparse; the Jewish community was the most closed one; mixed marriages were more common in the Polish and German communities and they were actively replenished by immigrants from the Kingdom of Poland and Baltic provinces.

“Russian Emigres in Volynia during the Reign of Ivan IV”

Abstract In this superb monograph, based upon monumental archival and manuscript research, Konstantin Erusalimskii explores the lives and cultural contributions of Muscovite emigres during the reign of Ivan IV to Volynia, part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and then the Kingdom of Poland. Through case studies of the most prominent emigres, above all Prince Andrei Kurbskii, Erusalimskii examines their social consciousness and cultural contributions, both literary compositions and translation projects. The emigres did not think of themselves as traitors. They remained and were treated by indigenous subjects of Poland-Lithuania as outsiders, “Muscovites.” Among numerous original conclusions Erusalimskii argues that publicist Ivan Peresvetov and printer Ivan Fedorov were one and the sane man, introduces an original, signed letter in Polish from Kurbskii to Herzog Albrecht von Hohenzollern of Brandenburg, and portrays Kurbskii as a Renaissance historian.

Odwołanie do Boga w przysiędze strażników więziennych w Polsce na przestrzeni wieków

Aim: The aim of the study is an attempt to analyse references to God in the oath rote of prison guards from the Middle Ages, through the First Polish Republic, the Kingdom of Poland, the Second Polish Republic, the People's Poland, to the present day. Methods: In order to carry out the investigative research, we chose the method of document analysis. Archival sources stored in state and establishment archives, including personal files of prison guards and legislative sources of various ranks of state authorities were examined. Results: As a result of the study, it was found, among other things, that after the Second World War, when prison staff were linked by the communists to the public security system, the oath was replaced by a vow and took on a completely secular character. Nowadays, it is possible to voluntarily add the words "So help me God" at the end of the rote being recited. Conclusion: Giving the proper importance to the oath of prison officers came only after the democratic changes in Poland. Currently, its taking is accompanied by a solemn ceremony. Taking the oath in a symbolic dimension is an act of joining the ranks of the state formation, whose mission is to honourably serve the society. Originality: The history of the penitentiary system, with few exceptions, is not a primary subject of interest for contemporary researchers. The oath of prison guards from the earliest times to the present day in the Polish lands has not yet been the subject of research, and in the penitentiary literature one searches in vain for wider reports related to the reference to God in the wording of their oaths. Keyword: Reference to God, oath, affirmation, rota, ceremonial, prison guards

Programming Religious Education in Secondary Schools at Catechetical Congresses in the Kingdom of Poland in the First Decade of the Twentieth Century

The subject of the article is the issue of developing a uniform religious education curriculum for secondary schools in the Kingdom of Poland. These activities were shown in connection with catechetical congresses of school prefects in the first decade of the 20th century in the Russian partition. These meetings became an opportunity to exchange ideas on the concepts of future religious education curricula and an attempt to develop a common version of the curriculum for the entire Kingdom of Poland. The main sources that were researched are materials from catechetical congresses of school prefects from that period, as well as framework and detailed curricula defining the content of religious teaching addressed to junior high school students.

French Legislation of the Napoleonic Era in the Kingdom of Poland: The Development of Political and Economic Freedoms in the First Half of the Nineteenth Century

According to the decision by the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Austria, Prussia and Russia, which included parts of the territory of the Duchy of Warsaw, assumed mutual obligations to ensure the rights of the Polish population. In the Kingdom of Poland, established on Polish lands within the Russian Empire, which was granted a constitution, preserved state institutions and some political and civil liberties, the French Civil Code (Code Napoleon) and the French Commercial Code continued to apply. Thus, the Duchy of Warsaw and the Kingdom of Poland were involved in the process of systematising state and civil law, which took place in many European countries at the beginning of the nineteenth century. At the same time, from the end of the 1820s onwards, the legislation of the Kingdom of Poland was brought closer to that of the Empire. This process, especially after the suppression of the Polish Uprising of 1830-1831, accompanied by the restriction of political and civil liberties granted by the Constitution of 1815, favoured the incorporation of the Polish lands into the Russian state. At the same time, the 1809 incorporation of the French Commercial Code into the national legal system of the Duchy of Warsaw, which was also in force in the Kingdom of Poland, even after the creation of the independent Polish state in 1918, contributed to the creation of legal and economic unity, which was perceived as a manifestation of economic and political freedom under conditions of a significant restriction of national rights. The implementation of French legislation in the early nineteenth century had a significant impact on the systematisation of state and civil law in the Kingdom of Poland.

"CENSVRA ALBO ZDANIE Y UWAŻENIE PROKOPA BAŁTROMIEIOWICZA, O NOMINACYEY BISKUPA WILEŃSKIEGO (...)" JAKO POMNIK LITERATURY POLITYCZNEJ WIELKIEGO KSIĘSTWA LITEWSKIEGO W KOŃCU XVI WIEKU

The aim of this article is to reveal the main threads of the political discourse contained in Prokop Bałtromiejowicz’s work Censvra albo Zdanie y uważenie Prokopa Bałtromieiowicza, o nominacyey biskupa wileńskiego (...). The study also made a comparison based on the frequency analysis of this work with selected official documents and private letters from the circles of the political elite of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania devoted to the conflict over the appointment of the Vilnius bishopric in 1597-1598. Bałtromiejowicz’s work is distinguished by a strong particularism, based on the separate state and legal tradition of the Grand Duchy, as well as suspicion towards the crown elites, although the Polish-Lithuanian union itself was not denied. At the same time, the researched work shows the widespread republican ideas and concepts in the political thought of the Grand Duchy, borrowed from the nobility discourse prevailing in the Kingdom of Poland and used by the Lithuanian elites to justify their estate privileges.

Constructing the Loyal Peasant: the Policy of the Constituent Committee on the Peasant Issue in the Kingdom of Poland (1864—1871)

Constructing the Loyal Peasant: the Policy of the Constituent Committee on the Peasant Issue in the Kingdom of Poland (1864—1871)

Z rozważań nad społeczną i gospodarczą kondycją ziemiaństwa w Królestwie Polskim w okresie postyczniowego dziesięciolecia (1864–1874)

The subject of the article is the issue of widely understood social and economic aspects related to the history of the landed gentry in the Kingdom of Poland in the post-January decade. The adopted border turning points were marked by the failure of the uprising and the introduction of the enfranchisement reform (1864) and the death of governor Fiodor Berg as well as the agricultural exhibition in Warsaw (1874). That decade was a clearly outlined period – important above all in the economic history of the country and in the context of the experiences that the village and the manor households had. Those years were crucial for the gentry as well. The consequences of enfranchisement, in a reality of the brutally suppressed independence uprising and in the atmosphere of post-January terror, brought the end to the era of manor and serf economy. The door was opened for the development of capitalist relations, which combined with a comprehensive reconstruction of the agricultural system, led many estates into ruin and forced many heirs to be declassed. For others, it was a challenge to thoroughly transform and modernize farming methods, which not always resulted in later economic successes. The new deal brought social and mental transformations as well as the rejection of traditional habits and state prejudices, to the agenda. All these interdependent phenomena created a picture that shimmered with different colours, which I think is worth re-drawing in the anniversary year.