Stefan Batory University Research Articles

The Vilnius City Hall's Main Publication "Biblioteczka Wileńska Series" (1929-1938)

The Vilnius City Hall’s leading publication, “Biblioteczka Wileńska” Series, was published during 1929–1938. The initiative to publish it came from the Cultural and Educational Commission of the Vilnius City Council. The publishing house aimed to encourage scholars to undertake research on various aspects of the history of the city of Vilnius and to spread such knowledge in wider circles of society. Nine books were published in this series between 1929 and 1938. Except for the professor of the Stefan Batory University, literary historian Stanisław Pigoń, and the head of the State Archives in Warsaw, Major Bolesław Waligóra, the authors were young researchers and graduates of the Faculty of Humanities of the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius: Maria Łowmiańska, Sara Rabinowiczówna, Janina Rodkiewiczówna, Stefan Rosiak, Irena Zaleska-Stankiewiczowa, Bogumił Zwolski, Leonid Żytkowicz. Their work significantly contributed to the knowledge of Vilnius’ history and the general academic achievements of Vilnius historians in the interwar period.

100th anniversary of the Otolaryngology Chair and and Department of the Stefan Batory University(Part I)

<b>Introduction:</b> After regaining independence, work immediately began to revive the University of Vilnius. Already on 30 December 30, 1918, the Polish Committee in Vilnius announced the establishment of the University of Vilnius, closed by the Russians in 1832, under the name Stefan Batory University. The Chair and Department of Otolaryngology was established on July 31, 1923, when Dr. Jan Szmurło was nominated as a full professor of laryngology and otiatry and was appointed as chief. The beginnings of the activity were very difficult, the Faculty of Medicine, University Chairs and Departments had to be created from scratch.<b>Aim:</b> The aim of the work was to present the establishment and activities of the Chair and Department of Otolaryngology of the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius, which existed from 1923 to 1939.<b>Description:</b> The Vilnius Department was known and appreciated not only in the country, but also abroad. Its most important achievements include: the creation of one of the first Speech and Voice Disorders Department, scientific works in the field of voice and speech disorders and vertigo, which laid the foundations for the creation of separate sciences in Poland – phoniatrics and otoneurology, publishing the only complete textbook on otorhinolaryngology, research works on a global scale over the scleroderma.<b>Conclusions:</b> Despite its short operation (only 16 years), the Vilnius Deparment has made an invaluable contribution to the development of otorhinolaryngology not only in the country, but also in the world.

Wilno – miasto paradoksów

The article is a review of the script for students Literary Vilnius in 1905–1939 by Irena Fedorowicz and Teresa Dalecka. The publication consists of two theoretical parts and an anthology. The book introduces the history of Vilnius in 1905–1939 and presents initiatives undertaken by the local literary and artistic circles in the discussed period, moreover, it discusses the pre-war heritage of the Stefan Batory University.

Toruń University Ethnology in Relation to Museology Education

The initiator of Toruń university ethnology and the person who shaped its profile for many years was Professor Maria Znamierowska-Prüfferowa. She came to Toruń from Vilnius, where the ethnographic museum was part of Stefan Batory University. She also brought with her the idea of Prof. Cezaria Baudouin de Courtenay-Ehrenkreutz, which emphasised the crucial role of museum experience in the education of ethnology students. This idea has been consistently present in the study programmes offered by the Department of Ethnology and Cultural Anthropology at Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. These programmes are implemented in constant collaboration with Maria Znamierowska-Prüfferowa Ethnographic Museum in Toruń, the Museum of the Mazovian Countryside in Sierpc, and several other institutions. Graduates of the Toruń university work in ethnographic museums across Poland, often holding managerial positions, and collaborate with the Department in teaching museology to successive generations of students.

From Ruszczyc to the Iron Curtain: Studies in the History of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Stefan Batory University in Vilnius (1919–1939)

Rec.: Małgorzata Geron (ed.), Wydział Sztuk Pięknych na Uniwersytecie Stefana Batorego w Wilnie (1919–1939/45): Dydaktyka, twórczość i tradycja artystyczna, Toruń: Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Mikołaja Kopernika, 2022.

Joachim Lelewel’s Collections Journey from Kórnik to Vilnius

Vilnius University Library possesses in its collections the personal library of distinguished historian, Joachim Lelewel (1786–1861), an alumnus and a professor of the Imperial University of Vilna. It consists of books, atlases, maps and other stocks gathered by Lelewel during his exile in Paris and Brussels. In his will, Lelewel bequeathed his library to Vilnius University, should that remembrance institution be restored. The library was temporarily stored at several locations, such as the Polish School at Batignolles (Paris), and Kórnik Library after 1874. In the fall of 1919 Vilnius University was reestablished by the Polish government under the name Stefan Batory University. The institution inherited former university’s meager library which had experienced heavy losses and deprivation during the decades of the Russian rule. Bringing to Vilnius extensive assets of printed and archival records gathered by the Polish emigrants in Western Europe through the 19th century was a great opportunity for the university library as it might significantly enrich its modest possessions. Lelewel’s personal library as well as Library and Archives of the Polish Museum at Rapperswil (Switzerland) were considered as first to be transferred. This article uses archival data to reconstruct almost a four-year long (February 1922 – end of 1925) journey of the Lelewel’s library from Kórnik to Vilnius.

Aleksandra Wolfgang – kobieta świata nauki i literatury I połowy XIX wieku

The nineteenth century is known as a time of urbanization and industrialization, a time of new concepts, changes in the structure, cohesiveness and value system of contemporary societies. This kind of ideological and cultural eclecticism was not fully applicable in the process of shaping the perception of a woman. Women were still considered to be bereft of individuality while femininity was perceived as a negative trait and a manifestation of selfishness, with men’s dominant position conditioned by traditions, customs and the law.Aleksandra Tekla Sofia Wolfgang (1805–1861) was born to a family of Jan Fryderyk Wolfgang, a scientist, professor of pharmacy, pharmacology and chemistry, and Helena Aloiza Pacowski. Aleksandra made contribution to history by devoting her life to work, scientific and literary, thus giving up her family life. She began literary and scientific activity at the age of sixteen by writing articles, poems, and translating historical works (mostly from French) for the Vilnius press. She translated into Polish scientific works of her father and other world-renowned researchers. In the journal Dzieje Dobroczynności Krajowey i Zagraniczney [eng. The History of National and Foreign Charity] she was the only woman publishing under her own name. In the course of creating a herbarium to describe the flora of Samogitia, Jerzy Pabreż took advantage of some of Alexandra’s proposals to give new names to the plants. Aleksandra Wolfgang made her contribution to the development of botany in Lithuania by creating a herbarium, conducting experiments with plants in natural conditions and describing the surroundings. After her father’s death, she finished his Dictionary of Botanical Terms. She is also the author of the first publications in the Vilnius press about the history of education of the deaf and mute, which in 1830 resulted in the publication of a monograph entitled Rys historyczny usiłowań w uczeniu głuchoniemych i zakładów na ten cel przeznaczonych [Historical outline of education for the deaf and mute and the relevant establishments], written on behalf of all Lithuanians waiting for the support and benevolence of Alexandra Romanova, Empress of Russia. Aleksandra Wolfgang’s writing, especially her correspondence, shows the expressive, creative and scientific activity of Stefan Batory University during its closure by the tsar. For Alexandra Wolfgang, the life devoted to science and society was the simplest way to create and develop general good, which was acknowledged and emphasized by her contemporary scientists.

„Nie sądzę, żeby posądzanie mnie o wrogość do Kościoła było słuszne” . Związki Czesława Miłosza z Seminarium Polskim w Paryżu

Czesław Miłosz is one of the greatest Polish poets, essayists and translators. In 1980, in recognition of his literary merits, he was awarded the Nobel Prize. He was born in 1911 in Lithuania. This is how he graduated from the law studies at the Stefan Batory University. In Vilnius, he was one of the leading activists of the local literary circle. In 1933, his first book was published (Poem of Frozen Time). Before the outbreak of World War II, he worked for Polish Radio. After 1939, he was forced to stay in Romania, then in Vilnius, and finally managed to get to Warsaw. He took part in the underground cultural life of the occupied capital. After 1945, he began to cooperate with the communist authorities. As a diplomat, he worked at posts in New York, Washington and Paris. In 1951, Czesław Miłosz decided to resign from his position as cultural attaché at the Polish Embassy in Paris. For him, a difficult period begins both materially and morally: destitute, with a marriage (civil union) falling apart. By a happy coincidence, the then Rector of Polish Seminary in Paris, Father Antoni Banaszak, stood on his life path. As a result of his efforts, on 13 January 1956, in the Polish church at rue Saint Honoré, the writer sanctioned their long-standing relationship with a church wedding. What was the relationship between the Rector of the Polish Seminary and Czesław Miłosz, a former communist dyplomat who came from he USA?

Ważny krok w badaniach dziejów Uniwersytetu Stefana Batorego w Wilnie. Refleksje wokół książki Zbigniewa Opackiego Wydział Humanistyczny Uniwersytetu Stefana Batorego w Wilnie 1919–1939, Gdańsk 2021, Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Gdańskiego, ss. 713

Review article on the book by Zbigniew Opacki Faculty of Humanities of the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius 1919–1939.

Oddział Polskiego Towarzystwa Historycznego w Wilnie (1925–1939)

After regaining independence, historians associated in scientific societies operating in the partitioned regions faced the challenge of their reorganization. It was the Historical Society, established in Lviv in 1886, which was the most important of these, above all bringing together all representatives of Klio. The adoption of a new statute by the Historical Society in 1924 and the changing the name into the Polish Historical Society, not only led to the unification of the institution, giving it a nation-wide character, but also regulated the principles of establishing branch offices. One of them, focused around the reactivated Stefan Batory University, was the branch of Polish Historical Society in Vilnius. The characteristics of its activities allow us to define the role that the Vilnius community played in the dissemination of knowledge, as well as to define the place and its rank in the structure of the Society. In the interwar period, the branch of the Polish Historical Society in Vilnius did not show much scientific activity. The focus was almost exclusively on the implementation of the statutory objectives, which was manifested in the organization of scientific meetings and participation in the General Meetings of Polish Historians, of which the most important for the local community was the Congress in Vilnius organized in 1935. Locally, the Society of Friends of Sciences in Vilnius, operating from 1907, enjoyed greater popularity, involving both the university community and local archivists, as well as librarians and history enthusiasts.

Gramatyka języka polskiego (Polish grammar) by Jan Otrębski

This paper describes a forgotten historical grammar book of Polish, which was published in the form of a multiplied typescript as a compilation of notes from the lectures delivered by Jan Otrębski at the Stefan Batory University of Vilnius in the 1930s. The notes were compiled by Otrębski’s student, Józef Trypućko. The study was published in 1933 and 1934 in two parts: one and three. Part two probably remained in the form of a manuscript. In the opinion of the authors, the study, although incomplete, provides an insight in the content of Otrębski’s lectures and the teaching of the historical grammar of Polish in Vilnius in the 1930s. It presents also the scholar’s innovative hypotheses, which cannot be found in the historical grammar books of that time.

Vilnius Alma Mater – Cultural and Scientific Link of Polish-Lithuanian History

The discussed monograph is an attempt to present Vilnius Alma Mater as a cultural and scientific link of Polish-Lithuanian history. The texts that make up the volume concern thematically Polish-Lithuanian relations from the 16th century to the present day, perceived in several aspects: historical and cultural, literary, linguistic and educational. The articles collected in the volume are arranged into specific five themes. These are: the heritage of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the works of 19th-century artists, The History of Stefan Batory University (1919–1939), The interpretation of the space of Vilnius and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from the perspective of the 20th and 21st centuries, the study of phenomena belonging to the cultural and cultural borderland linguistic.

Bronisław Wróblewski – Stefan Glaser. Sprawa katedr prawa i procesu karnego na Wydziale Prawa i Nauk Społecznych Uniwersytetu Stefana Batorego w Wilnie

Bronisław Wróblewski and Stefan Glaser. The Case of the Departments of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius The article sets out to present the history of the departments of Law and Criminal Procedure at the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the Stefan Batory University in Vilnius through the prism of the two professors Bronisław Wróblewski and Stefan Glaser. They differed in almost everything (except the place of employment); place of birth, almae matres, and above all the way of pursuing academic passion. Unfortunately, their relationship was significantly affected by their differences in the field of politics too. Wróblewski adamantly believed that criminal law and procedure should be lectured and researched separately, whereas Glaser felt otherwise, perhaps on account of his practical experience. The disputes between both of them concerned inter alia Glaser’s professorship appointment and his election to be dean, the reassignment of the academic tasks of their departments, and last but not least – granting them full professorships.

Tourism and Guidebooks in the Activities of Academic Staff at the Faculty of Fine Art at Stefan Batory University in Vilnius

Stefan Batory University in Vilnius was established in 1919 as a regional entity to carry out scientific research and develop Polish academic education. One of its faculties – the Faculty of Fine Arts (1930–1939) – gathered charismatic and popular artists, historians and architects. Among them, two professors – Juliusz Kłos (1888–1933) and Marian Morelowski – published the guidebooks for Vilnius and Wileńszczyzna region (Wilno. Przewodnik krajoznawczy, 1937; Zarys sztuki wileńskiej z przewodnikiem po zabytkiem między Niemnem a Dźwiną, 1939). The book written by Kłos gained popularity and was often purchased by the tourists who visited Vilnius. The aim of the article is to determine the main methodology, historical approaches and working styles of both authors. Moreover, the paper involves their attitude towards developing tourism, cultural heritage and historical research. The article also involves the main ideas of artistic education professors had and how much tourism was involved in the whole education process for them.

Marian Zdziechowski and the Russian students at the Stefan Batory University in Wilno

The purpose of this study is to describe the relationship between Professor Marian Zdziechowski and the students of Russian nationality at the Polish University of Stefan Batory. This scientist and thinker was the curator of the Russian Student Union and the student corporation “Ruthenia Vilnensis”. Zdziechowski’s participation in the activities of Russian student organizations and involvement in the fate of individual students is explored in the context of the scholar’s attention to Russian religious philosophy and his goodwill towards the Russian emigrates and minorities in Poland, and the rejection of communism. The main research material consisted of archival documents and publications in Vilnius interwar periodical press in Polish and Russian. The study showed that Zdziechowski was an ideological leader, a highest authority and a role model for Russian students in Wilno.

Professor Mieczysław Limanowski on Vilnius and the cultural heritage of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania

This text deals with the depiction of Vilnius in the work of Mieczysław Limanowski, geologist, co-founder of the Reduta Theatre Company, art and theatre critic, and professor at the Stefan Batory University. The author, drawing on the work of specialists from various fields, presents a semiotics of Vilnius in Limanowski’s writing. In his depiction of the city and the larger region, reflections on nature and culture and interwoven, and thus his work is an outstanding early example of modern cultural geography. In his vision of Lithuania and Vilnius we can identify such interdisciplinary traits as the motive of the road and the theme of transcendence, along with spirituality recorded in the cultural code of the city. In Limanowski’s writing on Vilnius his reflections on the Gates of Dawn and on the Church of Saint Nicolas are particularly noteworthy.

“Lithuanian Athens”. Ludwik Janowski’s versions of the history of Vilnius University

The subject of this article is scientific reflection about the works on the history of Vilnius University had written in the first two decades of the twentieth century by the cultural historian, Ludwik Janowski (1878-1921), who was associated with the scientific community in Kiev and Krakow, and in 1919-1921 he was a professor at The Stefan Batory University in Vilnius. Janowski’s interest on the history of Vilnius University was a kind of a research passion all his life. Though he failed to write a historiographic synthesis that it has been planning. In his works he tried to correct and supplement the research on the history of Vilnius University. His studies and books compose a specific synthesis in fragments, which shows in a multi-variant narrative the most important stages and factors in the development of this great center of science and culture.

Stanisław Pigoń and Manfred Kridl. Two concepts of literary research at the Stefan Batory University

The article presents two different methodologies of eminent USB professors and lecturers: Stanisław Pigoń (1921-1931) and Manfred Kridl (1931-1939). Stanisław Pigoń, taking over the Department of Polish studies in Vilnius University, after Józef Kallenbach, continued traditional philological research on romantic literature, with particular emphasis on Mickiewicz and his Vilnius years. Pigoń’s interest included: the Philomatic environment, the issues of the Kaunas-Vilnius “Dziady” and research on location of the so-called Konrad’s cell. In turn prof. Kridl introduced the modern “integral method” to Vilnius Polish studies, derived from Roman Ingarden’s theory of literary work, research on the issues of the style and structure of the poem and Russian formalism. Both educated a group of eminent scholars (Czesław Zgorzelski, Maria Renata Mayenowa, Irena Sławińska, Maria Rzewuska and others).

A page from the history of the University of Vilnius: selected biographical threads

The article concerns the scientific path of the employees and authorities of the University of Vilnius, who had the courage to to hold a repeat official presentation of a dissertation of prof. Vyacheslav Vsevolodovich Ivanov in 1978 (the previous presentation took place in Moscow in 1955, but the documentation was “lost”) and to award the title of doctor honoris causa to Vladimir Nikolaevich Toporov in 1994. Biographical threads also concern employees who moved to Warsaw after WWII, primarily Professor Maria Renata Mayenowa. She was an assistant in the Stefan Batory University and participant in the seminar of professor Manfred Kridl. As a person of Jewish nationality, she lived in hiding near Bracław under the name of Szadziewicz during the occupation and survived thanks to the help of the university community. The following names appear on further pages: Professor Tadeusz Czeżowski, Janina Zienowicz, Stefan and Lidia Wołoszyn, Feliks and Maria Wolscy. The atmosphere of mutual support and help is noteworthy. The milieu of the period is overviewed on the basis of correspondence of Professor Mayenowa to Professors Kridl and Elzenberg. As defined by Professor Zygmunt Saloni, Professor Mayenowa was “Polish by choice”.

About „filomacka“ tradition during the inter-war period in Vilnius: “Wiwlasy” by Edward Walewski (1926) and a newspaper „Filomatka“ (1929).

In Vilnius that was considered as spiritual capital of Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the period of inter-war, and mainly in ’20s of the XX century still was very living romanticism tradition. The important person and symbolic messenger of this tradition was Adam Mickiewicz, the most famous polish-lithuanian poet, polish national prophet. Very noticeable was the fact that the best known literary scientists, like: J. Kallenbach, S. Pigoń, K. Górski were employed in Polish Literature Department, in Faculty of Humanities of Stefan Batory University. Wladysław Mickiewicz – son of the poet Adam Mickiewicz, also his biographer visited Vilnius and university in 1922. In 1926 was published collection of poems named Wiwlasy. Jamb na stulecie filomatów by Edward Walewski. It consists of 48 sonnets that describe the activity of „Filomaci and Filareci“ Society members. The lyrics refer also to people (J. Lelewel, K. Kontry, E. Groddeck), and places (Nowogródek, Tuhanowicz, Bolcienik) related to some meaningful locations connected with „Filomaci“ trial case. The other significant literary event was the attempt to issue due to efforts of some teachers K. Adamska-Roubina, S. Szemitówna-Cywińska and O. Zambrzycka-Swianiewiczowa, in Vilnius in 1929, the school newspaper „Filomatka“. Till our times only one archival copy is left, there is no evidence if there were more copies. It is necessary to mention that both literary events, despite their weak response, are interesting and worth mentioning examples of still alive tradition of „Filomaci“ in Vilnius.